Bloomington/Normal Illinois To Charge Amtrak Customers Parking Fee

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Everydaymatters

Everydaymatters

Engineer
Joined
May 15, 2006
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3,406
Location
Just North of Normal, Illinois
When the new Intermodal center is opened later this summer, the city of Normal will charge $8 per day for long term parking. Frequent long-term users can purchase a monthly permit for $40. The first hour will be free.

I've enjoyed free parking at BNL and various other stations for many years and am not very happy about this.

Is this the norm for Amtrak parking lots? Do you have to pay to park?
 
It may not be the norm, especially in small towns, but wait a few years and it will be.

Train stations need revenue to sustain operations. If the station is public-owned, say by the municipality, they need revenue to help pay utility costs and other direct expenses. If the station is privately owned, the owner needs revenue to pay property taxes and other basic expenses.

A parking fee is an honest way to earn revenue especially if the fee is reasonable and provides good value. Good value I would define as good lighting, a good surface, and decent security.

I will be parking at Memphis in a few weeks when I take Amtrak. Parking at that station is free. If in the near future they decide to charge a nominal fee for long-term parking I will not object to it. It's a small price to pay for good lighting, easy access to the platform, and excellent 24-hour security. And I know they could use the extra revenue.
 
In San Antonio the parking fee starts at $10 per day. If you don't want to pay for parking your only other option is towing and impound fees which start around $250 for the first day or around $1,000 for the first week.
 
Everydaymatters said:
When the new Intermodal center is opened later this summer, the city of Normal will charge $8 per day for long term parking. Frequent long-term users can purchase a monthly permit for $40. The first hour will be free.

I've enjoyed free parking at BNL and various other stations for many years and am not very happy about this.

Is this the norm for Amtrak parking lots? Do you have to pay to park?
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Depends on the location. Of course, then there are places like ATL, where parking is pretty much non-existent at any price. I usually end up at the Piedmont Hospital garage about 1 mile north of the station and hop the bus back to the station. Back on topic, pretty much everything I'm familiar with in NC, SC, GA, & FL doesn't have a parking fee. Having said that, if a parking fee would offer me something such as more security, I'd be willing to consider paying it.
 
My 'home' station (CDL) instituted parking fees last year. For the senior, experienced traveler (that includes you and I, Betty) there is a significant savings. City Hall sells an annual parking placard for your dashboard for $4.00 !! Might want to check with your city hall or station agent about a similar program.
 
Norman OK has a classic vintage Santa Fe Station which has been restored and doubles as a very nice community center. And there is plenty of free parking across the tracks with several spaces dedicated to Amtrak customers. Norman pulled parking meters from downtown parking several years ago to encourage people to come downtown to shop and visit restaurants and clubs. This has worked quite well as downtown is booming and parking is very seldom a problem, even on Football Game Days.
 
I pay nothing to park - that's because I get a ride to/from the station!
laugh.gif
But even if I didn't, the parking at KIN is free. This is also partly due to the the fact that the South County Bike Trail (on the former Narragansett Pier RR ROW) begins right at the station.
 
At the current St. Paul, MN depot there is plenty of free parking. But when they move back to the downtown to the renovated Union Depot there will be zero free parking. I don't even think there will be parking dedicated to the Depot. There are plenty of parking ramps in the area, but as of right now, I don't think those ramps have any long term rates. I am sure that will all change once the Depot, light rail and the new transportation hub get up and running in the next year or so.
 
CDL where Grounded Flyboy's home station is if I remember correct charges $2 a day, except in the senior catagory where like he said city hall sell's a pass for a year at $4. Only I guess if you live close where a visit to city hall is reasonable would it pay off. Don't know if the station master could sell that year pass but he did collect parking fee's. Their was two guys headed on a 9 day trip same day we were and thought the $16 they had to pay to park was fair and paid the station master. I guess it starts at midnight and as the CONO comes in at around 1:30 am they didn't charge for that last day. The parking lot when we left out of there on the CONO at 3:30 am May 6th was near full.
 
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Although $8/day seems a little high for a community like BNL (I wonder what the BNL airport charges), having a parking charge seems like a reasonable and responsible method of helping pay for the station and parking structure (even if all initial construction expenses have been paid for, then paying for ongoing operating expenses). In my opinion, most communities would be better off if more places (not just train stations) charged for parking.
 
Eric S said:
Although $8/day seems a little high for a community like BNL (I wonder what the BNL airport charges), having a parking charge seems like a reasonable and responsible method of helping pay for the station and parking structure (even if all initial construction expenses have been paid for, then paying for ongoing operating expenses). In my opinion, most communities would be better off if more places (not just train stations) charged for parking.
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Ironically, parking at BMI airport is free.
 
At Spokane, parking is figured on an hourly rate, up to $4 per 24 hours. Not a bad deal at all. I've parked there for several days at a time with no problems. As it is a municipally owned lot, one of several the city owns, they even offer monthly rates.
 
Parking at the Providence train station is very reasonable IMO. It is $8.75 for 24 hours with a train ticket stub.

The only thing about Providence is that one must arrive no later than 6:15 AM to guarantee a spot during the week. No problem coming in at any time during the weekend.

I have no problem paying for a secure parking lot. The revenue is used to pay the parking attendant and also of course for overall maintenance of the parking lot and train station.
 
WIL has several garages & lots within walking distance. I know one of them charges up to $8/day. I think another one is $12/day.
 
Currently my Home Station (UP owned)in Austin has Free Parking. It is Lighted but Unmonitored with signs saying that UP and Amtrak are Not Responsible for any Damages or Loss to Vehicles or Contents! With Parking becoming Dearer and More Costly in Downtown Austin, especially during "Special Events"(which seem to occur Every Weekend and sometimes for a Whole Week! :rolleyes: )more and more Non Amtrak Riders are Parking in this lot! I parked here for the 10 days I was gone on my latest "Short" Trip to PHL for NTD and have never had any problems! The Agents @ the Station tell me that UP is probably considering Fencing off the Lot and starting to charge to Park with "Special" Rates for Amtrak Riders! :angry:

Those of you that live in Large Cities (including San Antonio Chris! :p ) are used to Paying High Rates to Park but its slowly creeping to the Burbs and the Small Cities! Another Good Reason to Drive as Little as Possible and to even do Without a Car if you can! (Guess that's Un-American! :giggle: )
 
RampWidget said:
Everydaymatters said:
When the new Intermodal center is opened later this summer, the city of Normal will charge $8 per day for long term parking. Frequent long-term users can purchase a monthly permit for $40. The first hour will be free.

I've enjoyed free parking at BNL and various other stations for many years and am not very happy about this.

Is this the norm for Amtrak parking lots? Do you have to pay to park?
Click to expand...
Depends on the location. Of course, then there are places like ATL, where parking is pretty much non-existent at any price. I usually end up at the Piedmont Hospital garage about 1 mile north of the station and hop the bus back to the station. Back on topic, pretty much everything I'm familiar with in NC, SC, GA, & FL doesn't have a parking fee. Having said that, if a parking fee would offer me something such as more security, I'd be willing to consider paying it.
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You have obviously missed my multiple postings about the covered, secured parking in underground lot just one block north of the ATL station. $9/day last year when we used it.
 
lepearso said:
I will be parking at Memphis in a few weeks when I take Amtrak. Parking at that station is free. If in the near future they decide to charge a nominal fee for long-term parking I will not object to it. It's a small price to pay for good lighting, easy access to the platform, and excellent 24-hour security. And I know they could use the extra revenue.
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I was excited to read your post about free parking at Memphis as I thought they didn't have long-term parking except in pay garages nearby.

I called Amtrak for information and the reservations agent said there was no long-term/overnight parking at the Memphis station and gave me a phone number for a garage a mile away. I called the garage and they said parking is $12 a day.

Do you have information that the reservations agents don't have? If so, please let us know. That would be great!
 
Guest Guest, there is a huge free parking area right outside the front door of the Memphis station. It is very secure... it is co-located with the Memphis Police. At any time there are a dozen police cars right there in the lot with your car. Drive about a block south past the train station, there is a very large sign pointing to the right to the Amtrak parking. It is up a ramp... parking is one story above street level to the east but on the same level with the tracks to your west.
 
grounded flyboy said:
Guest Guest, there is a huge free parking area right outside the front door of the Memphis station. It is very secure... it is co-located with the Memphis Police. At any time there are a dozen police cars right there in the lot with your car. Drive about a block south past the train station, there is a very large sign pointing to the right to the Amtrak parking. It is up a ramp... parking is one story above street level to the east but on the same level with the tracks to your west.
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Thanks for the reply! That's great news. Are you allowed to park overnight/long-term?

I plan on driving from Atlanta and taking the train from MEM to MSP and back. I found a direct phone number for Amtrak in Memphis, but it's always busy. Since Amtrak reservations agents don't seem to know about it, I'm hoping there is always plenty of space available.

Again, thanks for the great information.
 
I know that NPN doesn't charge for parking...but parking there is frequently a bit of an adventure since the lot is far too small for the traffic at the station. WBG just doesn't have parking, period (at least from what I can tell), unless you count being able to park nearby during the evening. RVM is in much the same boat; though there's pay parking nearby, it's not really of the multiple day variety. RVR has $5/day parking (cash only).
 
Sedalia has free parking at their newly renovated station. Very nice perk, considering we have to drive a little over 2 hours to get there. Jefferson City, our next-closest station, has no free overnight parking (one can park for free on weekends/holidays on the metered spots along Jefferson St., which is the street that one sees from the River Runner), but a monthly pass can be obtained (prices vary by lot, but tend to be about $30/mo; the city owns several, and several are for-profit lots).

When Springfield gets a train station, I expect we will need to pay to park. First of all, the location favoured by the city (to any who might be familiar with the city, it's at Commercial St. & Washington Ave., the site of the ex-Frisco station now used by BNSF for freight, but would be a new construction next door) has only one off-street lot nearby, and although on-street parking is plentiful along Commercial St., it is not intended for overnight parking. Fortunately, that area also has some of the best bus service in Springfield, but the lack of any regional bus service or park-and-ride facilities means those of us out in the suburbs will still need to drive downtown. Springfield-Branson airport (SGF) charges $8-15/day, depending on the lot, so I expect that parking fees would not be any higher than that, and probably substantially lower.
 
Everydaymatters said:
When the new Intermodal center is opened later this summer, the city of Normal will charge $8 per day for long term parking. Frequent long-term users can purchase a monthly permit for $40. The first hour will be free.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this new information! We will be leaving our car parked at BNL for about 2 weeks next winter while on a cruise, in which case it would be cheaper to purchase the monthly permit. Do you know if we will need to purchase the permit in advance, or will we be able to get it when we arrive at the station, and before we board the train?

Cindy
 
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