Parking - Catch All

[TRONto]

I don't use the city parking garages often, but everytime I have used the Chinatown or Kensington parking garages they were probably 35% utilized. I can't see an argument in those cases to raise prices (at least for the timings I have used them). As others have stated, it does bring an argument to reduce street parking in Kensington and in Chinatown along Dundas.

 

[mburrrrr]

Do parking lots need an alternate exit? No stair access if the store is closed.

 

[Northern Light]

I don't see open hours posted on those stairs; worth noting, as an area resident or worker, you can lease parking at this lot, so I think 24/7 access would be a given.

 

[mburrrrr]

View attachment 698175

I don't see open hours posted on those stairs; worth noting, as an area resident or worker, you can lease parking at this lot, so I think 24/7 access would be a given.

Hmmmmm. How do you know everything? I will investigate on site. How did I miss that? I have never used those stairs.

 

[Northern Light]

Hmmmmm. How do you know everything?

I don't; but my google-fu isn't half bad.

I will investigate on site. How did I miss that? I have never used those stairs.

Dunno. I've rarely driven to this store (and more rarely still walked to it from wherever. But when I have driven to it, I've usually parked on the ground floor, so I'm sure I would have ignored it.

***

Here's how the google went, first I looked at the aerial pic and assesses that there were 2 structures above the second-level deck, in the s/e and n/w corners, and thought these might be stairs.

I tried to see if Google had documented the garage itself, but it has not.

Then I looked at the perimeter on streetview where I saw the structures. I found those stairs right away. On the N/W side there is an exterior door, but its unclear to me if there are stairs, if there are, its likely they are emergency exit only.

Then I googled the parkade again, but not looking for images, and I found the reservations sites for spaces.

Took me about ~3 minutes total.

Shhhh, don't tell anyone my secrets....

Edit to add, it just popped into my head that streetview from the Gardiner might allow me to see the structure at the n/w corner of the deck, et voila:

Definitely a door there, not sure about access rules.

 

[nfitz]

Definitely a door there, not sure about access rules.

I couldn't find an exit the one time I parked on the upper deck, and tried to pop over to the market for something (after $hundreds of groceries at Loblaws). But I guess one could always walk down the ramp in a pinch. It was annoying walking so far south to go north - but I guess that's not what they want.

 

[mburrrrr]

@Northern Light @nfitz

They used to have two exits but both doors are locked. 2nd floor SE and NW corner.

The 2nd floor parking lot store entrance has been closed since the early days of Covid.

It appears they were renting the upper parking space for day time construction and maybe the summer and the parade crowd. Use at your own risk but I guess the chances of a getting stuck up there in an emergency with the ramp blocked are slim to zero.

I’m surprised they sunk a ton of cash into the EV charging network on the ground floor. Will they recover a million dollars in profit from their EV customers over the next few years before they re-work this property.

 

[nfitz]

They closed the store entrance? I can't really fathom that.

 

[mburrrrr]

They closed the store entrance? I can't really fathom that.

The upper entrance has been closed for 5 years. I just assumed it was to control the number of shoppers during Covid and then it probably became a way of reducing theft of alcohol and food. I guess they don’t need all those parking spots. Imagine that!
Edit : added picture with weeds growing.