pay parking and time limited parking is needed it city centre areas to create high turnover rate. Like Soundy said, if there were no pay or no limited parking areas then people would park there all day and take advantage of the free parking.

Or park on a busy street with bus traffic!

But if you keep the meter topped up, then you could stay there all day. I don't see the difference between paid parking with a 2 hour max and unpaid parking with a 2 hour limit.

In Europe, well, in certain cities, at least, you pay at one central pay machine by street, that is there isn't a separate machine per spot. U pay per plate, for this purpose - much better system as 1 machine vs 20-40.

Now, I don't mind this in Europe, where every city has a great, mature transit system and cars are really discouraged in major centres - in Vancouver, transit sucks balls, so I hate their high prices and ball shit games when we know that money doesn't go to help car users become better citizens (for example a set of ground trams all around downtown, cheap to implement, they share the road with cars - perfect

xxx mins + pay by phone = unlimited parking :troll:

Because:

1) It's a huge revenue generator for the city, I mean where else do they get the money to build useless bike lanes and ignore the problem of homelessness

2) 2 Hour Max means that you can't repeat meter, you can get a ticket for being there over 2 hours even if you paid (that's why they chalk your tires). I've been ticketed for that before even though I put $$ in

3) Like Soundy said, if downtown Vancouver was 100% free parking, legitly nobody would ever leave the "good" spot if they got it. Dunno about you, but if I get that 2-Hour spot right in front of English Bay, I don't care if dinner is 8 blocks away - I'm walking there because I have the good spot for later that night. It also encourages people to take transit, walk, bike, etc. instead of driving.

So why do they need meters to enforce a 2hr max? They're more than capable of ticketing people for being parked there too long without them. Maybe I'm too tired right now, but to me car-movement wise the meters shouldn't make any difference, the meters are just there to make money and have another excuse to give you a ticket.

Vancouver recorded something like 42 million in revenue from parking meters. I'm happy to keep the meters and plug them every once in a while, as long as my property taxes don't go up.

They tow all the cars that are parked around there right at 3pm on Broadway.
They say it is because bus needs to use the lane.
If anything, busters towing these cars disrupt traffic more.

But only for a few minutes, then the disruption is gone. Some idiots would park there for hours if they were left alone.

i was told by a paypark CSR that i might need to move my car to another block, i can't just drive up to the next stall...or risk a ticket.