[Summit] Parking meters

[cagenlaw at acagen.com]

I attended a meeting of the Fox Point merchants association Monday 
evening at the Gregorian School at which Mayor Elorza and his traffic 
administrator spoke about the possible installation of parking meters on 
Wickenden Street, which is where my office is located.
The administration estimates that installing meters on Wickenden would 
produce $250,000 annually, although it was not clear whether this would 
be offset by the cost of buying, installing and maintaining the meters 
and the cost of meter enforcement. The mayor said installing the meters 
would not require hiring more enforcement personnel; I'll take that 
statement at face value.
The traffic administrator (I forget his name) tried to make a case that 
meters would benefit the merchants, a statement which the audience 
(including me) highly objected to. I made the statement that it was a 
bit offensive for the administration to tell the merchants that they had 
a parking problem, when the merchants were saying no problem existed.
It was clear that the city's motivation is to generate revenue.
Asked if the meters were a done-deal, the mayor replied that the "ship 
has not sailed." I wish he had given a clearer and more definitive 
response, but it's clear that the administration is concerned about the 
opposition of merchants (and voters) and is holding off on action for 
the moment. A petition signed by, I believe, 1,000 people in opposition 
to the meters was presented to the mayor.
Hope Street came up several times in the dialogue, although I got the 
impression that the administration wanted to put meters on Wickenden 
first.
I was told that the administration already has the authority to install 
meters and does not require the approval of the City Council. I do think 
that involving the councilmen could be very helpful. (Councilman Yurdin 
and Rep. Rutenberg were at the meeting.)
If the Summit residents and Hope Street merchants oppose meters on Hope 
Street, I definitely believe that the Summit Neighborhood Association 
and merchants association should start mobilizing now.

Andy Cagen