Parking Questions / Discussion

I saw that notice too at Braintree Station this morning, but I have to agree with it, since many people still intentionally and knowingly dont pay the $7 fee to park. While I myself dont like it, I still do the right thing and leave the 7 dollars in the correct slot (dont put it in the wrong slot or they'll penalize you too). And for the third offense, the car will be removed at owners expense and in between they'll put a tag on your driver's side window saying NO T Parking" if you dont deposit the 7 dollars at Braintree and Quincy Adams which also has an honor box system

I would agree with the fine increase if I had not had issues with paying for parking and then having to go through the wonderment of getting the violation removed from my record because I had actually paid. Unfortunately, there is an issue that lies either with the system the parking lot contractors are using for recording payments or the employees that are collecting the money (ie: they are pocketing it and marked the space as unpaid). Without dealing with and correcting these issues at the lots where it's happening this looks more like a new revenue stream than a way to make sure people don't "forget" to pay for parking.

Why cant they come up with a device ,like an ATM machine, where you insert cash ( or a credit card ) , a receipt is spit out, and then you return to your autocar and place this receipt on the dash so that it can be seen by the parking agent. This would eliminate the wrong box or less than full payment issue. No tickee, no parkee, get towee! Maybe even a dual receipt thing, one in autocar, one in wallet. Plymouth Water street municipal parking lot uses something similar for its non metered spaces. Note this is not the commuter rail lot at Cordage /vacant wallyworld . Too bad if the parking lot companies have to invest in a little infrastructure!

...or the payment kiosks that are in use along Newbury Street? I saw them all over the place in Philly too!

Teamdriver wrote:Why cant they come up with a device ,like an ATM machine, where you insert cash ( or a credit card ) , a receipt is spit out, and then you return to your autocar and place this receipt on the dash so that it can be seen by the parking agent. This would eliminate the wrong box or less than full payment issue. No tickee, no parkee, get towee! Maybe even a dual receipt thing, one in autocar, one in wallet. Plymouth Water street municipal parking lot uses something similar for its non metered spaces. Note this is not the commuter rail lot at Cordage /vacant wallyworld . Too bad if the parking lot companies have to invest in a little infrastructure!

That would piss off a bunch of self-rightous commuters. The people in that group argue that the new parking fines are unfair because commuters need to get to the lot, park, and catch their train so that they don't get to work late and get fired. They would rather pay the $1 fine on top of the parking fees Instead of leaving their house 5 minutes earlier to show up 5 minutes earlier to pay the box! God forbid you make them pay then walk back to their cars! Unfortunately, (judging by the number of comments on certain news pages) the self-rightous group actually makes up a significant portion of the commuters that park in the MBTA's lots.

diburning wrote: That would piss off a bunch of self-rightous commuters. The people in that group argue that the new parking fines are unfair because commuters need to get to the lot, park, and catch their train so that they don't get to work late and get fired. They would rather pay the $1 fine on top of the parking fees Instead of leaving their house 5 minutes earlier to show up 5 minutes earlier to pay the box! God forbid you make them pay then walk back to their cars! Unfortunately, (judging by the number of comments on certain news pages) the self-rightous group actually makes up a significant portion of the commuters that park in the MBTA's lots.

Don't forget people that are too lazy to use their phone to pay within 20 minutes of parking and leaving the station. I have a Symbian phone, which means there is no Parkmobile app. Unlike people with iPhone's or Android devices I am forced to kludge through the Parkmobile website to pay and I still do it.

Teamdriver wrote:Why cant they come up with a device ,like an ATM machine, where you insert cash ( or a credit card ) , a receipt is spit out, and then you return to your autocar and place this receipt on the dash so that it can be seen by the parking agent. This would eliminate the wrong box or less than full payment issue. No tickee, no parkee, get towee! Maybe even a dual receipt thing, one in autocar, one in wallet. Plymouth Water street municipal parking lot uses something similar for its non metered spaces. Note this is not the commuter rail lot at Cordage /vacant wallyworld . Too bad if the parking lot companies have to invest in a little infrastructure!

Metro-North has machines similar to what you describe, but they're essentially an electronic version of what the T is still using. No need to put a receipt on your dashboard. Though there are some spaces reserved for monthly parking pass holders, and for those you do need a tag on your dash.

You can do the high tech mode as mentioned above:

Parking machines that spit out paper, you place on dash
or
Parking machines where you key in your parking space number

Both work well.

Or you can go the low tech method, which Ive seen used in Brazil.

You buy a booklet filled with parking receipts.
When you need to use one, you fill out the circle for the date, and place on dashboard.

So its like the parking machines you see in downtown Boston...but without the ridiculous overhead. No need to buy machines. No need to maintain machines.

Have two "funds" on Charlie Cards. One fund for parking, the other for the train. Tap the card -> receive ticket -> place on dash and park.

Once Charlie Cards are going on commuter rail this would be much simpler for commuters.

Otherwise, feed cash/credit at a second entrance. Funds can be added at second entrance or any fare machine.

This is interesting, while the T is increasing fines, they are quietly lowering the price to park in a few lots!!! Newburyport is going from $4 to $3 a day. Here is an article: http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x1 ... ot-lowered

No contradiction there, John. They're trying to encourage more motorists to use the lot(s) that have low capacity which in spite of the $1 less will make more money if successful. They're also tired of the cheapskates who try to beat the system and applying the power of money (in another direction) against them to solve that problem, also increasing revenue. Good ideas, both.

I really don't see how people are so up in arms over the $21 non-payment fine. If you don't pay a parking meter in the city of Boston that will run you $25. I don't see how this is any different.

I commute by train probably 8-9 trips per week. I don't think I've used the Commuter Rail lots more than three times since they raised the rate to $4. Some of this is because there are alternatives if I'm willing to walk 10 min., some because I was a victim of (probably employee) theft a number of times. The $21 penalty removes T lots from my consideration completely; if I'm running late enough that I don't have the time to walk from free on-street parking, I'll either work from home or drive in rather than risk getting involved in a higher-stakes fight with the parking contractor.

I applaud reducing the price in Newburyport; they've got lower-priced (monthly) off-site competition there and since the station opened I've never seen the T's lot even half full. They'd be well-advised to do the same at Haverhill: Before the $4 rate, that lot was usually almost full by 0900. Since, it's been half-capacity or less, as all the long-haul commuters took advantage of the lower "with train ticket" price at the Lawrence garage. I have no idea who Haverhill expects to use their new garage when it opens, or how much they'll charge.

The MVRTA's Haverhill downtown garage is now open, as is the bridge to the easterly platform of the RR station. The base rate is $4/day, $3 for evenings, monthly rates available - I will look for details on my next trip. The garage contains a "police substation", empty at 6PM yesterday except for a Haverhill Police decal on the window and some computers & equipment. There is a bike rack with a capacity of about a dozen bikes by the Granite St. entrance. If the rack is watched by security cameras, they are inconspicuous.

I am curious how they will do charging the same rate as the MBTA lot, which has been less than half full at 0900 recently. Access is a definite plus - there is always a jam leaving both the Haverhill and Bradford MBTA lots after rush hour trains arrive. But Lawrence is closer to I-495, plus cheaper. If the MVRTA allows overnight parking, that will also be a plus. Also, the monthly rate. I expect some of their customers will be employees of downtown businesses.

danib62 wrote:I really don't see how people are so up in arms over the $21 non-payment fine. If you don't pay a parking meter in the city of Boston that will run you $25. I don't see how this is any different.

That has to be the best rationalization I've ever heard.