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Your tax dollars at work: State spends millions for empty parking spaces
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Saw this report on Ch. 4 last night
Joe Shortsleeve did a nice bit of digging here to arrive at the final figure ($3m on unused parking) and rightly contrasted this with the fairly drastic cuts in spending on other programs.
And welcome back UHub, we missed you, did you do something with your hair or lose weight or something? You're lookin' good...
Someone explain the Medford
Someone explain the Medford garage to me.
"To cut down on pollution, in 1995 Massachusetts signed an iron-clad 15-year deal leasing four floors. The idea: encourage commuters to use the "T" by offering affordable parking rates."
This sounds like the state is paying the MBTA. So basically, the money is going from one department to an other one. I dont see the problem.
Of course, the other situations are bad. Why should the government be paying for their employees to park anyway? Most private businesses do not.
The MBTA does not own the
The MBTA does not own the Mystic Center garage at Wellington, it is a private garage that offers commuter parking.
Even the former people mover, now walkway, across the MBTA Orange Line storage yard that connects the garage to the station is not owned by the MBTA.
You don't see the problem?
Millions of dollars are being spent on parking spaces that are completely empty, and you don't see a problem? Okay then, just keep voting the way you're voting.
Do you not understand what I
Do you not understand what I asked? If the state is paying the state, then no money is actually being spent. The question was, does the MBTA (the state) own the garage. Someone answered that no, the MBTA does not. So then it is a waste. Id prefer a question be answered, and not responded to with sarcasm.
Even if the MBTA owned the
Even if the MBTA owned the garage you still have empty spaces that presumably could be filled by normal commuters. The garage makes the same amount of money in that case but the state also gets to keep their check. Plus if the lot is full and people are turned away or do not head to the trains knowing it would be full then you are increasing traffic instead of decreasing it.
The reason it's empty
If you've driven all the way to Wellington, you might as well finish driving downtown at that point. It's empty because nobody parks there.
The very large MBTA surface
The very large MBTA surface lot at Wellington seems to fill up with no problem. I also see quite a few people heading for that walkway to the garage building in the peak. There dosen't seem to be a problem attracting non-state employee commuters to parking at Wellington.
And then what ...
Once you drive downtown, you need to find parking and pay through the nose for it. If you don't have multiple people in the car, you sit and sit and sit in traffic, and then you have to find your way through a maze of poorly signed streets (a friend of mine from 6th grade on just moved to NH and he's using my driveway from now on ...). If you are coming through Everett and Malden anyway, it works even better.
Wellington is quite popular with commuters for those reasons. I also see it used as a drop for school trips and by families who come from the hinterlands to bring their kids to the attractions in the city. The "preteen's first subway ride" groups.
As a former Wellington user
As a former Wellington user myself these are great points. Malden is a little annoying and Sullivan is just kind of weird. Wellington is the best option for many people because it offers parking, is accessible by a few major routes and is located across from a major liquor store.
There have been times when I would get to Wellington and the surface lots would be full. It is a very busy station, do not let the size fool you.
Q: What's the difference between sarcasm and derision?
A: Sarcasm's funny.
I do not understand why the
I do not understand why the state can not just purchase parking plans or repay their commuters when they do park. Why have all these empty spaces? What is worse is these spaces are empty and people like you and me are paying more because there are less spaces available for us. It knocks supply and demand out of whack.
My employer pays for my parking when I park and I park with the general public. Monthly passes only make sense if you use them 3 out of 5 days of the week.