Free Parking at T Stations?

I always felt that the T should only charge for lots that fill up. Much of the reason for T commuter rail is to avoid insane amounts of highway and downtown garage construction. Anything that makes the service more attractive helps.

Having the T charge while C&J bus passengers parked free at the Newburyport lot (I-95 & MA 113) was really unfair. Of course, now C&J has moved their bus stop to the old Sam's Club in Seabrook NH where they do charge for parking. The Newburyport lot is now pretty much empty.

Newburyport's train station parking lots were way over-built. None of the three original lots were ever full. When the T raised the rate to $4, usage fell by about half. People either shifted to parking where on-street was legal and walking (very good for my health in that phase of my life) or driving to cheaper non-T garages (Haverhill & Lawrence for example). Now one of the Newburyport lots has in fact been sold off for apartment buildings.

Rowley's lot is never full. Ipswich's was almost always full pre-pandemic, but it's in a lower fare zone than Rowley.

Underpaid money collectors working for T contractors didn't help; they were either making mistakes or skimming.

Thanks. I've used commuter rail very little since I retired, so I hadn't kept track. Interesting that Newburyport is still $4 on weekdays, when Haverhill, Bradford and Rowley are $2.

The MVRTA garage on Granite St. in Haverhill is $4 for a typical commuter, but most of the parking spaces are covered so you don't have to fight snow to get in or out. The MVRTA garage is much easier to exit than either MBTA lot after a train arrives. MVRTA sells MBTA tickets, accepts cash and credit cards, and might even allow overnight parking. They have added EV charging since I last used it.

The MVRTA Lawrence garage has raised prices since I last used it: $4 if you show your MBTA ticket, $8 otherwise. And they explicitly do overnight parking, which the MBTA mentions: https://www.mbta.com/parking/overnight-parking The prospect of getting my car towed if I didn't make the last train lost the T many of my $$. There were and are free spots I could walk to several stations from.

BandA wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:52 pm West Concord used to have a free, dirt parking lot. The T paved it and started charging. I'd rather park in dirt than have to pay.

Actaully the Town of Concord paved that lot, they control the parking at West Concord. The T/Keolis does not have the parking for that station.

I didn't know that... also ~34 years ago

I have watched the West Concord parking expand over the years.