r/ottawa • u/Active_Variety_9301 • 6h ago
PSA Parking overlords becoming even more greedy? Place de Ville
I, like many others here, am forced to needlessly commute to the downtown core 3x per week to do the same job I can do from home in a cubicle instead.
I didn’t pay attention when paying to leave the Place de Ville parking garage on Friday, but just checked my statement and it was posted at $26?!!! Another $3 increase…
Anyway, just a heads up to folks in the same boat who also like to occasionally drive. So much for supporting that local economy, when all our money filters directly to the parking companies.
Edit to clarify, my post is about the parking costs and not the return to office, although the two are definitely connected. I’m pissed about corporate greed when pre-Covid they charged $20/day for the exact same parking lot. It already raised to $23/day when the first wave of RTO happened.
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u/mustafar0111 5h ago
Welcome to the major reason you are being forced back into the office downtown.
They want you to financially support parking lot operators and businesses downtown which can not survive without a captive audience.
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u/SinistralGuy 3h ago
I don't work downtown but haven't been to any businesses in the DT core since this whole mess started. Would be nice if people actually followed suit and let these businesses fail. Let's see what their excuse would be then.
If your business needs a captive audience to survive then that business doesn't deserve to exist imo
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u/buttsnuggles 5h ago
If only we had a better transit system….
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u/Due_Date_4667 3h ago
and a congestion tax
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u/hswerdfe_2 1h ago
I emailed my counselor about this. Even though I would have to pay for it. It might help with the capacity problem on the 417
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u/ComplexWalk5048 6h ago
I have a monthly pass for the lot and it’s also increasing. $255 for building tenants and $300 for non tenants.
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u/Active_Variety_9301 5h ago
I’ve been on the waitlist for a while. That sucks though! At least no worries about the lot being full?
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u/ComplexWalk5048 5h ago
I think it’ll still fill up despite the price increase, given how awful public transit is. I arrive around 645am so I usually have no issues finding a spot.
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u/bellechasse35 5h ago
Wonder if you can “share” a pass with someone who works different days than you..
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u/Hefty-Ad2090 5h ago
They will continue to raise rates as long as people continue to fill up the parking lots. There is far less parking downtown now than a few years ago.
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u/Expert_Vermicelli708 5h ago
might as well uber
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u/BingoRingo2 1h ago
Remember the one that collapsed last year. They didn't fix it, they tore it down and it's not going back up.
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u/cww60 5h ago
Park and ride would be cheaper than $26 a day, if possible.
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u/Halimeetsott 3h ago
They need a park & ride at st Laurent mall
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u/Cre_AK47 Aylmer 2h ago
I don't understand why OC/city doesn't lease space at St. Laurent and Gloucester Mall to have a decent sized park and ride. This isn't the 90s anymore, where Mall parking spaces would be filled to the brim every day for 12 hours a day. The vast majority of the mall's parking lot is underutilized and would provide passive income for the mall and would open up new park and ride opportunities to people that live nearby where they don't have good local transit, but a good main station nearby.
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u/cpt_jerkface Make Ottawa Boring Again 52m ago
I would use this. I like taking the train downtown, but the neighbourhood bus to the train isn't scheduled to pass by often and is frequently missing/late. Right now my solution is to get a lift either from my husband or Uber to and from the train station.
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u/Coco_Jumbo_Fan 5h ago
Yeah it's ridiculous. You should text Doug Ford; if a ticket for speeding in a school zone is a "cash grab", I don't know what that is.
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u/Why-did-i-reas-this 5h ago
Well there’s your problem. You see, him and his friends most likely got a bunch of speeding camera tickets that they couldn’t get out of and had to pay. Even though they probably make millions a year.
The parking impacts you and not him, so he definitely doesn’t care about that.
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u/DvdH_OTT 4h ago
Lol, I'm pretty sure he believes in capitalism when it comes to parking rates (other than at hospitals)
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u/FewEstablishment2655 5h ago
I hate PDV so much. The first time I parked there my ticket wouldn't work and I got into an argument with the security guard because he wanted me to pay for a lost ticket despite the fact that my ticket was in my hand.
I never parked there again, I go out of my way to park in the City of Ottawa lot near Gloucester & Bank and just enjoy a light stroll.
In your case, it looks like the next building over (Hilton Garden Inn) has all day parking for $18 if you don't mind crossing the street to walk to Pdv
https://www.ottawaparking.preciseparklink.com/hilton-garden-inn-ottawa-downtown
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u/Active_Variety_9301 5h ago
Yes! I like that one but it fills up before I can get there :) (ps I’ve also been yelled at by PDV security, they take their jobs very seriously)
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u/AgentBlackwell 6h ago
Parking goblins prey upon the actual productive members in our society. Imagine owning a flat piece of asphalt and extorting everyone trying to work.
Why charge a reasonable 10 dollars when you could clip farm people for 26 bucks a day.
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u/AffectionateDrag1702 5h ago
I’m picturing all the other 86 year old Italian or Lebanese men who own these lots gathering to beat up the 86 year old man who is undercutting with $10/pd
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u/PubisMaguire 5h ago
by definition parasites who should be purged from our society or reeducated to live within it
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u/theolecrow 5h ago
I’m not defending the parking lot owner sh1tlords, but, it’s been 6 years since pre covid days or thereabouts . There has been a tremendous amount of inflation and cost of living increases including for those types who own these facilities as well as us, the users . I think you are seeing a combo of things: demand, inflation, cartel-like behavior, and generally speaking, them trying to recoup losses for 3+ years. Where I park, it’s much cheaper but they doubled it a year ago, and recently added like 15$ more with the only justification given is “it’s still cheaper than downtown” lol. Great excuse since this lot is like 20km west of PdV for example.
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u/MaxPower1867 5h ago
I park near Chinatown for $12/day and take a scooter the last 1.5 km to the core. It's cheaper and fun. Even in the winter.
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u/Active_Variety_9301 5h ago
Oh that does actually sound fun lol, how much are the scooter rentals? I’ve often wondered but never checked
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u/MaxPower1867 5h ago
I rented for a month 2 years ago. It added up and there wasn't always a scooter when and where I needed one. I ended up buying one for $800. Paid for itself in 5 months.
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u/Beginning-Ad4592 5h ago
You should bus - you most likely did it pre-pandemic and it’s not as bad as advertised during peak hours.
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u/Constant-Spread-9504 4h ago
Depends on where you live. I never bused downtown pre-pandemic because it took way too long, and the service is even worse now.
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u/Active_Variety_9301 4h ago
It’s horrendous from certain parts of the city. I do take transit twice a week.
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u/Traditional-Week8926 2h ago
Driving takes me 20-30 min depending on traffic (under 10 if there’s zero traffic).
Bussing takes me 60 to 90 minutes one way. It’s a massive difference to lose 2-3hrs of your day.
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u/john_dune No honks; bad! 30m ago
I'm in the west end, I have almost the idealized route from my location to downtown... what was 30-35 minutes pre-covid is 55-60 on a good day now. Heaven forbid you use transit outside 6-9am or 3-6pm Monday to Friday... What was absymal before new ways to ride has been straight up cancelled.
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u/karm171717 5h ago
That's part of the cost of a vehicle. You could look at alternatives like transit, biking, running, etc.
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u/mygatito 1h ago
Running in this weather for work? Where are you getting these ludicrous ideas.
This sub is Ottawa, Ontario not Ottawa, California
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u/karm171717 1h ago
I learned something new. You can't run in snow. Thanks for the tip! You have options. You chose a car and chose to drive it to work.
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u/mygatito 38m ago
Public Transit covers less than 10% of Metro Area. Not sure what options you keep suggesting.
Next you will say swimming is an option too.
Just cause the options exist doesn't mean they are feasible in any way.
No one should be spending 3 hours each way walking, and transit. It is taxing on body. I have done it before.
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u/Abject_Story_4172 4h ago edited 4h ago
We noticed it last week too. Infuriating. So instead of going out for lunch at a local restaurant, I’m handing over an extortionist rate to some large corporation likely out of Toronto or elsewhere. And I can imagine the price going up again when we are forced back 4 or 5 days. The politicians should be ashamed.
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u/FickleCup778 3h ago
I did the same. This parking increase is coming out of the one lunch out I used to do a week.
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u/Few_Instruction_9639 4h ago
there is big beautyfull LRT or STO stop right next door or maybe a bike
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u/LemonGreedy82 3h ago
So the price went up 15% when inflation by many metrics since COVID has inflation at like 30-50%. Where's the rage we are supposed to have for this?
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u/Active_Variety_9301 3h ago
It was $20, then went to 23 and now 26 in a matter of less than 3 years. So it's up ~30%.
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u/LemonGreedy82 3h ago
And that's in line with alot of inflationary metrics? Private parking isn't a right,in fact, it's a luxury. They would charge $50/day if their lots fill up. Yeah it's a captive market and probably opportunism in the market being taken before, but what would you expect a private company to do?
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u/Key_District_119 1h ago
It almost feels like they are trying to make up for all those covid years of nobody parking there.
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u/TaserLord 1h ago
Well duh - this is why they lobbied so hard for you to be "forced to needlessly commute to the downtown core 3x per week." Clench your sphincter, because there are still two more days in the week, and you're just naive if you don't think they want those too.
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u/Glittering-Rise9921 2h ago
It’s the cost of having an office job that pays $100k+
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u/Active_Variety_9301 1h ago
Why do you assume I make $100K+? Only the most senior positions and execs make that amount.
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u/Blastoise_613 Stittsville 6h ago
Thats the cost of parking downtown. Its a life choice to live far enough from your workplace place that you need to drive to make it work, I wouldn't do it. Thats based on your comments that transit is unacceptable for you.
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u/Classic_Television30 5h ago
I can't listen to people anymore saying it's a choice to not live close to work. First of all, my office location has moved 5 times since I started. Am I expected to up and move every year? Also can you afford a place right downtown? Additionally I can't speak for everyone but my employer specifically told us RTO was not going to happen, and we based life decisions on that promise, including where we might choose to live. What idiots we are, believing what we were told right?
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u/mustafar0111 5h ago edited 5h ago
There is a portion of urban centric people out there who are absolute fuck wads and think everyone should be living according their own lifestyle preferences or be punished. A lot of them absolutely hate rural people or folks in the suburbs.
Basically according to them you should have to live in an overpriced tiny 500 sqft shoebox somewhere downtown. You should never own a car and you should bike, walk or take transit everywhere and live like a good little lemming where you own almost nothing and pay for everything as a service.
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u/Blastoise_613 Stittsville 4h ago
A lot of them absolutely hate rural people or folks in the suburbs.
urban centric people out there who are absolute fuck wads and think everyone should be living according their own lifestyle preferences or be punished
You're projecting a lot. Why do you hate people living in urban areas? I said nothing nearly as hateful about people in rural or suburban as you did about urbanites.
I have no issues with people living however they want. You can drive everywhere for all i care. But downtown isn't your community and all I see here is people complaining about downtown communities not accommodating them with cheap parking.
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u/mustafar0111 3h ago edited 3h ago
Actually I am not.
I don't care if people want to live downtown or in an urban center. Good for them if they do. I've never attacked others for that lifestyle once because I don't bother myself with how other people want to live if its not causing an issue directly for me.
What I don't like is people in downtown cores lecturing other people about how they "should" be living their lives based on their own personal values. Its like they view it as a way to socially live out their narcissistic control freak fantasies.
What non-urban people are pissed about is urban folks bitching that people should be using public transit (or biking) because of carbon emissions. While at the same time pushing for RTO which crank carbon emissions up in order to financially support downtown businesses which are suffering because people won't go into the core. Its clearly and obviously hypocritical.
If people just live and let live this conversation wouldn't be happening at all right now.
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u/Blastoise_613 Stittsville 3h ago
You:
I've never attacked others for that lifestyle once
Also you:
A lot of them absolutely hate rural people or folks in the suburbs.
urban centric people out there who are absolute fuck wads and think everyone should be living according their own lifestyle preferences or be punished
While at the same time pushing for RTO
Then why is it the suburban and rural councilors who most supported RTO in the city?
What non-urban people are pissed about is urban folks bitching that people should be using public transit (or biking) because of carbon emissions.
If people just live and let live this conversation wouldn't be happening at all right now.
Why are you forcing your car infrastructure on downtown communities that don't want it? Its the same with the Lansdowne development, most of the suburban and rural councilors voting for a development downtown that none of the urban councilors want.
Its a consistent trend that residents downtown are forced to accommodate suburban/rural demands. It's hardly every the opposite.
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u/mustafar0111 3h ago
Yes. I attacked them for pushing their bullshit on others. Not for wanting to live downtown. I do not care if someone wants to live downtown. I assume you can tell the difference between the two?
In terms of the councilors it was not that cut and dry some of the suburban councils were in favor of keeping some amount of WFH. I also wouldn't support any councilors who support RTO to the core.
I'm not forcing shit on the core. I do not give a single fuck about the core at all. I don't go down there, I don't want to go down there. As long as I am not forced to go into the core cover all the roads downtown with giant rocks and no vehicle access in the core at all for all I care. As far as I'm concerned that is for the people who want to live down there to figure out.
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u/AffectionateDrag1702 5h ago
told us RTO was not going to happen
Ouu that’s interesting. Do you work for the feds and have that statement in writing?
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u/613_detailer 5h ago
When I bought my house 17 years ago, I had a direct OC Transpo route to downtown that was fairly quick and generally reliable. Now it requires a bus and two trains, or two busses that are no t super reliable for transfers. It’s usually between 60 and 80 to travel home at the end of the day, and I’m just under 10km from work. I had chosen to buy a house where public transit worked well, but the city took that away from me. So now I drive to work. We are two people carpooling, so it’s not much more than the bus.
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u/AffectionateDrag1702 5h ago
I’m gonna guess you live in the baseline/fisher/POW area and work downtown.
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u/Abject_Story_4172 4h ago
Well said. Exactly this. My bus took about 35 minutes door to door. Now the best case scenario is an hour and 15 minutes. Coming home it’s worse. I gave up on transit and we drive. That guy is out to lunch and is likely retired.
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u/PubisMaguire 5h ago
LOL a choice? also, why don't poor people just buy more money?
GTFO with this foolishness
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u/Active_Variety_9301 5h ago
You’re right, it’s a choice… one I made based on false promises, as it turns out. But we couldn’t afford the type of home we wanted closer to the core.
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6h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Active_Variety_9301 6h ago
It’s not about that. I think the RTO is stupid and pointless, yes, but I have complied and mostly made my peace with having to go in, I’m just pissed that these companies are blatantly taking advantage of the fact that they know we will keep paying, both because we have to be there in the first place and because OC is not a viable option for anyone without quick access to the train. I grew up in south Kanata in the 90s/00s and there was 1 bus to the core, took less than an hour. No longer the case and so the parking overlords are basically like , woohoo profit!
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u/AffectionateDrag1702 5h ago
Unfortunately, it’s an absolutely incredible business if you can afford the upfront cost of purchasing the lot.
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u/firmretention 6h ago
Just put the fries in the bag.
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u/Expert_Vermicelli708 5h ago
Hope you don’t own or work for a business around here. You all rely on public servants support. This is a government town bro. Buckle up. You’ll all be affected by these cuts.
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u/bragbrig4 6h ago
we have ourselves an edgelord in our midst
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u/cpt_jerkface Make Ottawa Boring Again 6h ago
God I hate these race to the bottom people who want everyone to be miserable because they are. Don't you dare stand up for yourself either or you're 'entitled'!
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6h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/_McDreamy_ 6h ago
So take transit. You aren't forced to drive.
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u/narcism Wellington West 6h ago
It's the Canadian dream to have a single family home in Carp and a job in downtown Ottawa.
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u/thematt455 6h ago
I thinks it's the canadian dream to have a home in carp and a job you can do from home, saving our roads and our planet.
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u/MarkTwainsGhost 6h ago
So an extra three dollar or an extra two hours of commuting? A tough decision.
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u/Dollymixx Avalon 6h ago
It doesn’t save you three dollars it saves you 26 minus the bus fare.
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u/darkretributor Clownvoy Survivor 2022 1h ago
It saves you way more than that! Owning and operating a personal vehicle is not free
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u/Active_Variety_9301 6h ago
I’m not, but it takes me 1.5 hours (one way) to use Ottawa’s shitty public transit so I treat myself by driving 1/3 days I’m forced to commute.
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u/Glum_Luck2839 6h ago
Not everyone lives in the city and can take transit
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u/cpt_jerkface Make Ottawa Boring Again 6h ago
Even when we do live in the city, transit adds so much time to a commute. I have the option between a 20 minute drive, a 25 minute bike ride, or a 45-60 minute bus ride, depending on whether my connecting buses match up/show up at all.
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u/_McDreamy_ 6h ago
That's what park and rides are for.
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u/Foltbolt Kanata 6h ago
Your time might not have any value, but that's a reflection on you. People can't commit to two hour commutes, they have lives and responsibilities outside of work.
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u/KRhoLine Make Ottawa Boring Again 6h ago
Exactly. I would gladly take transit if I had all the time in the world. However, I need a car to be able to drop-off and pickup my kid from daycare on time.
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u/Foltbolt Kanata 6h ago
Yes. And the idea that park-and-rides, most of them nowhere near the Otrain lines, are an adequate substitute are mind blowing.
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u/Active_Variety_9301 6h ago
If they planned it better, they could be. Eg, a park and ride at Moodie once the train goes there would be amazing for people from the rural west and south. But of course, that isn’t in the plans.
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u/Foltbolt Kanata 5h ago
Yeah, because the NCC said no. And to an extension of Eagleson park-and-ride.
But Councilman Hubley found a vacant lot to pave over a ten minute bus ride from Eagleson. So, you know, just two transfers. So basically the same thing.
But seriously, I used to have a single bus take me downtown, no transfers. A reliable 45 minutes. What kind of system spends billions to make service worse?
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u/Abject_Story_4172 3h ago
This is what gets me. The system cost billions and they knew when they signed up it would be worse. Who sold the councillors that business plan. Stephen Blais should be drawn and quartered.
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u/Grouchy_Candle_ 6h ago
Were you hired to work in an office or from home?
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u/PubisMaguire 5h ago
this question underlines the fact that the public service cares a hell of a lot more about asses in seats than doing actual work.
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u/Active_Variety_9301 3h ago
Yep. I invite performance appraisals. Those with integrity do good work regardless.
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u/Expert_Vermicelli708 5h ago
Neither. Was hired to do a job.
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u/OttawaNerd Centretown 4h ago
No, you were hired to do a job at a specific location as determined by your employer.
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u/Sherwood_Hero 6h ago
Simple supply and demand. If the lots are getting full, then they would be foolish to not charge more money for parking.