[Summit] Parking Meters on Hope

Thu Mar 10 14:28:15 UTC 2016

Thanks for the link Coryndon! I skimmed the excellent report there and noted a few key differences between us and SF:

- SF's goal was to open up more parking availability in neighborhoods where 95%+ of spots were routinely taken. So their problem was a major lack of parking which hurt commerce. We don't have that problem nearly as egregiously. Even at peak, I can always find a space at most a couple of blocks from my destination. 

- SF's secondary goal was to raise funds to improve the neighborhoods the parking took place in, with enhancements like safety, cleanliness and attractive features that would draw more potential customers to the businesses. Our Hope St Merchants Assn is already handling that seperately, and anyway I doubt the money raised by parking would go directly to us, but rather into the maw of PVD's budget. You can argue it will reduce property taxes, or stop more gains, but I don't trust that. 

- SF has a substantial commuter population taking up parking. Hope St does not attract commuters who stay, we get commuters who pop in for a coffee while on their way someplace else where they will park for the day. Our goal is to ENTICE them to pop in...not to stop them from hogging spaces all day. 

Anne Holland
~ pls forgive typos, this is my iPad 

> On Mar 10, 2016, at 8:34 AM, Coryndon Luxmoore <coryndon at luxmoore.com> wrote:
> 
> The community is giving a valuable resource away to private individuals to monopolize for a period of time. People from out of the city have not paid for these spots, non-drivers are subsidizing drivers, etc.. Meters that are profitable will increase revenue and slow the rise of property taxes. Meters that are not profitable will tend to vanish to profitable areas.
> 
> There is a great study done in SF on parking and utilization for those who want to nerd out a bit on this issue: http://www.sfcta.org/transportation-planning-and-studies/current-research-and-other-projectsstudies/street-parking-management-and-pricing-study
> 
> I hope that the local merchants will use this opportunity to work together across the city to find better solutions if this does not work for them. My personal preference on the revenue side is a rise in taxes for surface parking lots to reduce incentives for demolition. There are a lot of other options like sales taxes, removal of TSA's, lowered services, etc. There are also other solutions like working on opening up the massive number of private surface lots around the city to the general public.
> 
> Just for the record, I am a driver :). I regularly pay for street parking downtown to grab a coffee at Bolt. No open spot, no stopping.
> 
> 
>> On Wed, Mar 9, 2016 at 3:21 PM Kim Clark <ktcxyz at cox.net> wrote:
>> the city decides all of these things. they were willing to swap out the pay stations in favor of meters in Wayland Square it was such a nightmare there. At least they were open to that.
>> 
>> when all is said and done, the city says this is good for business, that they are doing us a favor (not), but merchants are unanimous that it isn’t and thus far, the neighborhoods that have gotten them are NOT happy.
>> 
>> I don’t think we were even going to be told if the merchants hadn’t gotten suspicious and called them and asked directly.
>> 
>> they are doing this w/o reaching out to the community, although having been pressed, they are meeting with merchants next week.
>> 
>> as neighbors, i think your (our, as i live on dexterdale) concerns should also be addressed and perhaps this is something SNA wants to get involved with.
>> 
>> k
>>                     Kim T. Clark
>>          www.RHODYCRAFT.com
>>               780 HOPE STREET
>>           PROVIDENCE, RI 02906
>>                     401.626.1833
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Mar 9, 2016, at 3:13 PM, Gayle Gifford <gayle at ceffect.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Here's my few cents:
>>> 
>>> 1. I'm pro and con on meters. My first concern is who decides where the meters go. What role do our neighborhood associations play? What role do our merchants groups play? What role does our city councilor play in this? What is the plan for the city, isn't this the type of policy decision that should have public input? rather than rolling out meters without consultation.  E.g. I for one think the very first meters should be going up around the Brown athletic complex, around Wheeler and Moses Brown. It seems to me that the city's first priority should be capturing parking fees from those who live outside the city, or encouraging bus ridership to reduce traffic congestion and reduce pressure for more surface parking lots.  
>>> 2. My next concern is be for the local merchants. If a chief reason for parking meters is to keep parking churning so that more people can visit the stores or restaurants, that should be something to measure and evaluate. Clearly parking on  Thayer Street has been a problem in the past and it seems the meters have helped there.  I don't ever remember having an issue in Wayland Square, but I am willing to park on Medway a few blocks away.  Parking meters should correspond to the needs of the merchants that are in an area that parking meters are supposed to help. Is the retail pop in, 10-15 minute visits or 2 hours at a restaurant? If so, then the meters should be structured to allow for this. The credit cards are set up for $2.50 increments and they don't capture time on the meter... if you need to be at a meter for two hours and there is already time on it, you don't get credit, you pay the full $2.50.  The pay stations are pretty discouraging though I use them downtown... they often seem out of order.  Also, what are the hours? The really annoying parking on Hope Street is at night, when parked cars ignore distances from corners and seem to park just about anywhere. I believe the intent for meters is that they are going to be required until 9:00 pm.
>>> 3. My final concern is for the neighbors who live near the Hope Street area and will have cars parked outside their house. I get frustrated when it is very difficult to get in and out of my driveway due to Chez Pascal traffic or am unable to move one of the cars onto the street to get the other out. Though we've learned to work around it. Because we live close enough to walk to Hope Street, I'm rarely popping into anything with my car unless it's the library on the way home to pick up a book or East Side pharmacy for wine... hmmm, are they getting meters too?
>>> 
>>> Sounds like we'll all need to stock up on our quarters for those short hops.  
>>> 
>>> Best,
>>> Gayle Gifford
>>> 
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>> 
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