On April 1st, the Broad Ripple Facebook fan page posted about a new large parking garage located on College Avenue. The post was simply an April Fools joke, but it unleashed a barrage of excited replies. Naturally, I found this frustrating. I imagine that many of the people who are longing for a parking garage don’t want to actually pay for their spot. There are plenty of $5 lots around the area that have empty spaces, and I doubt if a garage would be much cheaper than that for an all-night spot. In addition, one can always park along the street to the south a few blocks away and walk.
Instead of continuing to beat my head against the wall in battle that I can’t win, I would like to propose an alternative: The Broad Ripple Circulator Bus. Run a bus at regular intervals in the evening from Glendale Mall to Broad Ripple and back via Kessler and Broad Ripple Avenue. Glendale has more parking spaces than they know what to do with, and would even serve to benefit from the increased exposure.
Bus stops should be well lit and distinguished from Indygo stops. There can be limited stops along the way so that a person who lives in the area can take advantage of this service.
This is a relatively simple idea which utilizes many resources we already have in place. I invite you to mention any other solutions you may have in the comments.
I think that bus idea could certainly work but it would need to be a SAFE and affordable option. And as someone who lives two blocks south of Broad Ripple Avenue, I can assure you that PLENTY of people park on the street and it can be frustrating for residents (most of whom don't have driveways or garages).
I feel like with any other type of transportation improvement, there should be some sort of gentle nudge to use those services. That could be in the form of limiting parking in those couple of blocks south of Broad Ripple. However, that is going to be difficult especially for those who live there, and use the street to park (like Melanie)
Its a tough decision. I can admit, I have parked many times off the beaten path and walk into the village. I dont complain parking a little further away and not having to pay for it either.
The other thing is who will pay for it? BRVA? A collection of other business owners? IndyGO?
Good points.
Melanie-I certainly am aware that many people park to the south, and I've done that myself. But lately the guilt has gotten the better of me and I've started to pay the $5. A residential parking permit may be the only thing that would change this, which is common in larger cities.
Curt-that's the tricky part. Indygo is already running this route, but of course they have no money. I could see a group like HARMONI pushing something like this.
I appreciate the intention of this post, but I think it concedes way too much to the gripers. There is no "Broadripple parking problem" in need of a "solution". In fact, the "solution" you propose distorts the parking market and creates obvious inefficiencies, subsidizing automobile use when, in absence of free parking, some people would car pool or use other forms of transportation. The idea that people have some sort of natural right to free parking — a natural right that should be enforced by law and subsidized by public
resources — is perfectly bizarre.
And — apologies to Melanie and other near Broadripple residents — that observation applies to both residential and commercial parking. If you require a parking spot for an automobile, you should either be willing to spend more for a residence that includes a parking spot or, if you don't want to, you should live somewhere less appealing where parking is less in demand and therefore cheaper.
Did you see this in the Star today?
http://www.indystar.com/article/20100721/LOCAL1802/7210333/Broad-Ripple-wants-more-parking-not-higher-fees
Merchants want a parking garage in Broad Ripple. I think that is ridiculous. Why not partner with Kroger and the Sunshine strip mall to see about a parking solution? I mean, why construct something out of scale, and UGLY in a neighborhood like this? Maybe Im off base, but I dont think so. I feel like the merchants are seeing $$$$ instead of proper design.