"Pay and display" parking coming to Troy
Troy announced today that parking meters will soon be installed at 400 spots downtown. Here are the stretches that will be metered:
- 8th Street between Sage and College Avenues (near EMPAC - map)
- the Hedley District along River Street (map)
- the areas around the Uncle Sam (map) and Fifth Avenue (map) garages
- the Fifth Avenue lot
The intersection at 15th St & Sage Ave is already metered, according to spokesman Jeff Piro.
The meters will be the "pay and display" type -- so, you park, walk over to the box, pay for time and then display the receipt on the dash of your car. The city says technicians from the company supplying the meters will start installing poles Friday. The meters are expected to be up and running "no later than mid-May."
The meters will charge 25 cents for 15 minutes, according to Pirro. The city council voted to bond $500k for the meters last year. At the time, the city comptroller estimated they could bring in about $500k/year. [Troy Record]
Of the revenue from the meters, Harry Tutunjian said in a release: "we can reinvest some of this money back into downtown through infrastructure improvements and promoting economic development."
Saratoga Springs recently rejected the idea of installing parking meters downtown because of complaints from business owners. [Saratogian]
After the jump, a quick map of the soon-to-be-metered areas.
photo: CALE Parking USA
View Troy parking meters in a larger map
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Comments
BOOOOOOOOO! Glad I moved to Saratoga!
... said Phantom on Apr 8, 2010 at 4:11 PM | link
Oh, I knew Troy had it good for too long. A bummer, but not shocking.
... said Siobhan on Apr 8, 2010 at 4:39 PM | link
Booooo. C'mon Troy, just when things were turning up, you start putting in meters?
... said Albany Jane on Apr 8, 2010 at 4:41 PM | link
And by the way, $0.25 for 15 minutes?! In Troy? Dude, you don't have to try and be just like Albany, with their jacked up parking prices, too.
... said Albany Jane on Apr 9, 2010 at 8:37 AM | link
Since when is 8th Street downtown?
... said On the Hill on Apr 9, 2010 at 11:25 AM | link
No such thing as free parking, folks. You want services, new streets, places to drive the cars? You've got to pay for it. Subsidizing private transportation is exepensive. Parking meters are nothing more than user fees. You could always walk or take the bus. One of those is free, the other is a bargain.
... said daleyplanit on Apr 9, 2010 at 2:20 PM | link
So when my car is broken into in broad daylight on 8th last October, Troy PD says well not our problem...but now they put meters on 8th street to pay for the supposed "services" troy provides. I'm calling B.S. on this and say its just a money grab.
And no way am I walking home in Troy, 2 kids got mugged of their iPhones on the approach last semester. Both in daylight.
If kids and cars are being robbed on campus no way does Troy deserve to surround RPI with meters that charge $1 an hour.
... said RPI Student on Apr 9, 2010 at 6:03 PM | link
The pay stations just went up today (May 11) on Broadway, between 3rd and 4th streets in Troy.
Note to the City of Troy: there aren't many legitimate businesses left in this town -- they're shuttering left and right. Charging for parking will only accelerate the flight.
I have seen pay stations like this used successfully -- in places like along the beachfront in LaJolla, CA. But this is Troy, not LaJolla. It's bad enough when my clients have to dodge the homeless, the prostitutes, the drug dealers, and the domestic fist fights that appear on the sidewalk outside of my business -- now, they have the privilege of paying for parking on the street where they HOPE there car will still be when they are done. More and more, my clients from cities like Albany, Clifton Park, and Saratoga Springs express doubts about their safety when visiting Troy.
I can move my business to Saratoga Springs, for about the same cost as staying here. In Saratoga, there is still plenty of free parking, and most of the passersby are actually employed and able to buy products from me. What possible reason is there for a business to stay in Troy?
Another huge mis-step in a city that seems to pride itself on mis-steps.
... said bemused on May 11, 2010 at 4:02 PM | link
At least Saratoga Springs has enough businesses to fight this. Troy...well, just walk around and look at all the empty stores. No one there to stand up and say "no".
... said BobF on May 12, 2010 at 7:49 AM | link
dailyplanit -- you're completely missing the point. Parking stations are an answer -- but really, what is the question?
Of course infrastructure like parking spots cost money. But when a city faces a situation with an extremely low business and commercial occupancy rate, high poverty levels, frequent street crime, existing businesses shuttering or relocating to other cities at a rapid pace, and consumers from nearby towns, right or wrong, holding the view that Troy is an unsafe and unpleasant place to shop -- maybe the City needs to answer a different question first.
Take the bus? Please. There are two kinds of cities where people take the bus: really progressive cities where people at all socio-economic levels can get everything they need in life within a few blocks radius, and decaying cities with populated primarily with poor people who can't afford to shop anywhere, any how.
Troy does't even have a supermarket. Unless you're looking to buy junk, er, "antiques" or visit one of the bars, why exactly would any one with money to spend want to come to Troy?
Troy night out and a few concerts in our dingy town parks aren't the answer either.
We need a comprehensive plan to bring new businesses and customers into our town, and to keep existing businesses from fleeing to greener pastures.
Charging for parking is just another layer of irritation, inconvenience and hassle that will scare a few more people away from Troy, instead of encouraging them to come here.
... said bemused on May 13, 2010 at 9:56 AM | link