Driving in Grand Forks

[iramurphy]

On 7/10/2023 at 10:22 AM, SIOUXFAN97 said:

didn't really know where to put this but........i bike quite a bit around GF and Bemidji and you see these stories and instantly think the the driver is on his cellphone....if you google maps this spot you have to wonder how this guy was struck and killed?

https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/minnesota/mark-knutson

Knutson lost control of his bike and fell into the path of the truck pulling a boat on a trailer. All captured on a homeowners security video. Driver of vehicle didn’t break any laws, no charges anticipated. Sad deal. 

[The Sicatoka]

Many were immediately "down" on the driver. This is a case where the "48 hour" rule showed this was truly a terrible accident and great misfortune. 

[nodak651]

https://www.youtube.com/live/iHV-5NnxSf8?si=DF3gpDPx8_d9vJ3s&t=943

[SIOUXFAN97]

Iowa State has these little narrow underpasses on the north side of their campus....

couldn't GF/UND put one of these at the Ray Richards intersection to allow people to keep moving when a train is on 42nd instead of all that money for a huuuuge underpass on 42nd

 

[The Sicatoka]

Is the ISU train at grade or elevated? It's your picture. 

Is the UND train at grade or elevated? 

One is relatively easy; the other not so much. 

[The Sicatoka]

I still say GF needs an underpass (no ramps) at 17th Ave for industrial park access and to help clear Alerus parking after events. 

[Cratter]

So GF is gonna subcontract downtown parking enforcement to a out of state company.

GF will pay them $85,000.

But the city says it "potentially needs two people downtown to cover enforcement."

Which makes sense parking enforcement is basically 80+ hour duty.

But if Interstate Parking hired two fulltime employees. They'd have zero profits.

It says the ticket revenue will go back to the city and not the out of state company.

How does this company make money?

Maybe they get their foot in the door and come back next year: "We lost money. We need part of the parking tickets."

City raises the cost per ticket by $10 to go to Interstate?

Other cities say these private parking companies set their own rates and issue their own tickets.

Or maybe there will be no more free parking and Interstate will convert the parking ramps to a pay and park.

Am I missing something?

I feel like there's more to this story that's not being told.

 

Quote

Consistency in parking enforcement isn’t the only potential benefit; contracting with Interstate is also cheaper for the city. One CSO could cost the city around $73,000 to $86,000 a year. The city estimates needing potentially two CSOs to cover enforcement and other duties. The amendment to the contract only cost the city $85,438.55.

“I think the contract is the best solution, and we’re not locked in forever,” Love told the council. “I think this is something we could try because what’s going on right now is not working.”

The city will try this new enforcement program for a year, revisiting the topic when the contract comes up for renewal in 2026. Revenue from parking tickets will still go to the city but does help pay for the contract.

 

[Cratter]

This reminds me a Vice video I watched awhile go, Private companies come in to do parking enforcement.

Boots then become more popular. And then another "private company" comes in to fight that private companie's boots.

But parking boots are the past, windshields barnacles, are the future.

 

 

 

[Cratter]

17 hours ago, Cratter said:

Or maybe there will be no more free parking and Interstate will convert the parking ramps to a pay and park.

I guess this has already slowly been happening. Interstate took over management of the ramps downtown a year ago.

Told the city it needed to raise rates.

The city raised rates.

Quote

On Jan. 1, general spaces at the Central Parking Ramp will increase to $55 per month and 24/7 reserved spaces to $120. General spaces at the Corporate Parking Ramp will increase to $50 and 24/7 reserved spaces to $110. There will also be the creation of a resident-only permit starting in 2024 for residents who live nearby and use those ramps.

I have to imagine gates and pay tickets to enter the ramps are inevitable.

Followed by parking meters throughout downtown.

With this new contract, the city recently added new "enforceable areas" for Interstate Parking:

Quote

The changes implemented in August moved many of the all-day parking zones between University and DeMers avenues to two-hour parking zones, affecting some six blocks downtown.

 

[jdub27]

10 hours ago, Cratter said:

I have to imagine gates and pay tickets to enter the ramps are inevitable.

Followed by parking meters throughout downtown.

With this new contract the city recently added new "enforceable areas" for Interstate Parking:

If they do that, they don't need a management company. And those things are nothing but a pain, constantly breaking or not working. Not sure how they'd retroactively fit into either of the City's ramps.
Street parking downtown can be a problem, so if you're going to have rules, makes sense to enforce them.
Interstate is also keeping the ramps a little bit cleaner, keeping the parking and stairwell picked up.
Have to imagine they are still making a bit of money with the contract. Probably paying one or two people to work 30 hours a week.

[fightingsioux4life]

10 hours ago, Cratter said:

I guess this has already slowly been happening. Interstate took over management of the ramps downtown a year ago.

Told the city it needed to raise rates.

The city raised rates.

I have to imagine gates and pay tickets to enter the ramps are inevitable.

Followed by parking meters throughout downtown.

With this new contract the city recently added new "enforceable areas" for Interstate Parking:

 

Parking meters are illegal in North Dakota.

[Cratter]

2 hours ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Parking meters are illegal in North Dakota.

In 2017....

Quote

The North Dakota Legislature needlessly voted to end the almost 70-year-old ban against parking meters in the state. So, depending on how this plays out in Bismarck, either the Fargo City Commission will decide whether or not to install them in Fargo, or the issue will be decided by Fargo voters.

Looks like it fell just short of passing.

But now there's these parking meter lobby groups gaining power throughout ND.

So probably just a matter of time.

[Cratter]

4 hours ago, jdub27 said:

Have to imagine they are still making a bit of money with the contract. Probably paying one or two people to work 30 hours a week.

Sure would think that would have been a key contractual part. 

"How many man hours are you planning per week?"

"OK put that in the contract."

One person at 40 hours. The city could have just hired their own and broke even or paid less.

Wonder if the contract is online?  They don't patrol after 5 (or was it 6) pm.