The K-Rock Centre is one of those hot button issues that will not go away. During the facility’s first year, it operated under a sizable deficit, was unable to attract many big name performers, and the list of criticisms goes on. Although the final report card has yet to be delivered for 2009, the K-Rock Centre has improved, as it’s losing less money, and attracting more recognizable talent. Still though, questions remain about naming rights, the taxpayer-funded private box, and then there’s parking. As someone who lives a few blocks away from the Krock, the few times I’ve attended an event, I haven’t had to pay to use private parking lots or city buses. Further, I haven’t wasted half of my car’s gas tank driving around in search of that perfect street-side spot. As luck would have it, changes are coming so that you won’t have to worry about these things either.
As of today, a new, more attractive K-Rock Transportation Plan is in effect. The strategy addresses downtown parking challenges by reducing bus fare and parking lot fees, as well promoting accessibility, and taxi stands. Specific highlights are as follows:
- Kingston Transit: spectators can present a valid ticket stub after an event and receive bus fare for $1.
- Municipal Parking Lots: $5 to $8 for zone 1 (Drury, Barrack and King/Queen lots), $4 to $5 for zone 2 (Angrove and Anglin lots), and $3 for zone 3 (Springer, Upper Robert Bruce and Lower Robert Bruce lots).
- Accessible Parking: 9 spaces on King (between Barrack and Queen), 4 spaces on Barrack (between King and Wellington), and up to 14 spaces available in the Frontenac lot (along King). All accessible parking is now within 200 metres of the K-Rock Centre.
- Taxi Stand: established on the south side of Queen (between Wellington and King).
Unfortunately the plan does not mention the bicycle racks located outside of the facility, or include progressive measures such as discounted parking rates for environmentally friendly vehicles. Still though, I believe that the provisions cover all of the important bases, however I doubt that improved parking and mass transit will have a significant impact on event attendance. Do you think that the updated K-Rock Parking Plan goes far enough? Would free parking and free bus fare make you more inclined to attend an event? Or does it all come back to ticket prices, and who’s performing at the K-Rock Centre?
As much as I applaud the effort to reduce parking fees and encourage mass transit, I’m not sure that will be enough to get people in the door. I live downtown, about a 3 minute walk from the KRock and I have wanted to go to at least three concerts in the last few months. I even went so far as to put tickets in my “shopping cart” on their website only to be bombarded, and thus discouraged, by the outrageous “convenience fee”. For two $57 tickets, the total came to almost $150. I don’t think it’s even really the fee that bugs me so much because I’m sure we’re paying a similar fee in TO or Montreal BUT they include it in the original price. I guess I just feel like they’re trying to slip it past us and that pisses me off.