Exit133.com: Parking Meters For Tacoma?

Parking Meters For Tacoma? (18. April 2006, 21:12 by Derek Young) ~ Saving Pocket Change

A few of you have some opinions about parking around here. So from what we hear you may have some more things to talk about. The word on the street is that metered parking may be coming to the Stadium District, Proctor, and Sixth Avenue. If it’s a go it’d hit all three places at the same time. At least some folks would like to model the idea on Pasadena, California. Our understanding is that the money from the meters would/could be put back into district improvements. Of course, some of these facts may be the wants and not necessarily what’s in the actual plan. Any thoughts?

Link to Pasadena Case Study by Shoup and Kolozsvari (pdf – Adobe Acrobat Required).

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I’d be interested in knowing how parking meters change the dynamic of interaction within a neighborhood. I know when I head into an area with meters, I’m far less likely to stay for any longer than the limit of the meter. This would cut down on my associated shopping and eating in an area. Without meters, I’m much more likely to hit my meeting then check out the local establishments before moving on. There’s also the issue of driving those who don’t like meters or didn’t bring any change into local business parking lots poaching a slot from a dry cleaner’s customer instead of scrounging up a handful of nickels.

1 | Posted by Dave | Apr 18, 10:21 PM

If it has a Visa or Mastercard symbol on the meter I am all for it!! Having change is so 1995… lol
I don’t think it would change anything for me.. just has to take a credit card so it is nice and easy.

2 | Posted by Jake | Apr 18, 11:16 PM

I think that those districts have a sufficiently healthy following to install the meters. Such a measure might be just enough nudge to get people to walk a little farther to their destinations or take alternate forms of transport. And when taken in context with purchases, parking isn’t an overwhelming factor, so I don’t think a lot of business would be lost.

I’ll take a look at the case study.

3 | Posted by Chris | Apr 19, 09:43 AM

There is no such thing as free parking. Iâ€™m not just talking about dollars and cents either. In one form or another, someone is paying to provide space for vehicles. Pay stations would be a welcome addition, so long as some of the monies are returned to the neighborhood.

http://www.planetizen.com/node/19246

http://www.planetizen.com/node/19150

http://www.planetizen.com/node/19149

4 | Posted by morgan | Apr 19, 10:29 AM

Yeah, I think that parking meters would be a great addition in any of these neighborhoods. I’m all for making public transit the more convenient option.

Enforcement will be an issue. (I’m especially thinking about Stadium, where the Thriftway parking lot is already small, and someone would need to foot the bill to ensure that non-grocery-shoppers weren’t stealing spots…that applies for the reserved Morrell’s parking too…)

In Sixth and Proctor, I’d be especially worried about overflow into the surrounding neighborhoods. That was part of the Sixth Ave parking discussion, after all: do the residents get permitted parking, and if so will it be enforced?

5 | Posted by jamie | Apr 19, 10:37 AM

There are a lot of factors to take into consideration before deciding if this is good or bad.

For instance, will it just be street parking that’s metered, or will lots be metered as well? How much will they charge per hour? Will there be a time limit? Etc. etc.

One neighborhood I visit frequently is totally metered, but very cheap—a quarter gets you a half hour and you can stay as long as you want (if you pay). Another area only lets you stay an hour, and it’s a quarter for ten minutes. Obviously, I prefer to shop at Area 1, and view Area 2 as unfriendly to shoppers.

I also know a lot of people go out of their ways to avoid the meter, driving into the nearby residential neighborhoods. So I would expect local residents to be annoyed with a sudden lack of spaces on their own streets.

6 | Posted by Genevieve | Apr 19, 06:40 PM

From what I hear, the residents will opt for permit parking – especially along 6th Ave

7 | Posted by morgan | Apr 19, 09:39 PM

I’m not trying to be “anti-meter,” but I read that article and don’t think you can take it too seriously as it’s—well, wrong. At least, the idea might be right but the “evidence” they present is misrepresented.

Old Town Pasadena is also surrounded by high-income neighborhoods. My dad and I were in the area and decided to eat lunch there. After driving around fifteen minutes to find parking at the meters, we wound up parking at the mall and eating at the foodcourt instead. I think you would have to price parking unusually high to discourage the wealthy who live near Old Town Pasadena.

I also visit Westwood Village on a semi-regular basis. Yes, during peak hours it’s extremely difficult to park on the streets. However, I see few signs of the “decline” this article mentions. Go to Westwood Village any Friday night and you will find that it is PACKED with people. Further, it is well known for being upscale—not as upscale as Rodeo drive, but somewhere between that and Proctor I would say. The restuarants in particular are extremely popular, especially Diddy Riese which USC students regularly make trips across town for (a twenty to forty minute drive). Plus, while it can be hard to park on the street, there are also a few parking garages and pay lots so it’s not as difficult to find parking there as in, say, downtown Tacoma.

So in short, I don’t know how seriously you can take this article, as it seems to be making several unfounded assertions to encourage high-priced meters.