This article caught my eye. The city of Des Moines, Iowa, is in debt, partly because they build a parking garage and don’t have the money to pay for it. So they are rising parking fees city wide to help solve the problem, but even with the increase, they will still be in the hole and taxpayers will have to pick up some of the tab.
Of course the usual suspects are up in arms. Local businesses are saying that the increase will destroy them. etc etc etc…
Well, maybe if there was a reason for people to come down town to Des Moines, the cost of parking wouldn’t be such a big deal. I don’t know the city, but my guess is that big shopping center on the outside of town is hurting downtown business. People like what a shopping center given them, and downtown doesn’t want to spend the bucks to provide the same, or better.
Some cities have done so — Santa Monica, Pasadena, Oakland with Jack London Square, San Diego, whereas others have build tons of free parking which sit empty. People don’t go places to park. They go to visit stores, movies, and venues. Parking in ancillary. They will pay $20 to park in muddy fields to hear a Rock Concert, but won’t go downtown and park free unless there is a reason to go there.
Des Moines needs to understand that subsidized parking won’t save downtown. They need to figure out what the parking costs the city, then charge that amount. Let the chips fall where they may. Then they need to support local merchants in re energizing the neighborhoods and give people a reason to visit.
JVH
One Response
The high car parking charges in Newark town centre in Nottinghamshire UK should be scrapped to regenerate the town’s retail fortunes. If they scrapped parking charges, it would be good for the Newark town centre..
At the moment, it looks like a sustained attack on the cash of people who want to come and shop and work in Newark. At the moment, it looks like a sustained attack on the cash of people who want to come and shop and work in Newark. My remarks may spark concerns that the high cost of parking in Newark town centre is driving shoppers to nearby towns. Where parking is free this will attract more people to the town centre by shoppers putting money into the town centre than we are attracting at the moment.
I believe that Newark and Sherwood District Council must look at other ways of raising revenue, with the town becoming “almost a no-go area for people who have got cars. Hard-pressed workers are also increasingly feeling the pinch and: “Some are paying as much as £10.40 a day to park. Abolishing charges would leave them with more money to spend in town. I think if they had a moratorium for 12 months and scrapped parking charges altogether, I think the town would see resurgence. The evidence is that drivers resent paying. People and motorists will go elsewhere to shop.
Motorists can have free parking for two hours in Southwell not in Newark is this right? It will now cost up to £10.40 to park in the town for the day on Appleton Gate. Local businesses have been critical of the scheme, which has been introduced by Newark and Sherwood District Council. Yes we need to encourage more people to use public transport.
Parking in Newark Town Centres For many people visiting an out-of-town shopping location is becoming more attractive than visiting the nearest town centre shops which have free parking. With all shoppers being forced to consider their spending now, even fewer will want to pay to park. The truth is that we must all start acting now at local level. Exploiting the “most vulnerable It discourages people all together in come to our lovely town centre.
What do you think? Would you come to the town centre more if you didn’t have to pay to park? Have your say below
LAURENCE GOFF
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