Parking in Bus Stop Locations

Twice now in the last month I’ve departed the #10 bus on Forest Park on the east side of Euclid, in front of the Parkview Hotel (map). Both times a car has been parked in the bus stop.

The first time the car was parked between the intersection and the bus stop sign, the bus had to let me off at the hotel driveway because the driver couldn’t get close enough to the curb. Tuesday the illegally parked car was further east so the bus had room to pull to the curb to let me off and pull back out into traffic.

The first time I jokingly asked the bus driver if it would be fun to push such cars out of the way, he affirmed. This time I thought of a recent news story from Europe:

Drivers who park in cycle lanes would normally worry about receiving a fine or perhaps having their vehicle towed. They probably do not expect to have their car crushed beneath the wheels of an armoured personnel carrier which has the local mayor at the controls.

But car owners in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, may be choosing their parking spaces a little more carefully after the city’s mayor, Arturas Zuokas, drove over – and wrecked – a Mercedes in a stunt to serve as a warning to anyone who thinks about parking illegally. (Source)

Here is the video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ-8xj8CUZw

Recently I was at another bus stop when a motorist parked in the stop where I was waiting. When she got out I asked her to move because the bus was due in minutes. On South Grabd I had to go into the FedEx store to find  the driver of a FedEx truck parked in the bus stop. He pulled out as the bus arrived.

I like and support on-street parking. When I chose to drive my car on-street parking is often the only choice I have to get me close enough to my destination I can walk there.  The road in Vilnius has zero on-street parking, no wonder they have a problem.

Anyone know where I can get a used tank?

– Steve Patterson

Traffic Backup at Noon

Friday the 15th I observed an unusual sight, traffic backing up on Washington Ave at 11:45am. At the moment some cars were sitting on Washington Ave waiting to turn onto  16th Street. Obviously some big event at City Museum was attracting lots of people, and their cars.

Other than before and after events, downtown has no traffic to speak of.  It would be nice if more people would use transit or at least not try to park in front of the door of their destination. Most of these people probably ended up parking a block or two away anyway. I see the same thing at other venues all the time, drivers on 18th street waiting to turn onto Clark Ave to reach Scottrade Center. Really? What are they thinking?

If you are driving to a major event downtown please don’t try driving to the exact spot where the event is held, target a block or two in any direction. Better yet, take a bus or train.

– Steve Patterson

25 Year Old Gateway Parking Facility To Be Razed

The multi-level parking garage at the north end of the Gateway National Expansion Memorial site will be razed as part of the City+Arch+River work to better connect the Arch to it’s surroundings.

While I agree the structure needs to be razed, it never should have been constructed in the first place.  More shocking is the structure is only 25 years old.

I guess I knew the garage dated to 1986 but I forgot until I saw the above plaque last week. The garage was a joint effort of the city, National Park Service and Bi-State Development (now Metro).

The garage is a major barrier between the Arch and the Eads Bridge, MetroLink and Laclede’s Landing.

But isn’t it sad that we are having to undo decisions made just 25 years ago?

– Steve Patterson

Sidewalks Reopened Around Former St. Louis Centre

St. Louis Centre, the former failed downtown enclosed mall, was an assault on the sidewalk and the pedestrians that use them.  In typical mall fashion, retail was turned inward rather than facing the sidewalk.  The walkways over Washington & Locust blocked views on both streets in both directions. 1980s thinking at it’s worst!

In the last year the structure has been transformed ground level retail and enclosed parking.  The work is nearly complete.

Storefronts now face the public sidewalks on all sides of the building which occupies the city block bounded by Washington Ave on the north, 6th on the east, Locust on the south and 7th on the west.  During the last year the sidewalks were closed during construction.

Thursday evening I was able to do a complete circle around the building. The only sidewalk not open is the raised part, shown above. Usually you don’t want to place steps between the main sidewalk and retail businesses because that can cut down on foot traffic, but sometimes you have no choice given the grades.

– Steve Patterson

On-Street Parking on Clark Ave

On-street parking exists on Clark Ave. between Tucker (12th) and 14th Street but it is all off limits to the general public.

I’m not complaining, the spaces have been designated for police and others in the area, such as the medical examiner.  I’ll be interested to see what happens once the St. Louis Police move their  headquarters to a building on Olive (see post). Will most be made available to the general public? What will become of the old police headquarters?

– Steve Patterson