Folks riding the Metro in Toronto are going to have to pay to park in outlying stations. Its about time. Giving "free" parking to one group isn’t appropriate and sends the wrong message.
What they should do if they are concerned about losing ridership, is have a reduced rate for Metro Customers. That way they can track usage, get income to cover the cost of providing the space, and the riders will understand that they get a break on the cost because they are customers.
I just have never understood why "free" parking is such a big deal. We pay for literally everything else. And in many cases, we pay for parking at incredibly high rates. It costs more to park in New York City than to see a hockey game, more than a ticket at a Dodger game, and more than the cheap seats at the Hollywood bowl. So what do people do? They either pay it, or look for alternative ways to get to the event.
If you build it they will come. No one decides not to go to the game, or the concert, or frankly out to dinner, because you have to pay for parking. Sorry, if such decisions are made, its usually because of a really bad record, the fact that you just can’t stand Madonna, or poor food.
JVH
