Parking should be free in the area around schools such as those in front of Gilmore College For Girls on Barkly St. It would be a problem for parents waiting to pickup their children after school. You can try reducing the parking time limit to 30 minutes to increase parking space availability.
As with other areas where pay parking is introduced, there should be areas designated as "permit holder only" parking bays in those streets that are predominantly residential, such as Pickett Street. This would ensure that residents can access parking bays which is already problematic.
When paid parking was introduced, we began parking further away because, on a low income, finances are tight. And our car is too high to get into the Coles parking area. There were not many cars in the street where we parked. Over the time, word has got around and now this free parking area is usually full. And, surprise, this street is now being considered as one of the new paid parking areas. Guess council realised they can get money from there as well. We are not happy rate payers.
You must be joking right! We don't need more parking meters isn't the cost of shopping expensive enough. Typical of an 'out of touch money hungry' council. We should ask ourselves,what will the council spend this money on anyway? Maybe an increase in their salaries!
There needs to be an increase in paid parking in the Footscray CBD. People generally take it as a general right to drive and park without care for the implications. Paid parking, certainly around the station and in the CBD will encourage people to explore other options (train, bus, bike, tram, etc).
Given the state of Maribyrnong's finances, paid parking should be a consideration. Not only will it make people consider alternative forms of transport, it will also assist Council close the asset renewal gap.(Which is the difference between what is being spent on assets compared to what needs to be spent on assets to maintain them properly - I'm sure the Councillors will understand this concept)
Considering the small, but growing, rates base of the municipality pays the highest rates in metro Melbourne (along with Hobsons Bay) surely alternatives need to be looked at.
Similiar councils such as Port Phillip, Stonnginton, Darebin, Moonee Valley and Yarra all generate signifcant revenue from parking meters (and fines) funds from which are then used to provide and renew assets to a higher standards.
I urge the Councillors not to listen to the vocal minority on this and make the right decision for the long term benefit of the whole community.
Why should there be paid parking? I would try to encourage people into Footscray not take them away. I, for one, wont pay $1.10/hour to shop in a $2 shop!! I'd rather drive to Puckle st Moonee Ponds or Bourke st Camberwell and park for free for 2-3 hours and get decent shops & cafes, without being hassled as well.
A reality check...parking machines will not make Footscray become a very expensive place to shop at all. A few dollars in a parking meter will hardly make it like Toorak.
There seems to be an expectation that you can drive into Footscray and park anywhere for free. Unfortunately this proposition is simply not sustainable and will ultimately impact on the future growth and development of the Footscray CBD.
Not sure that on street parking in front of a house is the right of any resident. Was the car park purchased along with the house? Just maybe this is one of the reasons why properites with off street parking often sell at a higher price.
Many of the house along Pickett Street have off-street parking, are they exlcuded from residential parking permits?
What happens in the case of multi-unit devlopments? Do all unit owners have access to two parking permits?
Hi David Thanks for your comments. Tenants of new multi unit developments in central Footscray are not guaranteed on street resident parking permits. Potential ratepaying residents, investors and renters should be mindful that parking permits are not guaranteed in central Footscray. This is the trend for most Melbourne inner city suburbs. Council will prioritise sustainable transport such as walking, cycling and public transport otherwise Footscray will become too congested with cars.
It has been my observation that since paid parking was introduced, people have been staying away from the areas around the Library/Coles/K-Mart in droves. It used to be quite difficult to find a parking spot, but now there are too many empty spots to choose from....at a price. Are you trying to kill the Footscray shopping centre off altogether?
I am a local resident and support pay parking. People driving to shop in Footscray should contribute to the cost of maintaining the area - currently they are subsidised by ratepayers. Footscray has great public transport links, why drive?
To those that suggest we use public transport...are you serious? If I have a car and live 5 minutes drive from Footscray I would rather be in the safety of my car, which I have already paid for with my rego, insurance, petrol etc, and be not have to lug shopping onto a bus and probably have to stand up all the way home. (Not that there is anywhere to shop in Footscray any more!). For those who say 'why should people just be able to drive in and park for free'? Have you driven to Yarraville, Seddon or Highpoint lately? They are free if you hadn't noticed. So why shouldn't Footscray be too? Footscray has been slowly dying to a point where it is now just a joke, and you want us to pay to visit. You need to attract people, not scare them off. If you insist on paid parking then give the residents a permit for their cars like Williamstown/Hobsons Bay Council does.
Residents (rate payers) should be issued with parking permit stickers for their windscreens, just like Hobsons Bay Council. We already pay our rates, why should we pay more to shop in our own town?
The Footscray already very quiet and people very scare to come as too many parking fine, what should the council help the business in Footscray? or just try to make more paid parking? where is your eye ? Ken
If you push people more onto public transport then that means they can only carry one or two bags of shopping. If you have your car you can fill the boot and the back seat. This is good for the shopper and the vendors. Old people also don't want to carry heavy shopping bags and brave the cold weather. Telling people to use PT is a very selfish action! Residents should receive parking permits as per Hobson's Bay Council. We already pay our rates...enough is enough! You need to bring Footscray back to life not kill it even further with more restrictions.
To David Milner, No it's not a right to park in front of your house these days, but it was an expectation when houses were purchased over 20 years ago. If you want to shop in Footscray you must pay, it's clear and simple. Try coming home at 6pm at night and not being able to park because now all the dinners have arrived for the evening.
I drive from Williamstown to Footscray to shop weekly, I spend at least $300 on each visit, visiting supermarkets, the market and restaurants. If parking times are reduced and costs increase, I will drive to Sunshine instead, simple really.
Why doesnt the council clean the streets of Footscray CBD? The place smells bad, is visually unappealing and there are now large groups of men congregating with apparently nothing to do but stare, increase the parking costs, reduce the times, whatever, if I were a ratepayer I would be furious at the cash grab, way to turn away business...
The people who suggest walking as an option in Footscray must be 6 foot tall and built like a brick outhouse with an serious olifactory deficiency, are you kidding? I walked along Paisley Street today and almost got URINATED ON by a young man who was part of a large group, are you serTious? Until Footscray acts normal, I'm using my car.
Please include Huntly St in the paid parking scheme (but keep resident parking exemptions). If you leave Huntly St out, residents will not be able to park in their own street. If you don't include Huntly St in the paid parking scheme, then you must make the street restricted to resident parking only
You may be interested in reading how pay parking enhances retail activity.
Donald Shoup, a professor at the University of California, has conducted studies that show pay parking increases parking turnover and decreases time spent looking for car spaces.
Shoup popularised the theory that an 85 per cent occupancy rate of on street parking spaces would be the most efficient use of public parking. When more than 85 per cent of on street parking spaces are occupied, cars arriving at that destination are forced to circle the block for a few minutes in order to find an unoccupied parking space. This small search time per car creates a surprisingly large amount of traffic congestion, because typically, many cars are searching for parking simultaneously during peak driving times. This wastes time and fuel as well as increases air pollution. Shoup’s case studies show the combination of pay parking and government investment in the area resulted in enhanced retail activity.
For more information and articles on pay parking visit: http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/SmallChange.pdf http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/CruisingForParkingAccess.pdf http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/the-cost-of-free-parking http://online.wsj.com http://www.abc.net.au
Good onya Maribyrnong City Council you are well and truly on the way to turning Footscray into a ghost town. Parking meters should be taken away completely from this suburb to try and revitalize it not trying to sponge every last cent from the shoppers. I'd like to see the council try and introduce paid parking in Seddon or Yarraville and see how far they get!
Yes there should be more paid parking at Footscray - at the current rates of $1/hr it is a good incentive for me to consider public transport options (of which there are HEAPS!) but yet give me the freedom to drive should I wish to for safety/weather/family reasons. I notice the streets around Footscray are very clogged at the moment esp at peak shopping times like Saturday and certainly hasn't been any noticeable drop in patronage since the intro of paid parking! In fact, I think there should be a sliding scale - up to $1.5/hr in premium areas, reducing to free parking around the perimeters. People can then choose to save some money by walking and in our day and age - exercise is NEVER bad for anyone! Don't be scared by people who say they will go to Sunshine, the fresh food range, choice of restaurants, is much larger and just as cheap in Footscray.
If the only suggestions are pay more or use public transport, then my family and I will vote with my feet and take our $$$ elsewhere, 1 hour is not long enough to shop for a few people, and public transport is dirty, dangerous and expensive, I own a clean, reliable car, if it is not welcome on Footscray roads, which I maintain with my rego fees, I will go elsewhere.
Is this council serious? A man in America says short parking times increases parking turnover? You really needed a study to work that out? You better hope Professor Donald Shoup is going on a shopping spree in Footscray soon, because no one else will.
Clean up Footscray, bring in some diversity of retail, not just $2 shops, fix the smell, clear out the congregating yobs, think about charging more for parking.
It is a good idea. I know plenty of people who absolutely refuse to take public transport due to them believing they are too superior for it. By creating paid parking areas, you are forcing those people, as well as other people, to take up public transport or find other options such as cycling or walking to get around. These other options for getting place to place such as walking and cycling would be particularly beneficial, considering we are an obese society.
I can't see any reason why paid parking makes people quicker in their parking spot as opposed to timed parking spaces - 2hrs is ample. I think you want to ATTRACT people to Footcray - and quite frankly there isn't much to go there for at the moment... more paid parking will drive people away and crime/ anti social behaviour will never improve...
I feel that there should not be metered parking out the front of schools. Parents still need to be able to drop off and pick up out the front of Gilmore. Maybe you could have 10 minute parking in the school zone between 8.30am and 9.00am and also 3.00pm and 3.30pm.
I think increasing paid parking is a terrible idea. I regularly visit Footscray to go to Kmart as it is easy to find free parking nearby. Usually whilst there I will also pop into Coles, the pharmacy and maybe even grab a coffee from the Dancing Dog. If I had to pay for parking I would think twice as to whether the trip was really necessary and probably just wait and do a bit trip out to Highpoint. I think this idea will kill incidental "spur of the moment" visitors to Footscray and a lot of retailers will lose out.
There is not enough parking in Footscray, even with paid parking. Why do we have to pay for it 7 days a week, does this mean there will be a reduction on Rate? Why not make free parking on Sunday, like Melbourne City Council? I shop at Queen Vic Market now, as parking is free on Sunday. Council should also consider free parking on Market Days (days Footscray Market is open). This would encourage shoppers to shop & dine in Footscray. Preston Market can offer free parking on Market days.... Council should offer discount rate for daily parking for employers & employees in Footscray, currently there is no daily parking. Port Phillip Council have designate daily parking area at discounted rate. Its disappointing that Mariybrnong Council is greedy. Rates, pets rego, permitts, parking etc are much higher than other councils. Detering people away and effecting business.
I am a resident of the Maribyrnong council for the last 42 years so far. For many years I have felt I get minimum to no service relevant to me from my council. Since your previous introduction of parking meters I have been one of the people who would prefer to walk further and access free parking. My shopping in Footscray declined due to this change. If you now broaden your revenue raising to outer lying streets I will only come to Footscray to see my doctor and dentist. If they didn't offer such a good service I wouldn't bother coming to Footscray at all. I wouldn't bother catching the train either as the Watergardens/Sydenham line is one of the worst lines for overcrowding and access. The thought of lugging grocery shopping in particular home on a crowded train is not appealing. There are lots of great restaurants in Footscray but I prefer to go to other areas and municipalities, as I don't feel inclined to add parking to the expenses of my night out and I definitely don't want to have to worry about my meter expiring because the time limit is too short for me to relax and socialise. I currently work in a Council and have done in four over the last 20 years so I have a sense of how things work and I don't think this is the answer. Footscray is not the thriving hub I remember when it was a pleasure to go there, the streets were clean and the shops were inviting. Paying for the privilege to walk through dirty streets does not give me a sense of value for money.
Why not introduce paid parking in Yarravill and Seddon too? Currently its unfair for residence in Footscray who have to pay for parking and other shopping areas are free. I can't even enjoy a day at the market & lunch without having to worry about topping up my meter. 1 hr or 2 hr parking is too short. Council intentionally allocate short parking time, so they can fine people to increase their pay package.
I agree with timed parking but more pay parking will be a disaster to Footscray.People are already going to Sunshine and Highpoint instead .More shops will be closed , if that what the Council wants to happen . Incidentally , is a name change for Footscray coming ?
There is already enough parking meters in footscray to encourage people not to park in the centre of footscray and leave enough space for people to park at the metered areas off paisley street if they need to. This has sifted the main parking to side streets. To put meters in Picket or Raliegh is penalising the people who come to viist relatives at Westhaven and students going to the V.U.
Lived in Footscray over 30 years and for the last 40 years have been coming back most weeksnds. More paid parking will kill the shopping centre, but that's what it's all about.
Parking should be free in the area around schools such as those in front of Gilmore College For Girls on Barkly St. It would be a problem for parents waiting to pickup their children after school. You can try reducing the parking time limit to 30 minutes to increase parking space availability.
ReplyDeletewhy should we have more parking machines? Footscray will then become a very expensive place to shop and dine.
ReplyDeleteAs with other areas where pay parking is introduced, there should be areas designated as "permit holder only" parking bays in those streets that are predominantly residential, such as Pickett Street. This would ensure that residents can access parking bays which is already problematic.
ReplyDeleteMeter Parking will send customers away from Footscray. Since Fooscray have meter parking, we go to Sunshine instead.
ReplyDeleteHoa Le
With all this extra pay parking will the council reduce rates for residence?
ReplyDeleteWhen paid parking was introduced, we began parking further away because, on a low income, finances are tight. And our car is too high to get into the Coles parking area. There were not many cars in the street where we parked. Over the time, word has got around and now this free parking area is usually full.
ReplyDeleteAnd, surprise, this street is now being considered as one of the new paid parking areas. Guess council realised they can get money from there as well. We are not happy rate payers.
You must be joking right! We don't need more parking meters isn't the cost of shopping expensive enough. Typical of an 'out of touch money hungry' council. We should ask ourselves,what will the council spend this money on anyway? Maybe an increase in their salaries!
ReplyDeleteThere needs to be an increase in paid parking in the Footscray CBD. People generally take it as a general right to drive and park without care for the implications. Paid parking, certainly around the station and in the CBD will encourage people to explore other options (train, bus, bike, tram, etc).
ReplyDeleteGiven the state of Maribyrnong's finances, paid parking should be a consideration. Not only will it make people consider alternative forms of transport, it will also assist Council close the asset renewal gap.(Which is the difference between what is being spent on assets compared to what needs to be spent on assets to maintain them properly - I'm sure the Councillors will understand this concept)
ReplyDeleteConsidering the small, but growing, rates base of the municipality pays the highest rates in metro Melbourne (along with Hobsons Bay) surely alternatives need to be looked at.
Similiar councils such as Port Phillip, Stonnginton, Darebin, Moonee Valley and Yarra all generate signifcant revenue from parking meters (and fines) funds from which are then used to provide and renew assets to a higher standards.
I urge the Councillors not to listen to the vocal minority on this and make the right decision for the long term benefit of the whole community.
Why should there be paid parking? I would try to encourage people into Footscray not take them away. I, for one, wont pay $1.10/hour to shop in a $2 shop!! I'd rather drive to Puckle st Moonee Ponds or Bourke st Camberwell and park for free for 2-3 hours and get decent shops & cafes, without being hassled as well.
ReplyDeleteA reality check...parking machines will not make Footscray become a very expensive place to shop at all. A few dollars in a parking meter will hardly make it like Toorak.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be an expectation that you can drive into Footscray and park anywhere for free. Unfortunately this proposition is simply not sustainable and will ultimately impact on the future growth and development of the Footscray CBD.
Not sure that on street parking in front of a house is the right of any resident. Was the car park purchased along with the house? Just maybe this is one of the reasons why properites with off street parking often sell at a higher price.
ReplyDeleteMany of the house along Pickett Street have off-street parking, are they exlcuded from residential parking permits?
What happens in the case of multi-unit devlopments? Do all unit owners have access to two parking permits?
Hi David
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. Tenants of new multi unit developments in central Footscray are not guaranteed on street resident parking permits.
Potential ratepaying residents, investors and renters should be mindful that parking permits are not guaranteed in central Footscray. This is the trend for most Melbourne inner city suburbs. Council will prioritise sustainable transport such as walking, cycling and public transport otherwise Footscray will become too congested with cars.
It has been my observation that since paid parking was introduced, people have been staying away from the areas around the Library/Coles/K-Mart in droves. It used to be quite difficult to find a parking spot, but now there are too many empty spots to choose from....at a price. Are you trying to kill the Footscray shopping centre off altogether?
ReplyDeleteI am a local resident and support pay parking. People driving to shop in Footscray should contribute to the cost of maintaining the area - currently they are subsidised by ratepayers. Footscray has great public transport links, why drive?
ReplyDeleteTo those that suggest we use public transport...are you serious? If I have a car and live 5 minutes drive from Footscray I would rather be in the safety of my car, which I have already paid for with my rego, insurance, petrol etc, and be not have to lug shopping onto a bus and probably have to stand up all the way home. (Not that there is anywhere to shop in Footscray any more!). For those who say 'why should people just be able to drive in and park for free'? Have you driven to Yarraville, Seddon or Highpoint lately? They are free if you hadn't noticed. So why shouldn't Footscray be too? Footscray has been slowly dying to a point where it is now just a joke, and you want us to pay to visit. You need to attract people, not scare them off. If you insist on paid parking then give the residents a permit for their cars like Williamstown/Hobsons Bay Council does.
ReplyDeleteResidents (rate payers) should be issued with parking permit stickers for their windscreens, just like Hobsons Bay Council. We already pay our rates, why should we pay more to shop in our own town?
ReplyDeleteThe Footscray already very quiet and people very scare to come as too many parking fine, what should the council help the business in Footscray? or just try to make more paid parking? where is your eye ?
ReplyDeleteKen
If you push people more onto public transport then that means they can only carry one or two bags of shopping. If you have your car you can fill the boot and the back seat. This is good for the shopper and the vendors. Old people also don't want to carry heavy shopping bags and brave the cold weather. Telling people to use PT is a very selfish action! Residents should receive parking permits as per Hobson's Bay Council. We already pay our rates...enough is enough! You need to bring Footscray back to life not kill it even further with more restrictions.
ReplyDeleteTo David Milner, No it's not a right to park in front of your house these days, but it was an expectation when houses were purchased over 20 years ago. If you want to shop in Footscray you must pay, it's clear and simple. Try coming home at 6pm at night and not being able to park because now all the dinners have arrived for the evening.
ReplyDeleteI drive from Williamstown to Footscray to shop weekly, I spend at least $300 on each visit, visiting supermarkets, the market and restaurants. If parking times are reduced and costs increase, I will drive to Sunshine instead, simple really.
ReplyDeleteWhy doesnt the council clean the streets of Footscray CBD? The place smells bad, is visually unappealing and there are now large groups of men congregating with apparently nothing to do but stare, increase the parking costs, reduce the times, whatever, if I were a ratepayer I would be furious at the cash grab, way to turn away business...
ReplyDeleteThe people who suggest walking as an option in Footscray must be 6 foot tall and built like a brick outhouse with an serious olifactory deficiency, are you kidding? I walked along Paisley Street today and almost got URINATED ON by a young man who was part of a large group, are you serTious? Until Footscray acts normal, I'm using my car.
ReplyDeletePlease include Huntly St in the paid parking scheme (but keep resident parking exemptions). If you leave Huntly St out, residents will not be able to park in their own street. If you don't include Huntly St in the paid parking scheme, then you must make the street restricted to resident parking only
ReplyDeleteYou may be interested in reading how pay parking enhances retail activity.
ReplyDeleteDonald Shoup, a professor at the University of California, has conducted studies that show pay parking increases parking turnover and decreases time spent looking for car spaces.
Shoup popularised the theory that an 85 per cent occupancy rate of on street parking spaces would be the most efficient use of public parking. When more than 85 per cent of on street parking spaces are occupied, cars arriving at that destination are forced to circle the block for a few minutes in order to find an unoccupied parking space. This small search time per car creates a surprisingly large amount of traffic congestion, because typically, many cars are searching for parking simultaneously during peak driving times. This wastes time and fuel as well as increases air pollution.
Shoup’s case studies show the combination of pay parking and government investment in the area resulted in enhanced retail activity.
For more information and articles on pay parking visit:
http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/SmallChange.pdf
http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/CruisingForParkingAccess.pdf
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/the-cost-of-free-parking
http://online.wsj.com
http://www.abc.net.au
Good onya Maribyrnong City Council you are well and truly on the way to turning Footscray into a ghost town. Parking meters should be taken away completely from this suburb to try and revitalize it not trying to sponge every last cent from the shoppers. I'd like to see the council try and introduce paid parking in Seddon or Yarraville and see how far they get!
ReplyDeleteYes there should be more paid parking at Footscray - at the current rates of $1/hr it is a good incentive for me to consider public transport options (of which there are HEAPS!) but yet give me the freedom to drive should I wish to for safety/weather/family reasons. I notice the streets around Footscray are very clogged at the moment esp at peak shopping times like Saturday and certainly hasn't been any noticeable drop in patronage since the intro of paid parking! In fact, I think there should be a sliding scale - up to $1.5/hr in premium areas, reducing to free parking around the perimeters. People can then choose to save some money by walking and in our day and age - exercise is NEVER bad for anyone! Don't be scared by people who say they will go to Sunshine, the fresh food range, choice of restaurants, is much larger and just as cheap in Footscray.
ReplyDeleteIf the only suggestions are pay more or use public transport, then my family and I will vote with my feet and take our $$$ elsewhere, 1 hour is not long enough to shop for a few people, and public transport is dirty, dangerous and expensive, I own a clean, reliable car, if it is not welcome on Footscray roads, which I maintain with my rego fees, I will go elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteIs this council serious? A man in America says short parking times increases parking turnover? You really needed a study to work that out? You better hope Professor Donald Shoup is going on a shopping spree in Footscray soon, because no one else will.
ReplyDeleteClean up Footscray, bring in some diversity of retail, not just $2 shops, fix the smell, clear out the congregating yobs, think about charging more for parking.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good idea. I know plenty of people who absolutely refuse to take public transport due to them believing they are too superior for it.
ReplyDeleteBy creating paid parking areas, you are forcing those people, as well as other people, to take up public transport or find other options such as cycling or walking to get around. These other options for getting place to place such as walking and cycling would be particularly beneficial, considering we are an obese society.
I can't see any reason why paid parking makes people quicker in their parking spot as opposed to timed parking spaces - 2hrs is ample. I think you want to ATTRACT people to Footcray - and quite frankly there isn't much to go there for at the moment... more paid parking will drive people away and crime/ anti social behaviour will never improve...
ReplyDeleteI feel that there should not be metered parking out the front of schools. Parents still need to be able to drop off and pick up out the front of Gilmore. Maybe you could have 10 minute parking in the school zone between 8.30am and 9.00am and also 3.00pm and 3.30pm.
ReplyDeleteI think increasing paid parking is a terrible idea. I regularly visit Footscray to go to Kmart as it is easy to find free parking nearby. Usually whilst there I will also pop into Coles, the pharmacy and maybe even grab a coffee from the Dancing Dog. If I had to pay for parking I would think twice as to whether the trip was really necessary and probably just wait and do a bit trip out to Highpoint. I think this idea will kill incidental "spur of the moment" visitors to Footscray and a lot of retailers will lose out.
ReplyDeleteThere is not enough parking in Footscray, even with paid parking. Why do we have to pay for it 7 days a week, does this mean there will be a reduction on Rate? Why not make free parking on Sunday, like Melbourne City Council? I shop at Queen Vic Market now, as parking is free on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteCouncil should also consider free parking on Market Days (days Footscray Market is open). This would encourage shoppers to shop & dine in Footscray. Preston Market can offer free parking on Market days....
Council should offer discount rate for daily parking for employers & employees in Footscray, currently there is no daily parking. Port Phillip Council have designate daily parking area at discounted rate.
Its disappointing that Mariybrnong Council is greedy. Rates, pets rego, permitts, parking etc are much higher than other councils. Detering people away and effecting business.
I am a resident of the Maribyrnong council for the last 42 years so far. For many years I have felt I get minimum to no service relevant to me from my council. Since your previous introduction of parking meters I have been one of the people who would prefer to walk further and access free parking. My shopping in Footscray declined due to this change. If you now broaden your revenue raising to outer lying streets I will only come to Footscray to see my doctor and dentist. If they didn't offer such a good service I wouldn't bother coming to Footscray at all. I wouldn't bother catching the train either as the Watergardens/Sydenham line is one of the worst lines for overcrowding and access. The thought of lugging grocery shopping in particular home on a crowded train is not appealing. There are lots of great restaurants in Footscray but I prefer to go to other areas and municipalities, as I don't feel inclined to add parking to the expenses of my night out and I definitely don't want to have to worry about my meter expiring because the time limit is too short for me to relax and socialise. I currently work in a Council and have done in four over the last 20 years so I have a sense of how things work and I don't think this is the answer. Footscray is not the thriving hub I remember when it was a pleasure to go there, the streets were clean and the shops were inviting. Paying for the privilege to walk through dirty streets does not give me a sense of value for money.
ReplyDeleteWhy not introduce paid parking in Yarravill and Seddon too? Currently its unfair for residence in Footscray who have to pay for parking and other shopping areas are free. I can't even enjoy a day at the market & lunch without having to worry about topping up my meter. 1 hr or 2 hr parking is too short. Council intentionally allocate short parking time, so they can fine people to increase their pay package.
ReplyDeleteI agree with timed parking but more pay parking will be a disaster to Footscray.People are already going to Sunshine and Highpoint instead .More shops will be closed , if that what the Council wants to happen .
ReplyDeleteIncidentally , is a name change for Footscray
coming ?
There is already enough parking meters in footscray to encourage people not to park in the centre of footscray and leave enough space for people to park at the metered areas off paisley street if they need to. This has sifted the main parking to side streets. To put meters in Picket or Raliegh is penalising the people who come to viist relatives at Westhaven and students going to the V.U.
ReplyDeleteLived in Footscray over 30 years and for the last 40 years have been coming back most weeksnds.
ReplyDeleteMore paid parking will kill the shopping centre, but that's what it's all about.