Virginia Street is turning into a cabbie hangout
Just wondering -- why are the cabs allowed to take up valuable parking spots on Virginia Street without feeding the meters, while I have to circle the block five times looking for a spot? When I questioned a cabbie, he said all I have to do is ask them to move. How many people will do that?And what's with this parking on the sidwalk, too? It looks like a cab parking lot. I have to make quite an effort to find parking to get to The Bookstore or the Pommes & Pané Café.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:27 AM
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8 Comments:
Be easy on the cabs. They bring tourists to and from the Grove.
Hey, I'm all for them....but not where I want to park! They also cruise Grand at a snail's pace and create their own little jam. I know...I'm in it every night at around 7 coming home from the park! Maybe the Mayfair Hotel can give them a little space...that's where some of the tourists stay. Or perhaps we can have an official "taxi stand" say on Bayshore?
Len Scinto : The location of cabs, number of 30 min. parking spaces, etc. was all discussed at this weeks Village of Center Grove Neighborhood Association Meeting. A local business said the lack of on-street parking may be partially responsible for lack of customers wanting to run in and grab something. Most people don't want to pay a flat rate of $6 to spend 15 min. picking up a quick item. Possible soluntions may be to have 30 min metered spaces (limited to 30 min and not the 3 hr max "tickets"). Also move the cabs further down the side streets at designated cab stands (with directions e.g. signs) and allow those spaces for short-term parking. Anyway, this is the type of stuff that goes on at these meetings and it would be great if more of you would come, get involved, and try to create a better community. Thanks
That is the problem. I have tried to stop to get a quick coffee or bite or something and I can't get parking, so I just don't do business in that area and the businesses suffer.
Cabbies have it tough, that's true. But it is not right to take up parking spaces in an area where parking is so tight. And yes, taxis, limos, and buses regularly drop off and pick up in front of Cocowalk which causes traffic delays. But this is the City of Miami, where it is unlikely that any government action would be taken to correct this.
In that block from Grand to Oak there are a couple of handicap spaces, two loading zones and two cab stands which leaves us no place to park. Around the corner on Grand, there are about 6-8 loading zones for buses/trucks on both sides of the street. Maybe the cabs can park in Mayfair driveway or around the corner on Florida, or choose another hotel.
Then another cab comes along and doubleparks so he can chat with the other cab drivers.
I actually have asked the taxi drivers to move so I can park in a spot and they have flat out refused (and not in a very nice way!). It's extremely frustrating and I even discussed the situation with the Mayfair Hotel. They had no solution and told me that no one else has complained. . .
I think the curb thing is so it is easier for a customer to get in the car from a curb. The many paved roads with gutters bend downwards from the yellow line of the road so rain moves to the gutter instead of pooling. When a car pulls to the side of the road, the side of the car is angled down to the customers feet. If the car is on the curb it is either level with the side of the road or higher on the curb side slightly. This makes it so passengers do not have to bend over so much to sit inside of the taxi, and also while being able to stay on the curb.
In addition I would guess that the position of the driver would be better so that he is not constantly spending his life angled to one side.
If you look at it from one perspective, it is an insignificant sacrifice of aesthetic to improve the lives of the people that help fuel your economy.
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