|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Parking has gotten better at 24 Hour Fitness’s new facility on Willow Road, but there are still problems during peak hours, according to some members.
They were also expecting things to get worse with the end of shuttle service from the gym’s old building on West Las Positas Boulevard when that gym closed last Tuesday.
Still, there doesn’t seem to be the same kind of slow crawl through the lot in search of parking that was the norm, not the exception, when the club opened in January. A statement from 24 Hour Fitness says a number of changes have been made to solve the parking problem.
“Over the past several months, 24 Hour Fitness has worked to resolve the parking situation at its Pleasanton Super-Sport club and remains committed to making the club easily accessible to our members in the area,” the statement reads.
“In doing so,” the statement continues, “we are happy to provide our members with additional parking options, including: complimentary valet parking from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends; additional parking at neighboring business Polycom (4750 Willow Road) on weekdays after 6 p.m. and all day on weekends and holidays, and all 24 Hour Fitness employees and personnel are instructed to park off-site to ensure members have full access to the club’s parking lot.”
All that hasn’t actually solved the parking problem, according to a number of members.
“The reality of the situation shows you still have not resolved it,” wrote Dan Carroll in an email. “Members want to park their own cars and do not want to hear they have to wait until after 6 p.m. or use valet parking.”
Carroll said he’d continued to use the old gym because of the parking situation, and expects parking to get even worse now because that’s no longer an option.
He’s not alone. At least one person pointed out on the Town Square forum at PleasantonWeekly.com that the problem continues.
However, Pleasanton Planning Manager Janice Stern said as yet, no one has brought a complaint to the Planning Commission, which was involved when the parking issue first came up earlier this year.
Why does this problem of businesses having inadequate parking keep coming up over and over again in Pleasanton? How do these businesses get approval through the Planning Commission and City Council. Is it payola, or is it a situation of those two city entities not doing their job? Pleasanton (like Walnut Creek) just doesn’t get parking. Some other really bad examples of parking nightmares in Pleasanton are the Trader Joe’s shopping center and Downtown Pleasanton. Maybe its because the left wing loons on the Pleasanton City Council want to force us to all ride bicycles.
However, Pleasanton Planning Manager Janice Stern said as yet, no one has brought a complaint to the Planning Commission, which was involved when the parking issue first came up earlier this year.
Really? REALLY? no one has brought a complaint to the planning commission? sooo what can the “planning commission” do now? they approved this plan without consideration of a parking issue.. I would LOVE to hear what “Janice Stern” would say if she had to bring her brand new car to 24 hour fitness at 6pm.. and wait in the line 20 minutes and then hand her keys over to a 16 year old.
We were very disappointed with the quiet ” Opening ” of Domus’s
on Thursday. usually an owner is present on the floor upon an opening. The parling lot was full but very few people within the store.
Yes, it truly was wonderful of the store coming back to Pleasanton but where was the public relation factor ???? no friendly greeters, no flyers of any kind, no smiling faces on staff employees . Rather a sour taste left upon exiting the store. Most disappointing !!!!
Not even a ” Thank You for coming in “. Handled very poorly….
It’s brutal finding parking in the lot… I go to the gym to reduce stress, not make it worse. I feel I’m better off jogging, which defeats the purpose of paying for a membership in the first place. I would join Clubsport if I had the money… that place is awesome.
If it’s fitness you’re into why don’t they ride their bikes to 24 hour! hey here an idea for 24 hours personnel-members who ride their bikes there-get a discount. Quit the bitching and save the planet. I don’t belong to any fitness club-why should I? I have a great bike, two legs, 2 arms and plenty of free sidewalks and trails to run, walk, ride, rollerblade on.
The 24 Hour Fitness problem is not parking for Pleasanton members. Whom ever planned the location,put it at the extreme north end of town and it now attracts more members from Dublin/San Ramon than from Pleasanton,Parking at Club Sport is no picnic either.
I agree with Bill’s comment that the new club draws mostly from other cities north and west of Pleasanton. When I am driving into the club on Willow going north from the Pleasanton direction I always see quite a few more cars coming in from Owens and turning in. It is what 24 HR corp wanted when they picked this location which was easy access off the freeway and getting members from outside communities in high numbers. All members can do is quit and go somewhere else if the crowds become too much.
Am I a member at the same gym? I have absolutely no problem parking. The only time the lot is not wide open is the 9:30 slot, and what is the problem letting the young men park your car for you? There’s no fee, and there is no tipping.
I salute 24 Hour for finding quick solutions to the parking problem. ANd when there was a plumbling issue for one day, they quickly brought in two banks of Royalty Restrooms, which were super nice. I think they have handled their challenges very professionally. I am a very happy 24-Hour Fitness member.
I was sorry to see the W. Las Positas 24 Hr. close. It was a nice relaxed atmosphere. I have now started at the Willow location and have yet to encounter a parking problem. I usually arrive before 5 pm and usually can find a spot. It seems that for every car that enters one is pulling out. I am one of those that will probably start riding my bike (during the summer) to get a little extra cardio in.
I was grandfathered in on my Costco card. Unfortunately when my 2 years are up (this Oct)I will not be able to renew under the Costco plan so the Super Sport will probably lose my patronage. There will be one more open parking spot in Oct.!
I feel I’m entitled to a parking space. I pay taxes. Instead, the city govt and the left wing loons deny me my constitutional liberties. This practice of denying me my entitlements and then not acting in an accountable manner victimizes all of us who pay taxes. We’re entitled to more than traffic jams. What is the world coming to. This is why people are fleeing California in droves. No parking spaces at the gym and free-loading, unaccountable bicyclists who abuse our streets and sidewalks with impunity.
I am mystified as to why there should be a parking problem outside any “fitness center”. What about walking or bicycling TO and FROM the fitness center as part of your exercise routine? You may even be able to cancel your membership!
Dear YAT,
The problem is that Burger King is located a full mile from the gym.
I am a member of the new 24 Hr and feel very lucky to have been automatically upgraded to the gorgeous facility. The parking is silly but in my informal poll waiting at the valet, 80% of the people using the club are from San Ramon and Dublin!
The club is negotiating with the companies around it to let members park on off hours, but having managed a high end club with a similar problem, I know it will take a long time to come up with a solution. It isn’t just Pton that has these issues.
They may have to restrict non-Pleasanton members to using the club during off hours to keep the classes less crowded and the parking lot manageable…but I doubt that would happen.
I just felt the need to address all those folks who never have an issue parking, who would always ride their bikes to the gym to save the world.. Apparently they don’t work.. or work normal business hours.. I would ABSOLUTLY love to get to the gym at 5:00 pm..and I would love to have the time to leisurely ride my bike there, but I have to work for a living… and my living is in San Francisco. My time to work out is short, which is why i joined a gym in the first place..
And i DO have a problem handing the keys over to the young men parking cars.. first.. you have to wait about 20 min even to get to them.. and I just paid a lot of money for my new car. 24hour fitness is a lot more affordable than club sport, but it’s not cheap, and we should be able to park our cars.
I am a very unhappy member of 24 hour fitness. I prepaid my membership and have another 18 months left on my membership. When they closed the older Gymn on Los Postitas they are refusing to granfathering me in but requiring me to pay hundreds of dollars more for the new gymn membership. This may be an example of 24 hours management style.
Current Member, I find it strange they didn’t allow you to grandfather your membership, since I was able to with mine. They even sent me a letter stating so. 19 bucks a month for life! You should look into this, contact Corporate if necessary.
Now the parking situation is another issue. I still can’t believe the Planning Commission allowed such outrage. I smell a payola there!
Why don’t the police just hand out tickets to people driving around looking for parking spaces. It’s not like they do anything useful in Pleasanton anyway.
Dear Gina:
Astronomers have discovered the center of the Universe, and it isn’t you.
Check the Constitution. I don’t think the right to life, liberty, and a guaranteed parking space is in there.
p.s.–Thanks for the snotty remark about people who “always bike” to “save the planet”, thus associating bicycling with some sort of granola-crunching hippie liberalism…rather revealing as to your true mindset.
Now I’m off to play Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi”: They paved paradise and put up a parking lot!
Valet must be slow at 24 because it’s always backed up with people trying to hand off their cars to valet and then there’s always a line of 5 people waiting to get their cars back. I would rather park my own car, thank you. Just think if this club wasn’t close to it’s HQ, it would take decades to solve the issue instead of years.
24 Hour Fitness, solve this issue NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And who is Janice Stern? She acts like she has the solution in her back pocket, but because no one has asked her to be the hero yet she’s just going to sit on it?
Ok, I usually don’t help out the gym rats, but I’m feeling charitable, so…
One word: Magnets. Giant magnets, like the kind they use in auto wrecking yards. You’ll drive your car up to the entrance of 24 Hour Fitness (no more than 10 feet, because you don’t want to walk a long way to workout) and a giant magnet will lower from a cable and hoist your car up to a platform suspended above the club.
Sure, it’ll be expensive, unsightly, and unreasonable in general, but the Constitution requires all Americans to have convenient, unlimited parking, so whaddya gonna do?
With my Daddy’s inheritance, I purchased my own work-out gym with personalized trainers. What’s with these working-class complainers who think they’re entitled to free parking spaces? Instead of expecting the world to come to your assistance, buy your own gym. This is why this country and this state are failing so. People are too lazy to work hard for and acquire the things they desire. Slackers and suckers all.
My suggestion for 24 Hour Fitness was to have a 15 – 30 minute break between classes. This would allow those who attended class time to exit the parking lot before the next batch of us arrive.
Otherwise, I like the club a lot! The instructors are top notch! I do wish they’d put in a versa climber, though. That’s a good work out!
The bottom line is that the parking was planned poorly. I doubt many people would know to complain to the Planning Commission for this particular issue. Now that I do, I will be letting them know of my displeasure.
I worked out at the Las Positas location for about 15 years, while living and working in Pleasanton. Parking could be hairy, but never to this level. The new gym does draw people from other cities but usage cannot be restricted just because you don’t live in the city.
There are a lot of members like me who live elsewhere, yet work in Pleasanton, which means the car is their mode of transportation. It is unlikely that someone would bike to the gym after work since they have to drive some distance to get home or run other errands.
The frustration for me is that the other parking lots aren’t available until after 6, and I do not want to valet my car at all. That this is an option in a suburban city with acres of surrounding parking lots is absurd. There needs to be ample parking spots all the time.
I like the suggestion of staggering classes as they do seem to draw large crowds all at the same time. I will just keep circling the lot until a real solution is provided or a comparably priced and equipped gym is opened nearby.