I think the 2 hour free parking is perfect to allow for lunches/dinner, errands, etc. I’ve gone to the downtown Arrow a couple times during this trial period strictly because I can now park in the deck behind their building.
To offset some of the lost revenues, I’d be totally fine with them charging on weekends after the first two hours - or charging later in the day on weekdays - as long as the pricing tiers are simple to follow. For example, a flat $5 fee on weekends after 2 hours is easy to understand and straightforward.
Cary still offers free parking. We will gladly take all the potential customers that some of you don’t seem to want. New Cary owned downtown parking deck opening this fall.
This evening I continued watching this afternoon’s council session, and they unanimously voted to extend the 2 hour free parking pilot through the end of the calendar year.
Y’all already know how I feel about this vis-a-vis the decision made to charge for the RLine. IMO the juxtaposition of these decisions is awkward and the timing is unfortunate.
I feel like DTR is the former hotshot kid who never made it to the pros. DT Cary is the guy coaching high school football but having a great time doing it.
Eh… they’re going after different crowds, at the moment. DTC is going from a bunch of strip malls to a really nice spot to hang out as a young family or eat as an older couple. DTR still has the younger crowd with Glenwood and State, even as it struggles a bit to backfill the hole left by the office market collapsing.
Even then, my usual weekend move is to eat in DTR and drink on West or Person Street.
The 2-hour free parking pilot was a big success, with businesses and visitors confirming that it brought more folks downtown; that increases sales tax revenue to the city, and more folks in our decks and on the streets improves public safety.
Think of the program as a bridge for now, to support the central business district while we continue to work to increase the number of residents who live downtown and to provide better transit options.
Since my company moved to Wade Park, I’ve actually come to really like parking in the deck vs the surface lot. I like my car not being 150 degrees in the summer and being able to walk to my car and not get wet in the rain. I don’t mind street parking (and I’m a pretty kick-ass parallel parker…), but just saying I enjoy the deck more than I ever thought I would
I wish I had a deck at my work for just that reason. I’ve actually parked my car in one of those office decks during a hurricane warning before. Normally I just street park in front of my house.
Is there any chance that if this program becomes permanent more street parking will be replaced with more handicap, ride share & food delivery drop-off, 2-hr maximum parking, bike parking, parklets, etc?
I agree with Nickster about covered parking but this is a good idea for the parts of downtown where there are no city decks. Even out Hillsborough Street (NCSU area) that would be a popular idea.
