downtown

Why I Don’t Really Mind of Paying for Parking in Albany

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For many years I have worked downtown and ridden the bus downtown most days. Some days when I have to work late or are planning on heading out of town I drive downtown to work. It’s not a particularly common thing, maybe two or three times a month.

I used to park on the street, but now I park in an Albany Parking Authority lot. Why park in a lot, when one can park on the street? Simple: I don’t want my new truck, “Big Red”, to get hit or damaged, and I figure the back corner of a parking lot is a lot safer. Big Red is also a bitch to park on the street, being so long, even though I am pretty talented at parallel parking it.

Parking

It also is a powerful discouragement against car commuting. Somehow it’s more difficult to visualize $4 one burns driving in and out of work, or the wear and tear it means to your car, compared to paying the $3 for the parking lot — a top of the gas and wear and tear.

It makes me pause and think, do I really need to drive into the city? Can avoid it, and all of the pain of driving in the city. I really don’t like the kind of driving that involves stop lights and traffic. I have much to short of a fuse to enjoy such an activity. But so be it.

So at the end of day, I don’t really mind pay for parking, the few times I actually drive downtown. It just another good reminder that driving into the city rarely pays or is necessary with public transit..

Why is NYSERDA in the Pine Bush?

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One of the things that bothers me is that NYSERDA, the New Yor State Energy Research and Development Corporation is located in the Albany Pine Bush in Corporate Circle, in a location primarily serviced by automobiles with minimal if any bus service through the CDTA ShuttleBee. Based on NYSERDA’s location, it is highly unlikely that any employees or visitors ever come to it using mass-transit. Most employees use gas guzzling private automobiles.


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NYSERDA in the Pine Bush

Plenty of Real Estate Downtown,
Much Free to Use…

At the same time, there is a large amount of vacant office space downtown, that should be put into use. It’s quite possible that there would be sufficient room to move all of NYSERDA’s operations to a portion of 625 Broadway, home to the Department of Environmental Conservation and Environmental Facilities Corporation. With recent layoffs and the hiring freeze, there probably is ample space in there.

If not, as New York Times recently documented, the 12 floors of the Corning Tower that are currently sitting vacant would be an ideal place for NYSERDA. Quite a bit of scientific research and bureaucratic work gets done in the Corning Tower by the Health Department and Health Services Corporation, and it seems only natural for a public corporation like NYSERDA to consider locating to this location.

Alternatively, NYSERDA could consider renting a private building downtown like the Arcade Building. Many of these buildings have been vacant for a long time, and it’s possible that the rent they could get is far below what they paid for the sprawl rent in the Albany Pine Bush. While they wouldn’t get the parking spaces next to their offices downtown, what they would trade that in for would be less air pollution and lower energy consumption.

NYSERDA's Green Building

NYSERDA Should Be Setting an Example …

Rather then focusing on super-cars that only wealthy state bureaucracies can afford, they should be focusing on promoting compact communities serviced by mass-transit. While NYSERDA can’t force it’s employees to live in Albany, nor should it necessarily do as such, it can promote the benefit of having a workforce that works downtown in a highly energy efficient fashion.

The agency can promote the ease and convenience of working downtown, along with the energy and time savings. By not including significant parking in their relocation, they encourage employees and visitors to come using mass transit. NYSERDA could go farther and educate all existing and new employees about the many Park and Ride sites and bus service in the Capital Region, along with providing discount or free bus passes to all employees and visitors.

We need to think seriously about investing more into mass-transit . Transit is the future for our urban-areas, and all large employers of the future need to be located near transit lines that are regularly serviced, and reduce employee’s commuting distances.

… NYSERDA: It’s About Making Smart Energy Choices.

Gazing at Beautiful Columbia Circle

Open Pine Bush

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