In Roanoke, city officials are planning a 90-day test of parking meters to see if they could be widely implemented in the downtown area. Some 15 years ago the city removed parking meters to attract more visitors to its commercial shopping core. That move might or might not have been the reason for the increase in consumer traffic downtown, but the place is hopping now.
Parking leadership now notes an upside-down parking scenario where premium spots are free, but less accessible parking in garages and outlying lots goes for a fee. They’d like to change that and the meter experiment is their first step. According to the article:
Whether the meters stay will depend on how they’re received, said Assistant City Manager Brian Townsend.
“If we find there’s not general acceptance by the public,” he said, “then, no, we won’t proceed.”
I’m not sure that’s the best way to make the decision, Mr. Townsend, but it’s a start.
Read the article here.
