Paying to park at work

[supercarrie]

I've just moved back to the US and have been offered a job in downtown Los Angeles.

I am very happy with most of the offer terms, but was shocked to hear they charge each employee $175 per month to park! (This is the employee parking lot under their building.) I can somewhat understand paying to park if I was in NYC or another city with great mass transit where most people use it, but LA is very much a car city, so this seems a bit strange.

The $175 can come out of my pre-tax earnings, but even so, I really wasn't expecting it. (And I don't earn a great deal - it is a decent middle class job.)

It made me wonder how common this is - hence the question. Do you have to pay for parking at your work?

 

[crashbb]

There was a thread about this recently. Well, it was about commuting costs, but it included parking costs (and a discussion about having to pay for it).

It seems to vary by area (with many people stating that they paid for it).

FOUND IT:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2993724

 

[chamonix]

My dh works at a university that charges for a parking sticker. The cost is based on how much you make. We live close enough to campus that he usually bikes or walks ( it's actually faster and he enjoys it!) but we do still buy the parking sticker anyway. I think you can write the cost of parking off your taxes though. You should look into that; hope that helps. If you are still in the "bargaining" stage for the job, you could ask for your parking costs to be included in the offer.

 

[Hannathy]

I did when I worked in Philadelphia and that was 20 years ago.

I have a friend who has to pay in Milwaukee, My SIL does in NYC. I think it is very common if you work in a city.

 

[focusondisney]

I live in Buffalo NY, so a mid sized city, nothing like NYC or LA. A major hospital corporation in the city has it's own parking structure & charges $90 a month from what I hear. They used to have free employee parking, but it is now a major medical campus with a few thousand employees & several different facilities. So it's public transportation or pay to park.

 

[jthomas1]

my sister took a job at a university hospital in research.. she too has to pay for parking.. sounds ridiculous

 

[kirstenb1]

When I worked in downtown Norfolk and Richmond, you had to pay to park. However, the price varied greatly depending on how far you were willing to walk. I always parked in outlying, cheap lots. I put my heels in a tote bag, and walked to and from the office in running shoes. I'm way too cheap to spend a lot on parking!!

Also, safety is important. Always try to walk out of work with at least one other person.

 

[kirstenb1]

I forgot to mention, a minor benefit of paid parking is many downtowns have festivals, 10ks, etc. So on the weekends, I was really grateful for the parking already paid for.

 

[Disneefun]

DH pays for parking. He works in a downtown area. He doesn't have to pay for company parking -- he's free to trawl the streets and garages for a free space. However, the paid parking guarantees a slot in the garage adjacent to his building. So it's vastly more convenient and easy.

Plus, to get a free spot he'd have to get to work about five in the morning. Otherwise he'd have to pay for a day spot or feed a meter and a month of that would be way more than the parking fee.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My dh works at a university that charges for a parking sticker. The cost is based on how much you make. We live close enough to campus that he usually bikes or walks ( it's actually faster and he enjoys it!) but we do still buy the parking sticker anyway. I think you can write the cost of parking off your taxes though. You should look into that; hope that helps. If you are still in the "bargaining" stage for the job, you could ask for your parking costs to be included in the offer.

Yes, I believe that's true. Although OP said it can come out of the check pre-tax & that'd pretty much have the same impact.

As for me, I wouldn't worry about paying to park as long as the pay was good.

 

[padams]

Many Atlanta office buildings have pay parking. My first parking space was $80 per month in 1989!

 

[disykat]

My husband had to earn his way into the (free) company lot with seniority. Prior to that, he had to pay to park in nearby lots.

My sister works in a city at a company where they have a lot but the only people who are free are the bigshots, everyone else pays. On her salary she really can't afford the monthly expense, so she rides the bus.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I've just moved back to the US...

No answer on your question, Carrie, but just nice to see you and welcome back to the US.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I work in downtown Toronto and yes they charge me for parking. $105/month. Yes its expensive and ridiculous. I hate it. But there's not much i can do about it.

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[tvguy]

I know things are different in the biggest cities, but I would have a hard time taking a job that does not include a free parking spot. I guess if the pay was good enough, it wouldn't be a big deal, but $2,100 a year to park my car at work seems a little outrageous.
Living in the 20th largest metropolitan area in the nation, one of the industries hit hard by the recession has been the parking industry. There are thousands of empy parking spots weekdays now downtown......and potential tenants expect landlords to include free parking with office space leases.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I know things are different in the biggest cities, but I would have a hard time taking a job that does not include a free parking spot. I guess if the pay was good enough, it wouldn't be a big deal, but $2,100 a year to park my car at work seems a little outrageous.
Living in the 20th largest metropolitan area in the nation, one of the industries hit hard by the recession has been the parking industry. There are thousands of empy parking spots weekdays now downtown......and potential tenants expect landlords to include free parking with office space leases.

I agree its INCREDIBLY outrageous.

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[Cheshire Figment]

Employee commuting costs, including parking at work, are not deductible expenses on the Federal Tax Return.

If you use your car for business purposes, then you can deduct unreimbursed mileage from your first place of work to your last place of work during the day, and any related parking fees.

Mike (CPA Retired)

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Our office is in the middle of downtown. There is no parking lot for the building, but there are two city-owned garages. We can pay to park in the garage, or park on the street a few blocks away for free.

If we park in the garage, we can get a monthly pass, and the company will pay 50% of the cost of the pass. I think it's about $25/month.

However, my family has only one car, and my wife drops me off on her way to work, so technically I don't pay to park. But if I drove every day, I probably would.

 

[Coconut36]

I have never had to pay to park at any workplace. DH teaches adjunct at our state university (on top of teaching 7th/8th grade where parking is free) and has the option to park somewhere off campus and walk or pay several hundred dollars to park on campus..since he is adjunct and doesn't teach every semester he parks off campus and walks as it doesn't make sense to invest in a parking pass.

 

[DebbieB]

My company has a special rate in the garage under our building (office complex). $6.20 per day (no in/out) or $135 for a month's lease (unlimited use including events). The public rate is $14-$16 daily. I go with the lease because it's easier than having to go to the pay machine every day to pay before leaving. Just beep in and out plus you can come and go. It's nice that it's covered parking, there is outdoor parking across the street for $6 a day (general public). We have a transportation spending account, so the cost is pre-tax.