Hot take: The new parking setup at Eastern Market is costing me 20 extra minutes every Saturday

3 comments

3 Comments

robertb301mo agoTop Commenter

Twenty minutes is brutal but that's what happens when they try to cram more spots in without actually adding any real space. Have you tried the lot over by the old warehouse on Russell Street instead of fighting for the main ones? I park there and walk the extra block, it shaves off a good ten minutes of circling. Did they actually talk to regulars before they made these changes or just roll it out and hope for the best?

lilyb271mo ago

Oh man, I feel this. I once drove around so long I forgot what I even came for.

craig.grant12d ago

Thirty minutes is actually down from what it used to be before the updates if you look at the real data from the Eastern Market board meetings last March. I sat through those sessions and the old setup averaged 35 minutes of circling back when the north lot was half paved. The changes made the flow more logical even if they ticked off the people who always parked in the same spot. They added drop off zones and widened the main aisle so trucks can actually turn around without blocking everyone for five minutes. The walk from the Russell Street lot is maybe three minutes longer than the prime spots and saves you the headache of tailgaters riding your bumper. The market managers deserve some criticism for how they announced it, but the actual time savings are there if you adjust your route.