Downtown parking

[carltonplace]

Agreed, there is plenty of parking, but this surface lot next to the PAC and City Hall needs to be better utilized. The churches in the Cathedral District (and TCC) all have their own dedicated surface parking.

People that are going to TCC, to church, to the PAC and to City Hall are going to drive in and drive out and they are not looking for transportation options. We should get them to park closer together and find better uses for these oceans of asphalt.

[BKDotCom]

Scratch light rail.

I demand hyperloop  (whatever it is)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57593734-1/elon-musk-says-hyperloop-plans-coming-soon/

[Red Arrow]

Scratch light rail.
I demand hyperloop  (whatever it is)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57593734-1/elon-musk-says-hyperloop-plans-coming-soon/

Be ready to empty your wallet.

[sgrizzle]

Activate Hyperloop! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Mega thrusters are go!

[TheArtist]

Activate Hyperloop! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Mega thrusters are go!

Doesn't sound expensive at all.

[Red Arrow]

Doesn't sound expensive at all.

You must have "selective hearing".

[BKDotCom]

Be ready to empty your wallet.

As a typical taxpaying citizen (or non-taxpayer)..  It goes without saying that I feel entitled and that someone else should pay for it.

But here's an Elon Musk quote from Sep 2012:

Because the $60 billion bullet train they're proposing in California would be the slowest bullet train in the world at the highest cost per mile. They're going for records in all the wrong ways.

He thinks his Futurama tubes (or whatever it is) could be done at 1/10th the cost

[SXSW]

While I don't think we need to oversaturate downtown with parks, the PAC lot because of the view and location between the CBD and Blue Dome would be an awesome place for one.  More Guthrie Green and less Centennial Green.  And because of the slope of the site could handle a couple levels of parking underneath.  The garage would only be visible along 2nd where the entrance and exit would be located.  You add more parking and create a gathering space that then could be surrounded by new development (lots along 3rd, Detroit and 2nd).

I saw over the weekend how a well-located, and well-programmed, green space can truly be a catalyst for the Brady neighborhood.  Blue Dome needs the same treatment IMO.

View from the lot


Jamison Square in Portland (once a parking lot, surrounded by parking lots)

[TheArtist]

Actually I would like to see Centennial Green act as a catalyst for development there (for full disclosure I own a shop right in front of Centennial green so of course I am not biased in any way) and would like the parking lot in front of, and to the east of, the PAC to be redeveloped to become more of a connector from the Deco District to the Blue Dome/Brady/Greenwood (Bluedywood?  ) districts.

We were actually talking about that park at one of the last Deco District meetings trying to think of ways to make it more "functional" and enjoyable.  There are a lot of people who like going to the core of downtown (and who automatically go there as it's the logical place to go when visitors come to the city) and I am often surprised at the number of people who do play in the park (parents with their kids kicking around a soccer ball, throwing frisbee, playing in the fountain, bootcamp exercise groups, etc.) but it still seems quite lacking in amenities.  Someone mentioned a "music park" having giant, interactive, musical, playground sculptures (they were hesitant to mention the idea as silly but I actually really like it) and also seeing if the city could ever finish the stage area for the park (I have heard that it is actually too small and should be larger).  And of course it would be nice for the city to do some "programming" for the park as well.  Frustrating that the city started the park but didn't finish it as advertised. But regardless we in the Deco District will try to have more events there as well, but of course we don't have the funding that the Guthrie Green people do.             

[DowntownDan]

I attended the Center of the Universe festival and parked in the garage next to the Jazz Depot.  There were tons of spaces unused.  I'd say maybe a fourth of the garage was used.  With all of those people downtown, I don't know where they parked, but there was clearly not any shortage of parking spots.  The garage is only a block and a half from Guthrie Green and maybe 3 or 4 blocks to Cains.  Confirms to me that there is not a parking shortage even for the Brady District. 

[Weatherdemon]

I attended the Center of the Universe festival and parked in the garage next to the Jazz Depot.  There were tons of spaces unused.  I'd say maybe a fourth of the garage was used.  With all of those people downtown, I don't know where they parked, but there was clearly not any shortage of parking spots.  The garage is only a block and a half from Guthrie Green and maybe 3 or 4 blocks to Cains.  Confirms to me that there is not a parking shortage even for the Brady District. 

Wow!
I am shocked by that.

I thought this one would fill up then everyone would freak out.

That's awesome it was only 25% used and I haven't not heard any complaints about parking.

[carltonplace]

The American Parking Surface lots in the Blue Dome were all packed. People just don't know that they can park in the parking structures, or they don't recognize them (since they are used to street level) or they really wanted to walk extra blocks. 

[Conan71]

The American Parking Surface lots in the Blue Dome were all packed. People just don't know that they can park in the parking structures, or they don't recognize them (since they are used to street level) or they really wanted to walk extra blocks. 

It's Tulsa, we are addicted to surface parking.  It's crack for Tulsa's motorists.

[TheArtist]

  I do think there needs to be some simple signage that would greatly help.  At the entrance to a parking garage it needs to say on a HUGE sign  "PUBLIC PARKING" and then some prices.  Most people, including me, when they drive by a parking garage have no idea whether its private parking, parking for a hotel, public parking, etc.  and are not going to slow down in the middle of the street trying to look around at the entrance to decipher what such and such garage actually is, whether its open and the cost.  It's easier to drive around till you see an open spot along a street or in surface parking.  The surface parking lots do a much better job of directing people to their lots, have signage out saying what the price is and even people out there to take your money and wave you in.  

I have said it over and over that most of the garages we have now are way underutilized and we have plenty of surface parking lots.  Little education of the public along with some signage and investing a fraction of the cost of the new proposed parking garages into transit would do so much more for our downtown. They did a great thing by adding signage to the north facing wall of the parking garage across the tracks from the Brady Arts District, but do wonder if they did some signage on the other side where the entrance is?  Even the parking garage I am in does not do adequate signage imho and nobody parked there during the event.  Tens of thousands of people downtown, parking garage completely empty and available, but we want to spend millions and millions for more parking garages?  What planet are these people from?

[swake]

 I do think there needs to be some simple signage that would greatly help.  At the entrance to a parking garage it needs to say on a HUGE sign  "PUBLIC PARKING" and then some prices.  Most people, including me, when they drive by a parking garage have no idea whether its private parking, parking for a hotel, public parking, etc.  and are not going to slow down in the middle of the street trying to look around at the entrance to decipher what such and such garage actually is, whether its open and the cost.  It's easier to drive around till you see an open spot along a street or in surface parking.  The surface parking lots do a much better job of directing people to their lots, have signage out saying what the price is and even people out there to take your money and wave you in.  

I have said it over and over that most of the garages we have now are way underutilized and we have plenty of surface parking lots.  Little education of the public along with some signage and investing a fraction of the cost of the new proposed parking garages into transit would do so much more for our downtown. They did a great thing by adding signage to the north facing wall of the parking garage across the tracks from the Brady Arts District, but do wonder if they did some signage on the other side where the entrance is?  Even the parking garage I am in does not do adequate signage imho and nobody parked there during the event.  Tens of thousands of people downtown, parking garage completely empty and available, but we want to spend millions and millions for more parking garages?  What planet are these people from?

That's what these are for, they have been added all over downtown: