Public hearing for the proposed Albany parking permit system tonight
An overview map of the proposed coverage area. Much bigger versions are the after the jump.
The public hearing for the proposed Albany residential parking permit system is tonight (Monday) at 7 pm at city hall. The public hearing is one of the last steps before the system could potentially be passed and moved toward implementation.
We suspect there will be plenty of suggestions/questions/concerns about the system, particularly about which spots will be subject to the permits. Richard Conti, the common councilman heading up the project, touched on that topic in his ward newsletter last week:
... the street designations on the zone maps are preliminary subject to revision after the public hearing. I've discussed the inclusion or non-inclusion of streets at neighborhood meetings during the month of October, and have received other communications, and am aware of some of the concerns regarding preliminary street designations. Under the state authorizing legislation, we are limited to the designations of 2,750 spaces spread across three zones. After the current proposed map was finalized we discovered additional spaces that had not been allocated. So we have a margin to play with to address concerns. ...
Resolving the street designations is the major issue that needs to be resolved; once that is completed the remaining pieces should fall into place.
As proposed, the system would cover three zones around the Empire State Plaza:
+ Zone A - 1946 spaces in Center Square/Hudson-Park/Washington Park/parts of Park South,
+ Zone B - 443 spaces in the Mansion neighborhood
+ Zone C - 163 spaces in Arbor Hill around the Ten Broeck Triangle
Details and maps of these proposed zones are available from the city's website -- and we've also posted them after the jump here for easy scanning.
The state law giving the city the right set up the system allows for 2,750 spaces within a 3/4 mile radius of the ESP. Once implemented, the system will run for two years and then be up for review.
Car sharing: We hear that car sharing advocates will also be at the hearing tonight pushing their case. In the past, advocates have touted sharing as another way of addressing the parking problem in congested neighborhoods.
Images of the maps are displayed and embedded above (scroll all the way up). For the most detail, download this combined pack of the four maps (pdf) (or grab them individually from the city's website).
Proposed system summary
Albany Proposed Parking System Summary
Street designations
Albany Permit Parking Proposed Street Designations Revised
Earlier on AOA:
+ The Albany residential parking permit task force recommendations
+ The car sharing conversation
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Comments
Thank freakin' goodness- did I see the words CAR SHARE? Maybe oh, just maybe even ZipCar?
... said shadi on Nov 7, 2011 at 2:02 PM | link
So car sharing advocates want spaces carved up and reserved just in case a car sharing company comes to town? How about we actually find a company that thinks car sharing can be successful here first. Then we can look into where the cars will park.
... said Iuwq3 on Nov 8, 2011 at 7:38 AM | link
Ug. If you want car sharing, why don't you just start a car sharing company?
... said Tim on Nov 8, 2011 at 8:46 AM | link
Perhaps, a solution to test it would be to have one car located in Center Square. Typically the way it works is that the car sharing company actually pays prime money for the spot. The reason they pay prime money for the spot is that more often than not car sharing companies like ZipCar have tested the market in other cities and are confident in their research.
... said shadi on Nov 8, 2011 at 9:26 AM | link
If you want car sharing, just share your car! I did it for years. Why pay a company for it?
-Use an online calendar to schedule use, text each other where it's parked when you're done, and always bring it back full of gas.
-Everyone pay a set amount each month to a treasurer. That money goes towards repairs, insurance, and registration.
-Transfer ownership to another member each time the registration is up so the risk and responsibility is not on any one member all the time.
Keep your costs down by not involving third parties. DIY.
... said rana on Nov 8, 2011 at 9:41 AM | link
@ Tim, the point is that there are car sharing companies that are successful- that have a demand and that are plugged into a larger national matrix.
In the case of ZipCar you could actually rent their cars by the hour in any city that has a ZipCar station. Why would you compete with that and why wouldn't you want to reduce the amount of cars on the streets, if there was a possibility that you could rent a car for $7.00 per hour (including gas and insurance).
Here is an article in the NYTimes that i thought was interesting and worth reading.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/nyregion/18critic.html?emc=eta1
... said Shadi on Nov 8, 2011 at 9:46 AM | link
Capital District Transportation Committee and Capital District Transportation Authority put out a request for someone to put together an operation manual for a car sharing entity (non-profit/profit/cooperative) -- The deadline to apply for the project was Monday - http://www.cdtcmpo.org/carshare.pdf
@ Shadi ZipCar has refused to come to the Capital Region. People have asked.
@ Rana - Check out RelyRides. It is an organization that allows people to share their own car. DIY is great in general but could be a hassle for a lot of people. RelyRides takes the hassle out of it. https://relayrides.com/ -- People also make money by sharing their vehicle.
@Shadi - Here is a study on car sharing parking polices in North American
http://www.innovativemobility.org/publications/Carsharing_Parking_Policy_Review_of_North_American_Practices_and_San_Francisco_California_Bay_Area_Case_Study.shtml
I think overall car sharing advocates want it to be a part of the discussion and not demanding spots be given over right away .
... said Lauren Alpert on Nov 8, 2011 at 10:02 AM | link
Thanks Lauren- It blows my mind that zip car is in Utica, Rochester, Syracuse and even Oswego. Why are they not in Albany then?
... said shadi on Nov 8, 2011 at 10:39 AM | link
I'd be thrilled if Zip Car came to Albany. My wife and I have dropped down to one car and while it makes life easier most days (parking as we do in Center Sq.) having occasional access to a car for short period would be really helpful for us.
Zip car is very well established in lots of other cities and if we had access here, we could then use ZC when traveling too....
Yes to Zip Car in Albany!
... said BarryT on Nov 8, 2011 at 11:14 AM | link
um people are really interested in the zipcar issue and not so much in the issue of permits which I think are a bad idea. Does the city really need another excuse to be ticketing people? The permits do come at an annual fee, and even at a nominal cost many residents of these neighborhoods aren't going to purchase them. I also foresee a lot of tickets being assigned for permits "not properly displayed". We live in a city and parking will always be tough. I don't think that this elaborate endeavor was necessary and I think that it will be another inconvenience for neighborhood residents, on top of the ones that already exist.
... said reuben on Nov 9, 2011 at 3:01 PM | link
If the new permit system affects you, just remember if you have to go downtown, the walk there is pretty easy from many places, i.e. down hill.
On the way back, up hill, when you have to get home, there are many buses, or it's a good workout.
My grandfather observed the same things in Albany in the late 1930's and kept a journal.
If you're coming from farther way, just park and walk.
... said kate on Nov 13, 2011 at 8:24 AM | link