Quote:
Originally Posted by WarrenC12
LOL!!! Newsflash!! You don't own the street in front of your residence. You never have, and never will.
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Try being a little less literal and at least address the guy's point. In concept he is correct, which goes back to one of my points (that you didn't address either) that permit parking was instituted to protect street parking for resident's use and give them as close an approximation to what residents in your typical neighborhood have. The West End is unique in the competition for parking, but permits are used in the same way to protect 'parking rights' near transit stations, hospitals, etc.
Also, it is not true that (and the numbers do not reflect a proper study) that parking within buildings is significantly underutilized. I could give you reams of anecdotal evidence to the contrary - including my own: 4 different buildings over 15 years and I secured a spot just once, after a10 month wait.
WarrenC12: you say "the problem is that there are so many parking permits and not enough street spaces." That is simply a near useless statement. The issue is not nearly so simplistic. And then you say "people can't find parking and end up driving around the neighbourhood wasting energy, time, and causing congestion." This has been the case from the get go. Coming home after about 7pm left me driving all over looking for a space. Yes it is wasteful. But, those that will be priced out of the market will become a more serious case of "people [who] can't find parking." How about addressing their needs as well, instead of ignoring their right to equally access the city in an affordable manner.
Why is it better to make parking too expensive for some; that in itself is a version of their being not enough parking, except that the lack of supply is applied to a single group of users, those who can't afford it. Its bullshit to think that would solve the problem. That only frees up space for the better off while not addressing the supply issue at all. Supply and demand is not the best solution to everything.
Also, as to why off street parking might be vacant, there is no real information at all. So, WarrenC12, stop asserting things as obvious facts when they are just your best guesses.
Also, parking, like driving, actually lies somewhere between a right and a good. We have long lived in a culture that acknowledges that, if you follow the rules and regulations, you may exercise a social right to access to many things. Parking is on the same conceptual level as parks. The City has a formula for its ideal amount of park space per resident. This sets a right of expectation for the individual citizen. A lack of park space is not solved by fencing and a user pay system.
Also, in the last 10 or so posts, something new is coming to the fore: that the disjointed thinking about this (from the City) is beginning to make it clear that their rationale contradicts other positions of theirs. It starts to become clear that it is just a simplistic application of the no cars agenda without any deep understanding of how all the components fit together.
Sad thing: eventually a different government will be elected and may dismantle a lot of what the current one thinks it has achieved. Then, all this effort, time, and expense goes straight into the garbage.