Special Parking E-News
a recap from GFO’s Parking Forum GenTalk yesterday

THE PARKING SCOOP
As many of you have already heard, the three Ford Building parking lots (see map below for locations of the East, West, and South Lots) became PAY-TO-PARK on Monday, February 13th.

Since our GFO members, patrons, and volunteers have enjoyed a significantly long history (since 2011) of free parking, this change has been met with much interest and a little anxiety. To give everyone an opportunity to present their concerns and ideas in a safe and cooperative environment, the GFO’s monthly GenTalk was set aside as an open Parking Forum for our members and other interested parties.

We’d like to let you know what was presented and discussed at yesterday’s meeting.
A few great ideas presented at yesterday’s GenTalk…
Since so many of you already skip the many woes of parking by utilizing public transportation to get to the GFO, we thought it might be time to do a good ole fashioned knowledge-share!

ONE. If you use Trimet to get to the GFO and have tips for the rest of us, we’d like to post them to the GFO website if you can send your “Route Tips” to info@gfo.org.

TWO. Also, if you have Trimet or other public transportation “Route Tips” to share with your fellow GFO volunteers and members, we’d like to encourage use of the GFO’s ORForum listserve to share and ask questions.

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THREE. Please visit GFO’s Facebook pages as another place where you can ask for or post “Route Tips” as we all are learning to adapt to the recent parking changes.

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At yesterday’s GenTalk, we also discussed…

▪ the Board’s impromptu meeting held earlier this month in response to the news about parking changes;

▪ the Board’s communication with Ford Building management regarding possible parking options;

▪ the Board’s approval for the GFO to purchase two monthly parking passes for GFO Research Assistants and other volunteers;

▪ that the parking vendor, City Center Parking, does not have designated parking spots or validated parking options available per the Ford Building management’s contract with them;

▪ the Board has approved reimbursement for Special Interest Group (SIG) leaders for up to 3 hours parking in the Ford Building’s East and West Lots;

▪ that the GFO still has some G-Zone passes for purchase at the front desk for patrons;

▪ that handicap tags can be used in any zoned parking areas and in any over 30-minutes time limit areas;

▪ the importance of reading all street parking signs carefully;

▪ that street parking 4-hour time limits are enforced Monday through Saturday, and that the tow-away rules are enforced Monday through Friday, according to the signs around the building; and

▪ that many of our members, volunteers, and patrons already use Trimet as their number one way to commute to the GFO.