At parking ramps, why isn't 'pay as you enter' the way to go?

By JIM FOTI, Star Tribune

Last update: November 9, 2008 - 10:29 AM

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After last week’s discussion of parking rates, alert reader Amy has a question about a couple of ramps near the Guthrie Theater:

Why, when parking for an event, do you need to wait until you leave the ramp to pay? That means after plays, or I suppose games at the Dome, a gazillion people need to stand in long lines at the pay machines, plus then wait in long lines when exiting. If you’re paying an event rate, why can’t you pay when you enter?

Alert reader Wayne also wrote in, describing a “grumbling mob scene at the ticketing machines.” (Roadguy got to witness this on Thursday after he attended “A View from the Bridge,” which, by the way, is not about infrastructure.)

Matt Laible, a city spokesman, said that the automated payment systems at the ramps don’t allow for a switchover from “pay as you leave” to “pay as you enter.”

But ramp managers do set up a prepay system at the ramp right in front of the Guthrie during Vikings and Gophers games or on certain nights when all three of the Guthrie’s stages have shows. However, this requires staffing the ramps, which cuts into city revenue.

Yellow thoughts

Alert reader Stephen from Plymouth has an observation about what happens when a traffic light turns amber:

The first question that many drivers appear to ask themselves is, “Can
I make it without speeding up?” Unfortunately, some drivers are less than skilled at correctly predicting this answer, resulting in cars running lights at speeds at or exceeding the speed limit — a very dangerous situation. Perhaps the driving, biking, and pedestrian public would be better served if the first question drivers asked themselves was instead, “Can I stop without
slamming on the brakes?”

The Minnesota Driver’s Manual basically shares Stephen’s view: “Do not enter the intersection if you can stop safely before doing so.” Unfortunately, Roadguy suspects that the real question many drivers are asking themselves is “Will I get caught if I run it?”

Recalculating a commute

A few weeks ago I wrote about riding my bike to work for the first time in my adult life, and I noted that, compared with driving, my commute went from 11 or 12 minutes to about 20 minutes.

I’ve since realized that there’s a factor I forgot to consider: Journalists, by virtue of their weird schedules, are often exempt from rush hour. (If you want some quiet time, visit the Star Tribune newsroom before 9 a.m.)

A couple of times in the past few weeks, I’ve had to drive to work during what traffic managers call the “peak hour,” and it took me at least 15 minutes — not a huge increase, but it reduces the gap between bike and car commuting to about five minutes.

Because my bike route to work is via off-road paths and separated lanes, my two-wheeled commute would be largely unobstructed by vehicular slowdowns during rush hours.

Something to keep in mind — for spring.

Jim Foti can be reached at 612-673-4491 or roadguy@startribune.com.

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