Jurors Want Parking Too

9 comments

• J jamie from thriceallamerican April 22, 2008

  I think that though Kathleen Merryman initially mentioned using the Dome Station parking garages (yes, quite full with Seattle commuters, downtown workers, and UWT students), the ultimate suggestion in the article appears to be using the actual lots at the Tacoma Dome itself rather than the garages.

  That said, while this is an OK solution, it unfortunately isn’t one that lies along an established bus route, such as the One (which only goes by Tacoma Dome Station on select morning and evening routes).

  My big question is why the people serving jury duty don’t park at other existing park and ride lots. There are any number of places where people can park and ride a bus to downtown, including but no limited to Lakewood, Spanaway, Gig Harbor, South Hill, Parkland, TCC, etc. Maybe the bus doesn’t come to your doorstep, but there are places where you can park and ride a bus to downtown, without Pierce County having to make special arrangements and add a dedicated shuttle bus.

  Our public transit really is pretty good in Pierce County, given the fact that Pierce Transit needs to accommodate our ridiculous sprawl in the eastern parts of the county. People need to stop being so lazy about using it.

• A Andrew April 22, 2008

  “I’m a daily bus commuter to Seattle. I arrive at the garage around 7:15 a.m. I used to park on the 5th floor but more recently I’ve had to go to the 6th to find an open spot. On more than one occasion I’ve arrived at the garage closer to 10 a.m. and not found a single spot in either the west or east garage. On those days I have had to drive to Seattle.”

  You are right. The Tacoma Dome is way over capacity. I think this is driven by downtown Tacoma workers using these spaces and free parking to get into downtown on the LINK. Maybe its time to start modestly charging for parking at the Tacoma Dome. This would encourage folks to take the bus into downtown Tacoma, plus we could use the revenues for better streetcar and bus service.

  “* Is there capacity at the Lakewood Park & Ride, Tacoma Mall, or other area with massive parking lots?”

  The 512 Park and Ride has worse capacity issues than the Dome. It think the mall has lots of free spots though and direct bus access into downtown.

  I am glad that the county gives out free bus passes. Jamie is right, it is pretty easy get downtown on the bus from most major areas in the county. This sounds like a good opportunity for folks to try out the bus, too bad people are lazy.

• M Midnight Rider April 23, 2008

  Would be nice if Tacoma attracted a few fortune 500 companies so less people from T-town would have to park by the Dome as well as clog I5 and endure a long commute to King County to earn a living.

• H Highwater April 23, 2008

  Here is why charging for parking at the T-Dome station is a bad idea:

  The folks who ride the bus ($3 each way) or the train ($4.75 each way) to Seattle are doing their part to cut congestion and carbon emissions. The folks who park for free ($0 each way) and ride the LINK ($0 each way) to downtown Tacoma may be contributing their 0.01% to reduce traffic congestion, but the “reduction” in driving is probably non-existent or minuscule at best. If you want to encourage these folks to park elsewhere, you need not charge for parking at the T-dome. You need only charge to ride LINK. And you need not charge fare in the downtown core. Simply charge a fee to ride from the Tacoma Dome station. Make all the other stations free. My guess is that most folk who park for free at the T-Dome won’t want to walk to the nearest free station at 24th and Pacific and will park elsewhere. I’m also going to bet that they won’t want to ride the bus, either. It’s time we stopped subsidizing folks using pseudo-mass transit only because it saves them the cost of monthly parking.

• B broadweezy April 23, 2008

  I jury dutied when I was a student and part time worker so not only did I miss class but also work. I also distinctly remember how they start off jury orientation with a schpeil about “Yes, we know you had to pay for parking today and sorry that we just cant satisfy you with free parking, so here are your options (T-dome, pay lots, free street prkg, illegal prkg)and if you still dont like them, we just can’t help you…”

  For whatever reason I was able to find free and paid parking spaces and never felt it was a problem. Most employers pay your time for jury duty so I think to call it a “huge a cost to the community” is a exagerating a little. Also, the court system does reimburse you for your time and pay for your meals – while the reimbursement feels like hardly anything, at least you get some reimbursement for civic duty. Maybe I’m a little old-skool because I just don’t beleive that civic duty/jury duty constitutes an entitlement to free or validated parking. Besides, if Tacoma gets denser eventually everyone would end up paying for parking anywhere regardless of the space you choose to or are required to patronize.

• J J. Cote April 23, 2008

  Jury Duty is NOT a “DUTY”. It is your OBLIGATION as a citizen of this City/County/State/Nation. We pay for that obligation with our time and quite often, from our own pockets. It’s the cost of being a free people in a free society.
  Enjoy it, embrace it, thank your God for it’s creation and it’s continuance for without it, we are not a free people.

• M Marguerite April 23, 2008

  In 2003 I had a supportive employer and spent a week and a half on jury duty for a domestic violence trial. I was the only female and the only person under 50 on the jury. I really learned a lot during that time and always encourage my friends not to throw away or get excuses for their summons if they can swing it.

  Incidently, while on break from my duties as a juror, I walked around town, took the link, bought lunches, and generally scoped things out. I was really excited by what I saw and a few months later, I was renting downtown.

• W West Ender April 24, 2008

  This topic is very timely. I was in the same jury pool as Ms. Merryman and saw Terry Lee the County councilman hanging out in the jury assembly room.

  The reason that parking is such an issue is that most people on jury duty are older, middle class and employed or recently retired and so are used to being mobile and not tied to a bus. They expect to be able to drive and arrive 10 minutes before something starts and to leave immediately afterwards.

  I rode the #2 bus to jury duty as it runs close to where I work. Frankly, it’s not a pleasant experience for middle aged middle class folk to ride with the unbathed, the gang bangers and the 16 year old unwed mothers with their newborns. This contrasts with the justly praised express buses to UW Med or downtown Seattle. As other posters have noted if you want to park at the Tacoma dome it seems like you have to get there earlier and earlier every year.

  On lunch break I went to the main library. The reading area has turned into a homeless encampment. I guess we should be pleased that the homeless of Tacoma take such an interest in reading. Great fun watching homeless guys barter batteries and food for bus passes.

  I’m not sure what the solution is, but I salute Ms. Merryman for bringing it up.

• I I'm for Change (for tacoma) April 24, 2008

  #11 …I went to the main library. The reading area has turned into a homeless encampment.

  This is so true. I use the downtown library regularly. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one there for the books.

  Times have changed from my youth when moms took their kids to the library. Hopefully the other library branches/locations are more inviting.