Parking garages

[Brad]

Every Sunday, I’m always amazed to see how many people would rather park in the blazing hot sun at Baxter Arena and then walk across Busy Center, Street to the farmers market. Why would you not park in one of the four free parking garages that’s surround the Aksarben farmers market? Your car would probably be at least 30° cooler when you got back to it, you wouldn’t have to wait on the light at Center Street and your car would just get less sun exposure.

[nebport5]

Every Sunday, I’m always amazed to see how many people would rather park in the blazing hot sun at Baxter Arena and then walk across Busy Center, Street to the farmers market. Why would you not park in one of the four free parking garages that’s surround the Aksarben farmers market? Your car would probably be at least 30° cooler when you got back to it, you wouldn’t have to wait on the light at Center Street and your car would just get less sun exposure.

Similarly, many people would rather drive around and round the Old market for a street spot vs utilize one of the adjacent garages.


I wonder if garages were designed and made more visually appealing if subconsciously people would be more inclined to use them? Probably wishful thinking but such sorcery would soothe my already sympathetic psyche.

[ChadJK]

I think the irritation with garages is that you pull into a garage and drive three loops past dozens upon dozens of empty but reserved spaces. It's infuriating. I know, silly problem, but it really is annoying. When you have a 5 level parking garage and the first 2 or 3 levels are all reserved spaces you quickly get an "Are you f'ing kidding me" attitude.

[Brad]

I have never been in the HDR garage, but the two I use (Behind Kinkaider and behind Pacific Life) don't have all those reserved spots. I think one garage has a spot or two for the hotel shuttle on the first floor and I believe some spots on the third floor for Pac Life. Both garages I usually find plenty spots close to the stairs on the second floor.

[skinzfan23]

Yes, both of those garages have plenty of free parking and probably even more so on the weekends. It is crazy that people wouldn't use those.

[Greg S]

I primarily use the garage behind Kinkader, especially for UNO hockey games. And even then it has tons of spaces and I almost always get on the first 2 floors.

If going to Inner Rail or Sonny's I use the HDR one and have always been able to park on the ground floor.

Parking is so easy and free at Ak Sar Ben. Will be interesting to see how people react to having to pay to park in a garage at Crossroads.

[skinzfan23]

Yeah I think that won't go over well. People in Omaha don't like to pay to park outside of downtown. Hopefully they keep the rates low.

[thenewguy]

in the old market, i don't even really look for spots anymore. 1) they seem to be narrower and i don't want my kids to door ding the person next to me, and 2) it's way easier to pay the 4 bucks or whatever and park to walk.

[skinzfan23]

in the old market, i don't even really look for spots anymore. 1) they seem to be narrower and i don't want my kids to door ding the person next to me, and 2) it's way easier to pay the 4 bucks or whatever and park to walk.

Same here. When I used to work near the old market, I used to see that happen daily. Its crazy how many people just swing their doors wide open the second they get out.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Same here. When I used to work near the old market, I used to see that happen daily. Its crazy how many people just swing their doors wide open the second they get out.

Along the same lines, the number of people who have just parallel parked and swing their doors wide open into traffic without looking is quite high.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

I'm guessing a big reason for all of this is that many people are used to shopping center surface lots with ample parking in front and anything other than that is unfamiliar and thus mildly scary or is perceived to be inconvenient. The walk to the front door to a shopping mall in suburbia and the walk to a restaurant from a garage spot a block around the corner may be the same distance, but the fact that you can see the front door to the mall and it's a straight shot, versus being around a corner and out of view from the downtown restaurant causes people to think they are farther away.

I think another big part of it is cost. I prefer a garage but, at least when I was younger and poorer, would feel anxious to park in an unfamiliar garage for fear that I would get up to the gate to find that it's, like, $20/hr to park there versus $2 on the street.

Also, I work in downtown St. Louis and I imagine it is true in Omaha as well that a number of people from assumingly rural areas come downtown and, for some reason, chose to drive their giant pickup trucks that do not fit very well in the garages. I have witnessed someone have to back out of a hotel garage entry driveway because their truck was too tall and wouldn't pass the height clearance. In my own parking garage, which is public, there are often trucks sticking out into the aisles creating obstacles. I always wonder what the thought process was to drive what is likely the largest vehicle they own into a dense downtown area.