I shake my head.
The businesses in Melbourne, Florida have decided that a test to reduce free on street parking from 3 hours to 2 hours was a bust and are demanding that the city return to 3 hours. Of course, parking in the area was terrible at 3 hours free, too. The reason for the change was to try to get employees to park in the free off street lots and not on street. Of course that didn’t work at all.
So now they have the problem of employees parking on street, merchants mad about parking, frustration by shoppers because they can’t find a place to park.
Read the article here. Its a textbook case. All they need to do is charge something for parking on street. It doesn’t have to be a lot. 50 cents an hour would do it. Employees wouldn’t pay $80 a month so they didn’t have to walk two blocks. Folk coming down to shop would be happy to pay it and if the merchants wanted, they could give drivers a couple of quarters for their trouble.
I cannot imagine in my wildest dreams that someone wouldn’t pay a buck to park close at hand and not have to walk rather than drive around and eventually end up parking for free and walking two or three blocks to get where they were trying to go.
Yes, this is a good nominee for the "we can’t figure out how to deal with parking in our town" award.
Yes Yes, I know, the merchants are certain that folks will go elsewhere if they have to pay to park. I suggest if that’s the case the merchants have a bigger problem than they think. At least they are considering valet parking, but why not start out with pay parking and add valet parking when needed.
I need an Advil
JVH
