We see below where Lowell, MA succeeded in taking parking money and upgrading its services, but in Glasglow, Scotland the reverse happened. The parking department began to remove mature trees to install solar powered p and d machines. They were stopped by local residents who are up in arms at paying for parking anyway. Read about it here.
This is the reverse of using parking monies to support the neighborhood. The neighbors are upset, the trees are attacked, the meters are in limbo, the city is seen as the bad guy.
Now, what if the city had told the residents that the money from the parking meters was going to repair the streets, upgrade the lighting, trim the trees, replace those trees that were destroying the sidewalk, and overall make the neighborhood a better place? Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what would have happened.
Lowell, one, Glasglow, Zip.
JVH
