A
AlvinofDiaspar
Guest
From the Star, GTA section:
Underground
Jul. 15, 2006. 05:28 AM
LAURIE MONSEBRAATEN
FEATURE WRITER
Where to park?
Many motorists would rather leave their vehicles on a crumbled lot than take their chances in a dimly lit garage with imposing concrete columns and vertigo-inducing exit ramps.
But surface lots in Toronto are fast disappearing beneath new condos, and the message is clear: If you want to park downtown, prepare to go underground.
But if you haven't been down there lately, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Over the past two decades, bright lights, improved signage, heating, classical music, valet parking, car washes, car rental facilities and gateways to retail shops have become standard in underground garages.
The 1,272-stall garage under BCE Place at Bay and Front Sts. offers complimentary DVDs and books-on-tape for loan as part of the $386.70 monthly parking pass package. And pass holders are automatically entered into weekly draws for goodies like plasma TVs and digital cameras. The daily maximum is $27.
In addition to dazzling white paint, new lighting and piped-in music, a recent renovation to the 1,032-stall parking garage under the Manulife Centre on Bloor St. provides an easy car locator service — press a button outside the elevator and out pops a ticket stamped with the parking level and quadrant. It also has a car washing service and a secure parking area for vintage and luxury vehicles. The daily maximum for regular parking is $15.
The garage serving condo dwellers at the new Pinnacle Centre condominium complex at Yonge and Harbour Sts. includes space for AutoShare members who don't own cars but want the convenience and savings of sharing a vehicle.
For those who crave the personal touch, helpful parking valets are on site 24-7 in the TD Centre garage in the heart of the financial district, where the 40-year-old design makes parking cars three-deep a necessity. The daily maximum is $24.
But underground garages — where a single stall costs about $25,000 to build — are some of the priciest places to park. And hotel garages charge the most, according to a 2004 survey of downtown parking conducted by the Toronto Parking Authority — the first since 1996.
The most expensive daily maximum charged was $28.70 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel on Richmond St., the survey found. Currently it's $32.72. The Royal York Hotel charged the highest evening maximums at $24, according to the survey. Today it's $27.
Although surface lots are disappearing, the cheapest parking in 2004 was one on Richmond St. W. near Bathurst St. where you could park all day for $4.35. Nearby on Stewart St. you could park all night for a mere $3. Both lots are now gone.
Authority officials are back in the field this summer updating their records. And prices are up. Hotels now charge daily maximums in the $30 range.
For cheap daily parking, surface lots near Bathurst St. are still a bargain. But you won't likely find much below $8 a day. And if you're lucky, you might still be able to find a lot charging $3 at night in the area.
AoD
Underground
Jul. 15, 2006. 05:28 AM
LAURIE MONSEBRAATEN
FEATURE WRITER
Where to park?
Many motorists would rather leave their vehicles on a crumbled lot than take their chances in a dimly lit garage with imposing concrete columns and vertigo-inducing exit ramps.
But surface lots in Toronto are fast disappearing beneath new condos, and the message is clear: If you want to park downtown, prepare to go underground.
But if you haven't been down there lately, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Over the past two decades, bright lights, improved signage, heating, classical music, valet parking, car washes, car rental facilities and gateways to retail shops have become standard in underground garages.
The 1,272-stall garage under BCE Place at Bay and Front Sts. offers complimentary DVDs and books-on-tape for loan as part of the $386.70 monthly parking pass package. And pass holders are automatically entered into weekly draws for goodies like plasma TVs and digital cameras. The daily maximum is $27.
In addition to dazzling white paint, new lighting and piped-in music, a recent renovation to the 1,032-stall parking garage under the Manulife Centre on Bloor St. provides an easy car locator service — press a button outside the elevator and out pops a ticket stamped with the parking level and quadrant. It also has a car washing service and a secure parking area for vintage and luxury vehicles. The daily maximum for regular parking is $15.
The garage serving condo dwellers at the new Pinnacle Centre condominium complex at Yonge and Harbour Sts. includes space for AutoShare members who don't own cars but want the convenience and savings of sharing a vehicle.
For those who crave the personal touch, helpful parking valets are on site 24-7 in the TD Centre garage in the heart of the financial district, where the 40-year-old design makes parking cars three-deep a necessity. The daily maximum is $24.
But underground garages — where a single stall costs about $25,000 to build — are some of the priciest places to park. And hotel garages charge the most, according to a 2004 survey of downtown parking conducted by the Toronto Parking Authority — the first since 1996.
The most expensive daily maximum charged was $28.70 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel on Richmond St., the survey found. Currently it's $32.72. The Royal York Hotel charged the highest evening maximums at $24, according to the survey. Today it's $27.
Although surface lots are disappearing, the cheapest parking in 2004 was one on Richmond St. W. near Bathurst St. where you could park all day for $4.35. Nearby on Stewart St. you could park all night for a mere $3. Both lots are now gone.
Authority officials are back in the field this summer updating their records. And prices are up. Hotels now charge daily maximums in the $30 range.
For cheap daily parking, surface lots near Bathurst St. are still a bargain. But you won't likely find much below $8 a day. And if you're lucky, you might still be able to find a lot charging $3 at night in the area.
AoD