If you build it, they will come

An article in the Isthmus last week details just how long it has taken the city of Madison to build additional parking mid-State Street. The discussion to add parking there started in the 1970s!

And it is still not very close to being built.

It doesn't help that Bill Knobeloch, the head of the Parking Utility, doesn't think there is a parking shortage. He does however, support a plan to better advertise where the parking is downtown that people aren't using. For example, he says there is a lot of parking available at the Overture Center ramp that is rarely used. Point taken. I didn't know that people could park there for non-Overture events so get those signs advertising the parking rolling.

Parking downtown Madison is often a hassle, and not just at mid-State Street. I usually try to leave an additional fifteen minutes for any downtown trip in order to find parking. And if it's raining or there is an event downtown, I usually need more.

I can't tell you the number of times I have driven from ramp to ramp and seen nothing but that irritating red "full" lit up with a line a cars waiting to get in the ramp. Or had to use a street spot and ended up with a ticket because I need more than the hour that spot allowed and in some meetings, it's just not professional to run out to the street and feed the meter.

However, what I usually do if it's raining or there is an event downtown is avoid it and ask people to meet me for a business lunch away from downtown. I'd rather eat downtown because it is now full of great restaurants I like to visit, but sometimes I just don't have time or want to deal with the parking situation in order to eat downtown. The same goes for shopping. I really would go more often if I thought parking would be easier.

The nearest bus stop to my house that is not just a commuter line is a little over a mile away. (Taking the commuter route would require me to be downtown all day) The bus route to get me downtown takes quite a while too so with the walk and time spent on the bus, I don't always have time to take that option considering I am paying for a sitter to watch my child while I try to fit in all of my work meetings.

The city is talking about adding a few additional layers on top of the Buckeye Lot or letting a developer do underground parking with condos and retail above the parking. The later is running into costs issues though and at this point, can't we just go the easy route and do a parking ramp at Buckeye?

In the end, I don't care how more parking gets added. I'd just like to see more of it. So build it with condos on top. Put a three-ring circus on it if you want. But please just build it!!