WC Parking Chronicles Part 1: A reader’s confession about how a valet parking situation pushed him over the edge

A reader e-mailed me a couple weeks ago with his story of frustration about encountering many empty valet-parking designated spaces in an otherwise packed downtown lot. This reader sounds like a normally sane, rational person (unlike yours truly), but this particular situation, on a Saturday afternoon, made him mad and lash out in a way that caught him by surprise.

Before I let this reader explain his story, I wanted to let you know that his story prompted me to request a copy of the online Downtown Parking Customer Survey. It was a survey of people of who, work and visit in Walnut Creek. Nearly 400 respondents participated in this survey, and 237 of them shared their personal opinions on the parking situation. In reviewing those opinions, I determined the top gripes amongst people who had them. I then did an e-mail Question and Answer about those gripes with Kish Rajan, a City Councilman and co-chair the Downtown Parking Task Force, which was formed in response to concerns about parking. That Question and Answer is in the post below.

I should note that one of those top gripes had to do with valet parking, specifically just the sort of thing that hit a raw nerve with this reader. Not all respondents were negative in this survey; indeed, a fair number said they were satisfied with the amount of parking in downtown. But, I couldn’t find any respondents saying they liked the valet parking program, instituted by the Downtown Business Association. It is available in different garages, is run by a private company, Signature Parking, and costs $5 to $7.

Here is this reader's story. He had his meltdown in the garage off Duncan Street, a location for one of these Signature Parking valet stations:

Now, please note that I have been very supportive of the parking situation in WC in general considering the four big, free parking garages downtown. However today I flew off the handle. This afternoon, as I turned the corner where Starbucks is, I noted there were 40 spots available in the garage, and entered happily knowing there'd be a spot available. Soon however I noticed cars backing up, while cars were exiting as well. Hmm, I wondered why all these people were leaving at the same time. Eventually I rounded the last corner, and hit the highest level outside. And that was where I noticed cars doing u-turns well before the end of the lot. I figured people didn't want to park outside as it was drizzling at the time. So when I finally get to that point, I noticed it was blocked off for valet parking. And by the way, the valet parking there was empty.


So that's what happened the 40 extra spots I thought. I was about to do a u-turn, when I decided to take a mini-stand, got out of the car, and proceeded to kick each of the valet parking signs down in a fit of anger at what happened. I then did the u-turn, and when I reached the bottom I found a 20-minute spot which I took. When I got out of the car, a young man who worked for the valet company approached me and asked me why I did that, something like, "why are you making my job hard for me man?"


So I proceeded to show him the 40 spots which show available, and he replied that that's not his problem, and I shouldn't have done that. I told him it wasn't anything against him personally, but he should tell his manager to get the "available" sign adjusted because a lot of people wasted way more time than he had putting the signs back up.


The issue of why the city of WC even allowed that huge valet section to be taken out of service instead of public parking is a separate issue but which also should be addressed. And as a formerly happy WC shopper who has been quite satisfied with the parking situation, well, let's just say that has changed, and if this continues I'll be sure to remind people to avoid WC if possible because of the lack of parking.

 
The city is also inviting the public to a talk this Thursday evening, co-hosted with the City of Lafayette, by a UCLA professor to discuss the concepts of his book The High Cost of Free Parking. Donald Shoup is a professor of urban planning, and he will share his ideas about parking policies as they relate to the economy, the environment, and urban design.  The talk starts at 7 p.m. and takes place at Lafayette's Library and Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd.. Although the talk is free, it would be a good idea to let organizers know you want to attend so that they can reserve a seat: (925) 299-3201, or lmartin@lovelafayette.org.

Do you like valet parking?

Valet parking is becoming more common in Walnut Creek, especially now during the holidays with the Downtown Business Association offering valet parking for $5 to $7. But prior to the start of this program on November 20, there had already been valet parking for the Cheesecake Factory in the parking garage at Plaza Escuela and in the parking garage for Nordstrom.

We dodged a very massive valet parking bullet with the original proposal for a new Neiman Marcus in Broadway Plaza. The original project plans would have necessitated transforming the entire South Main Street garage into valet parking during peak shopping times. That proposal faced legal challenges, which forced changes to the project--including the elimination of
the valet parking scheme. The rest, I guess, is history, with Walnut Creek voters saying "yes" on November 3 to a more modest new department store project, sans valet parking, in Broadway Plaza.

I call the original proposal, with is massive valet parking scheme, “annoying” because I am so not a fan of valet parking. But by making this statement, I am not objecting to the holiday valet parking program, coordinated by the city, the Downtown Business Association, and Signature Parking. This program may provide an elegant solution to holiday shopping and parking hassles.

My aversion to valet parking is strictly personal, and perhaps neurotic.

I’m just wondering if anyone else out there shares this aversion as well.

In my job, I have had the opportunity to eat at very nice restaurants or stay in very nice hotels—the kind where you have to drive up and valet park. First of all, I drive a 10-year-old Toyota, with its fair share of scratches, bangs, and rust forming on the rim of my driver’s side door. I always feel self-conscious pulling up to a hotel behind a shiny new BMW or Porsche.

The only benefit of having a crappy older car (which runs very well, by the way) and turning it over to a valet is that I’m not going to get all that bummed if it gets bumped.

But my biggest problem with valet parking is that I feel like I’m giving up control and access to easy mobility. Maybe this is an American thing, with our love of our wheels. I don't know. Or it's more evidence of my own neurosis. This sense of giving up control becomes more of an issue if you go to a hotel, where your car gets parked somewhere--maybe blocks away--and then you have to call the front desk and wait for someone to bring your car around if you want to leave the property. If I'm visiting a beautiful place with lots to sight-seeing opportunities, I just want to be able to leave my room, hop into my car, and go.

Valet parking would never be my first, second, or even third choice in Walnut Creek. I gave in to local valet parking when I attended a family dinner at Scott’s. When dinner was done and we said our good-byes, it irked my neurotic, impatient self that I couldn’t just walk out of that restaurant, find my car in the underground garage that serves that restaurant, and go. I had to wait! The night we went, there was one guy on duty, and he was a bit overworked, so it took me, like 10 minutes, to get my car.

But maybe you like valet parking. I have a co-worker who very much likes it, and was even excited about the original Neiman Marcus/Broadway Plaza valet parking proposal. He's the kind of guy who drives a cool-looking car, dresses well, and probably thinks valet parking makes things easier for him. He probably also likes that VIP feeling that a valet parking service can provide. (By the way, doesn't the guy in this silhouetted image remind you of Mad Men's Don Draper?)

To me, valet parking just feels so restrictive.

But again, I'm not voicing any general disapproval of this holiday valet parking program. I'm just stating my personal valet parking "issue." Think I should talk to my therapist about it?

If using this downtown valet parking service makes sense to you, helps to ease your holiday parking and shopping stress, go for it! Here are more details from Signature Parking's blog:

The program will incorporate several of our existing curbside locations at Il Fornaio and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse alongside a new location at 1250 Locust Street, (The Old Veterans Building Lot) located directly across from Century Theaters. The Fee for valet parking at the new Locust Street location will be $5 and all other participating locations throughout town will charge $7.

The Public Valet Locations can be easily identified by valet podiums with large signs indicating “Public Valet Parking”, with valet attendants in Red Polo Shirts.

It is our goal to make valet parking a convenient and easily accesible parking option for all visitors of downtown Walnut Creek. As an added convenience, customer of the service will be able to drop off accumulated shopping purchases at the valet station for delivery to their vehicles, making extended shopping and dining outings easier.

Walnut Creek schools send out their condolences to the family of the man killed in Friday's Half Moon Bay boating accident

A note went out yesterday from the principals of Walnut Creek Intermediate and Walnut Heights Elementary schools to the Runte family of Walnut Creek. Matthew Runte, 49, of Walnut Creek was identified as the man whose boat capsized Friday evening in rough waters off Half Moon Bay.

Bay City News Service reports that Runte was one of two men on a 34-foot sailboat that overturned at about 4:25 p.m. The Coast Guard immediately responded to the accident and rescued Runte's shipmate. A Coast Guard helicopter spotted Runte in the water about 5:37 p.m. He was pulled from the water by a harbor patrol, administered CPR, and taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Walnut Heights and Walnut Creek Intermediate communities would like to extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Runte family in the loss of their beloved husband and father last week in a boating accident off of the San Mateo coast. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Runte family and friends.

When we receive the specifics about the service, we will pass this information on to our school communities.

Sincerely,
Susan Drews, Principal, Walnut Heights
Kevin Collins, Principal, Walnut Creek Intermediate