All Over Albany

So, how do they plan to monitor that two-hour parking rule?

... said Terrence on Jun 19, 2012 at 12:04 PM | link

Well Terrence, they'll simply hire more city employees to monitor each and every car on the street! And they'll claim those employees are being paid for by the fees we'll be paying to continue to park the same way we always have - by stalking our neighbors and never walking alone at night! Just what we need - more meter maids! I have a better idea: How about we spend that money on additional law enforcement for our increasingly crime ridden city?!

... said scam on Jun 19, 2012 at 12:12 PM | link

This is going to be a total fustercluck. I foresee a lot of people calling in due to lack of parking. The State doesn't provide adequate parking for staff who are assigned to the ESP and the city of Albany doesn't provide adequate mass transit to make driving unnecessary.

Personally, I work in the effected area during the day and have a second job at one of the malls. While I can get to job A by bus and from job A to job B by bus, I can't get from job B to home by bus because CDTA stops running service to my neighborhood at 9:30, which means I have to drive to job A so I can get home safely after job B.

It's worth mentioning that I lived in Center Square for 15 years so I truly understand the pain and aggravation that residents experience daily with regard to parking in the area. It's always been bad. I don't necessarily think permit parking is bad. I just think it's bad to eliminate street parking for non-residents who work in the neighborhood without providing some sort of alternative to meet their needs. e.g. Better mass transit or more parking garages/lots.

... said g33kboi on Jun 19, 2012 at 12:17 PM | link

Good question Terrence. I live in zone B and there is 0 enforcement of the parking restrictions already in place (no parking Sunday nights or any snow emergency for that matter) I've written the city a few times about the parking cash cow that is the pastures.

... said Brian on Jun 19, 2012 at 1:13 PM | link

Every commuter into albany should refuse to spend a cent while in albany. Sorry restaurants, stores, entertainment, the city doesn't want us.

... said enoughofalbany on Jun 19, 2012 at 1:19 PM | link

Terrence- Probably the same way it's done in Washington Park. They walk through at random times and record plate numbers then come back a couple hours later and see if anyone is still there. It'll be interesting to see if that means moving from one spot to another throughout the day will be allowed or not.

... said Blerf on Jun 19, 2012 at 1:22 PM | link

Terrence - My guess would be chalking tires.

Did they mention how residents will sign up for permits? Like, will an application be mailed to houses within the permit area or will people have to go visit city hall... Maybe it's too early for that.

... said Paul on Jun 19, 2012 at 1:28 PM | link

I still don't get it. Businesses located in those zones will be allowed to get parking permits for their employees. Isn't the State of NY a business?

... said Ron on Jun 19, 2012 at 2:05 PM | link

When I say "public," you say "transportation."

... said NotJangoDavis on Jun 19, 2012 at 3:05 PM | link

And how about getting this through when the unions were back on their heels fighting for jobs? And of course the city supports because now every single parking spot is a possible revenue source.

... said Ron on Jun 19, 2012 at 3:07 PM | link

someone please explain why the city needs to supply parking? People live in the city by choice.

... said D on Jun 19, 2012 at 3:08 PM | link

I would really love to know where I am supposed to park when I drive from the suburbs to Albany to meet with clients, most which just happen to be in these zones. Secondly, I can not believe the Common Council would approve something like this that is going to have long term negative effect on business. This is one of the worst decisions I have seen made in Albany in a long time.

... said Dismayed on Jun 19, 2012 at 3:18 PM | link

Howdy Suburban dwellers. Suck it up and stop whining. Consider it a free sidewalk exercise gym membership.

... said Downtown dweller on Jun 19, 2012 at 3:43 PM | link

The whole idea seems dumb. As a resident of Center Square - parking during the day is never really an issue. The problem arises at night time. Come home after 7pm and good luck finding a spot! A better solution as others have said would be to add more police officers rather than meter maids - make the city a safe place to walk.

... said Lauren on Jun 19, 2012 at 3:51 PM | link

You have zone A extending to Washington Ave. I don't think it goes there. It looks like it stops at Spring/State.

... said Jeremy on Jun 19, 2012 at 4:02 PM | link

So permits ar $25 -- is that per month? per year? a one-time fee?

... said smurf on Jun 19, 2012 at 4:12 PM | link

So you say that employees in the city of Albany should using public transportation but why do people living in Albany even need cars then? Shouldn't they too also be using public transportation?

... said Ron on Jun 19, 2012 at 4:13 PM | link

My concern is that folks will see this as an opportunity buy up property and tear down to build a parking lot. I hope the zoning is in place to prevent this...

... said Elisabeth Draper on Jun 19, 2012 at 4:16 PM | link

Does anyone know if you get a general residential permit, or if it will actually be for one specific zone only?

... said Zone A on Jun 19, 2012 at 4:24 PM | link

@Jeremy: Hmm. From the resolution's text for Zone A:

thence northerly along the centerline of Englewood Place to the point of intersection with the centerline of State Street; thence northerly along the centerline of Robin Street to the point of intersection with the centerline of Washington Avenue; thence easterly along the centerline of Washington Avenue to the point of intersection with the centerline of South Swan Street;

I interpreted that to mean the line runs along Washington Ave from Robin Street to South Swan Street.

... said Greg on Jun 19, 2012 at 4:34 PM | link

ahhh.. the fresh smells of public transporation. I love it!
I really do.

oh wait... would I be pushing the limits if we improve our bike lanes too?

... said shadi on Jun 19, 2012 at 4:41 PM | link

Hey AOA - There seems to be endless disagreement about whether the state supplies adequate parking for workers at the ESP. State workers say they have no reasonable place to park, and downtowners accuse the state workers of whining because parking isn't free. It would be great to get a "fact check" on this one.

... said Jason on Jun 19, 2012 at 6:28 PM | link

Hey Downtown Dweller,
You really didn't answer the question, where are non resident, non commuter, business people supposed to park when they have meeting in the middle of Zone A when they are doing business within the zone? Walking more than a mile, in a suit in stilettos, from & to a bad neighborhood does not really appeal to me. Maybe the business owners should take a minute and think about how this is going to impact their livelihoods. It's already hard to get people to come to Downtown "because of the challenges of the parking issue", this is certainly not going to help.

And just saying, I lived in Manhattan for 10 years and paid $2500/mo for my parking spot in a garage. People that wouldn't or couldn't afford a spot in a monthly garage parked on the street and followed the regulations of the posted signs. Oh how I wish, I would have been given a spot on the street just because I lived in the neighborhood. I'm sorry, but I think the people that supported this are just selfish and short sighted.

... said Dismayed on Jun 19, 2012 at 6:40 PM | link

Having worked in Center Square (with off street parking, provided by my employer) and now being an occasional visitor, I feel like I can appreciate both sides of the issue.

When you chose to live downtown, you know that parking is an issue. Its not a surprise to discover that you'll have to double-park to unload groceries or circle the block on a Sunday night to find a spot. Its a lifestyle choice. Not pleasant, but I assume you've weighed the pros and cons.

But I can't imagine that any of the businesses will benefit from 2 hour parking. It's barely long enough for a leisurely lunch - and certainly not enough time to grab a cone at Ben & Jerry's too and linger at Elissa Halloran's shop.

I would have liked to see resident and non-resident streets. Put meters on the non-residents, so that there is an incentive to use a lot if you'll be there for an extended time. And give the residents permits to park on specific blocks, to minimize their search and frustration.

... said abby on Jun 19, 2012 at 7:13 PM | link

There is ample parking downtown... it's just not all free. I lack sympathy for either commuters or residents in this situation. Also, the friends I know living in these areas have the worst time parking in the evening, so I'm not sure how this is going to help them out.

I think that if this were presented as "We're switching some spots to two-hour parking except for residents" it would generate less uproar. Dismayed, if anything this will make it easier for you to go to a meeting.

... said Sarah Rain on Jun 19, 2012 at 8:05 PM | link

great now I have to pay to park in my neighborhood, cause I get rental cars and there may be no easy walk to a free spot. now if we could have gotten more ppl to take the bus this could have been avoided.

... said guy in albany on Jun 19, 2012 at 8:44 PM | link

I live outside of the "zone" and it's only 8a-6p weekdays and there's the two hour limit, so I'm ok with it. I'm usually only in the zone after 5pm on weekdays and on weekends anyway.

With that said. I am concerned with the businesses in that zone. Let's say where I get my haircut and where I want to have lunch are down the street from each other and I don't have a permit. I go in to get my hair cut and say it takes an hour. Then it takes me 15 minutes to walk to the place I want to have my lunch. Even if they serve me in 15 minutes I still have to eat and walk back to my car. I'm sure I'll be past the two hour mark. Therefore, I would have to move my car in between my hair cut and lunch. That can be a big time waster and might make me just want to go elsewhere. I think it's a great money grab for the city but a lousy decision for the businesses in the area. I really feel badly for the people who work and live in the zone and have to buy that permit.

Lousy decision, Albany!

... said Wendy McLaughlin on Jun 19, 2012 at 9:40 PM | link

@Greg, if thats the truth I'll take it because it includes me! The list below the map has different text.

... said Jeremy on Jun 19, 2012 at 9:55 PM | link

abby- I'm pretty sure most people who stop for Lunch on Lark Street during the day are not staying for more than two hours. The parking on Lark Street is currently limited to 1-1/2 hours and I haven't heard any complaints about that.

... said whaa on Jun 19, 2012 at 10:30 PM | link

@Jeremy. Odd. While one side of Washington Ave may technically be in the zone, it may not end up being subject to permits because it's largely commercial along there. But that's just a guess.

I suspect some of this will only be totally clear when the signs go up.

... said Greg on Jun 19, 2012 at 10:33 PM | link

I suspect some of this will only be totally clear when the signs go up.

Thanks for injecting some levity into the subject!

With regard to the comment about the State providing adequate parking -- despite the massive parking garages and the reductions in workforce, someone joining the payroll or shifting agencies may have to wait years to get a parking space. Some people will never choose to do so because they do have to pay for them. Reshuffling more workers into Albany will not help that.

As for more people taking the bus, CDTA just cancelled my bus. I can either walk 15 minutes to the next one, or drive 10 minutes in the wrong direction to a park and ride, and take a half-hour bus into downtown. Since I live a 7-minute drive from downtown, these are lousy options.

Some more support from the state (and the private buildings) for bike commuting would be a welcome help. The only problem with the OGS bike storage in the plaza is that there is no way to legally ride your bike there. Imagine being given a parking space for your car but told there's no way to get into the lot. That's what it's like. And the racks near the Capitol and Smith are ridiculous, insecure pieces of plastic lumber.

... said Carl on Jun 20, 2012 at 7:32 AM | link

FU city of Albany. I own a house in the affected area and already pay taxes to park on your streets.

... said VoiceofReason on Jun 20, 2012 at 9:27 AM | link

I'm frustrated about a small detail-- the neighborhood of Sheridan Hollow has always had an issue with state employees parking along its streets-- yet there is no resolution to this. Why wasn't this area included within the permit system?

... said Jaime on Jun 20, 2012 at 9:43 AM | link

Zone C here. There is never an issue parking in the triangle during the day, so I don't really see the point. Now, if we could get some permit parking when there's a show at the palace, sign me up. Although, it has been suggested by some of the self appointed neighborhood stewards that permit parking in other near-downtown neighborhoods could force commuters to seek greener pastures. They might have a point.

Oh, and the irony of all the suburbanites complaining about the state of the city, and calling it's residents "selfish;"...wow!

... said Jackers on Jun 20, 2012 at 9:48 AM | link

Suburbanites need to understand that the commuting lifestyle is about to come an end anyway because the cheap oil that it's based on is gone. The only reason that the price of gas has come down at all is because of the economic slump. If the economy picks up, the price will be through the roof and you'll all be scrambling to carpool. The massive surburban build out of the last 60 years has squandered this finite resource. It was an unsustainable lifestyle from the beginning.

... said Ron on Jun 20, 2012 at 2:50 PM | link

Many of the streets in Albany are paid for by State and Federal taxpayers, not only city residents. Using their thinking, city residents should pay to park in the suburbs. Boycott any business in the city until they get the message.

... said jenningshouldpaytopark on Jun 20, 2012 at 2:53 PM | link

One thing that I hope the new regulations result in is a safer Center Square for pedestrians. As a resident who walks a dog most mornings, I'm constantly amazed by how many state workers, in their scramble to find street parking, will ignore stop signs, back up one way streets, go the wrong way on one way streets, and harass people as they walk across the street too slowly. Not a week goes by that I don't witness dangerous behavior. If these blocks were off-limits for commuters, it might be a whole lot safer for those of us who walk in Center Sq.

... said barryct on Jun 21, 2012 at 12:15 PM | link

I'll be waiting to see how empty the streets are during the days, when the people who are need to desperately park by their houses are away at work.

... said Brian on Sep 25, 2012 at 11:23 PM | link

I agree! most of the people who park along the street are not residents of Albany! they only work here.... they should pay for their own parking!

... said hardworker on Oct 19, 2012 at 1:20 PM | link

First off all I find offensive that Albany residents have to pay to park where they reside and pay taxes. Second of all why are the hours of parking during business hours. When people get out work permit parking is over so it does not help out residents what so ever. I just recieved a ticket for parking outside my zone. I wasn't even aware there were zones and they are not labeled on the signs. What should I do to fight this ticket.

... said Brian Anderson on Jun 8, 2015 at 6:58 PM | link