There’s no debating people like free parking better than paid parking. No polls need to be conducted, no questionnaires are required. People want free parking, but it’s not completely up to them. Their only leverage in the matter is their patronage. In Medford, Massachusetts, residents don’t want to pay for parking, but they must, and a year after the installation of parking kiosks in downtown areas, they’re still complaining, reports medford.wickedlocal.com.
Some local business owners have reported an increase in available parking has increased their sales; others say they are losing customers. Residents have a very specific complaint: they don’t like the kiosks.
“Standing in line behind somebody for 5 to 10 minutes [to pay] is just ridiculous,” resident Jaime Cheah said. “As a parent who doesn’t have a ton of time, you’re going to have to make it appealing for me to shop in Medford if you want to spend money in Medford. It doesn’t help that Assembly Row is five minutes away by car and has a plethora of free parking, and everything is right there.
It’s true, kiosks do get backed up. I’ve waited in line at kiosks, scratched my head trying to figure out how to use kiosks, faced the conundrum of the non-functioning kiosk, and played the not fun game of hide-and-seek with kiosks.
Still, I understand the economy of the kiosk – cheaper than 50 meters and less of an eyesore, too. But the feedback is worth taking into consideration.
Read the article here.
2 Responses
I think the first line in the quote captures it perfectly. No one wants to wait to pay, the “on-demand” economy” is teaching us that we shouldn’t have to wait. Isn’t this why paying by phone is growing so quickly? No kiosks, no meters, just use your phone.
Makes sense. If it can’t be free, it must be easy.