Parking Chaos at the Malls

The Problem as quoted to the local Toronto radio Station:

"It feels like a madhouse only because people
always look for that closet spot to the centre. There’s always plenty
of parking spots just a bit farther away," Jai Lee, a spokesperson for
Yorkdale, told 680News.

She said one option might be to use Yorkdale’s valet parking. "It’s
$5, you come in and park your car; you can even get a car wash as you
shop," she said and added it’s a free service for seniors and the
disabled.

There are plenty of parking spaces just a bit further away. That tells the story of virtually every mall in the country. Andy took his family to the mall on Friday and found plenty of parking, on the roof of the garage. He says he was in, parked, and spending money in less than 10 minutes.  I went to the local mall on Friday and found plenty of parking in their underground garage beginning at the third level down (there are six). It meant I had to ride one more escalator to get to where I was going.

Yes, the uninitiated parker wants a space, they want it free, and they want it to be six feet from the mall entrance. The will cruise for hours looking for it, all the time blocking everyone else. They need to be enticed to other spaces.  I have a solution.

Charge for close in parking and make the further out parking free.  Simply put staff on each floor or in each area and collect whatever amount it takes to get people’s attention.  Spaces close in could be $5, those further out, $3 and the one’s around the curvature of the earth could be gratis.  Some signage could communicate the deal, along with some good PR.

The staff could simply say, parking here is $5 but if you go down two more floors, Its free. Likewise for the close in, far out lots.

The absolute best way to change people’s habits is through their pocketbook.  If $5 isn’t enough, make it $10.  Take the money and use it to cover the cost of collection and put the rest in the Salvation Army buckets…

Everyone is a winner.

JVH