The Northern View had an interesting story about the possibility of a ticket dispenser being placed at the Rushbrook Floats parking lot. Most likely for next year one assumes since this season is almost done.
Not sure tht it will be a money maker there, considering the amount of trucks, trailers and motor homes that park along George Hills Way and Drydock road on any given day of the week in the summer.
Unless they figure out that problem I can’t see anyone paying for what they can get for free with just a five or ten minute walk.
Wonder if they have plans for pay parking for other parts of town as well?
CITY UPDADTES RUSHBROOK PARKING PLAN
By Shaun Thomas
The Northern View
August 23, 2006
Page 5
Major changes to the parking lot at Rushbrook Docks are in the works, according to city administrators at the August 14 council meeting.
“We are almost done with the plans. The plan is to upgrade the area to be able to monitor it and maybe create some revenue,â€
How about charging all the people that park their trucks and boat trailers along the street as well? If you’re going to start charging people in the lot, it’s only going to make it worse along the street as well.
I agree with you smartass, the on-street parking is a real problem.
Isn’t Rushbrook a public, federal facility? Wasn’t it built with federal money?
If so, then isn’t it meant for the use of all Canadians (including those with Alberta license plates) ? If it’s not a federal facility, I stand corrected. If it is a federal facility, then Prince Rupert has no right to limit access, does it?
lets make a buck or two…is going to send the city down the shitter, is city hurting that much they have to do that… and i agree its just going to send more people to park along Prince George ST. unless they paint all yellow and make it no parking zone there. oh and talk about the shitter, why dont we have a waste managment treatment plant before the waist is pumped out in to the ocean, oh crap and dont get me started on the Graveyard…
I dunno, to me charging people to come to Rupert to fish is along the same lines as Alaska charging cruise ship passengers $50 each. Seems counter-productive.
Do we want them to come here or not?
What’s the point of the fish derby? To bring people here?
I think a better approach would be to chase some provincial and federal tourism money to pay for the expense of the boat launch and parking, wouldn’t it?
How much, exactly, is the boat launch and parking costing the city, by the way? I’m sure there are people hired and those kinds of expenses. How about we make those people part of the tourism department, and go after the same kind of money that is funding the fishing derby?
It just seems to me that if the intent is to bring people here, then let’s bring people here and welcome them. Send mixed messages about wether people are welcome or not, and they just won’t come.
Next we’ll want to charge cruise ship passengers for using our cruise ship dock? I mean, the city built it, and owns it, why would these passengers get to use it for free?
The last thing we want to do is chase away tourists from our fair city. Imposing pay parking now is a bad idea. I think the best course of action is to continue to develop our tourist industry and absorb the parking costs.
Why should I as a resident and taxpayer have to pay so that tourists can come to Prince Rupert? It seems idiotic that we can’t afford to fix our infrastructure but we dump 7 million bucks into the cruise ship area, improve the Rushbrook Float area, etc - and the users of those two areas don’t have to pay a cent! Tourism is pretty much a false economy - sure lots of people might come to town but the result is pressure on local infrastructure and low paying jobs - not to mention a decimated coho stock.
I’m pretty sure that most of the people using Rushbrook parking lot will be local people anyways, those that have their boats there.
The folks from the rest of BC, Alberta and points beyond won’t be parking there, they’ll be the ones living on George Hills Way and Drydock road when they’re not out seeking the mighty coho… or pink… or sockeye… or well somedays you just don’t catch a thing…
Anyways, the pay for parking thing will most likely only affect the locals, so we’ll so how far the folks at city hall get with the idea.
It all just boils down to how the city thinks they can make a buck. If something is happening, where lots of people are congregating, lets get money from them! At this rate, they’ll try to start charging to watch the Seafest parade!
Why would anyone, other than tourists, pay for parking there? Unless you’re going to go for a round of fishing for a few hours (or days otherwise), you’ll have to park, then they’ll make money there. But otherwise, instead of parking there, you can just WALK down there without even using a vehicle. It’s a short haul to go from anywhere in Rupert to the next. I realize that even more, after living in this, hole.
Please pay head, parking meters should not be allowed for any reason. It might start at one parking lot, but as soon as the city sees the money it can make from it they will be on first avenue the next week. I did the job for a few years overseas ( please forgive me) The city I worked for brought in 20 million in parking fines, 25% just from parking meters. That is just the fines it does not include the fees from the meters. I know Rupert will not make that kind of money from parking, but timed parking will do just fine. One entry and one exit sign stating the times you are allowed to park.
It will not do any good for tourism either.
