86 parking meters Downtown!

[marksjax]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bneviIHiIKs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[vicupstate]

Parking meters are NOT an inducement to shop or do business downtown, quite the opposite.  Some people don't carry cash at all these days.  Even those that do, do not have more than 1 or 2 quarters on them, if that. There is always the prospect of getting a ticket or having to rush back to your car to prevent getting one.  It's is a pain in the ass that can be avoided by simply going elesewhere, and many people do.

Fortunately, their is a workable solution. Take the meters out and simply enforce the time limits.   The meters maids are already doing the rounds, so there is nothing new there.  Just upgrade their technology if needed.  You will still get the fine revenue, albeit there would be the loss of meter revenue.  However, as Lake alluded to, the increased property values should compensate.  Plus there would be higher sales tax and business license revenue too.

I live in Greenville SC and the parking is handled just as described above.  It works great.  Just this week, I went DT for a dentist appointment.  I parked about 35 feet from the door, needed no coins, finished my appoitment in less than the 2 hour limit, and left with no more hassle than if I had gone to a suburban one-practice office.  My dentist use to be the only one downtown, but just in the last year three other practices have opened in the core.

Most parking spaces are 2 hours, but some are 1 hour and still others 30 or 15 minutes.  The latter are the ones closest to the 'quick turnover' businesses like banks.  The EASIEST time to find a space is during business hours.  Outside of business hours, all spaces are free without time limits, and the throngs of restaurant and bar patrons and shoppers make finding a space a challenge during peak times.  As problems go, that is a good problem to have.         

It really isn't difficult folks.     

[ChriswUfGator]

The only upgraded technology needed is a stick with a piece of chalk tied to the end of it. They just walk by and mark one of the tires and when they come back around in a few hours, if their chalk mark is still there they know it gets a ticket. This is already how they do it pretty much everywhere else. It wouldn't reduce ticket revenue but would cut 90% of the cost out of it (no meters to maintain) and make the place a whole lot less threatening to visitors.

[Ralph W]

Chalk on a stick has been in use for decades and is highly efficient and cost effective. No one can break into a stick of chalk and steal the quarters, the practice of marking a tire with chalk makes for a healthy job environment (walk your way to a new slim you) for the enforcers and there is a built in overtime parking forgiveness because the enforcers cannot and will not race their clock to get a ticket quota.

[downtownjag]

Parking meters are NOT an inducement to shop or do business downtown, quite the opposite.  Some people don't carry cash at all these days.  Even those that do, do not have more than 1 or 2 quarters on them, if that. There is always the prospect of getting a ticket or having to rush back to your car to prevent getting one.  It's is a pain in the ass that can be avoided by simply going elesewhere, and many people do.

Fortunately, their is a workable solution. Take the meters out and simply enforce the time limits.   The meters maids are already doing the rounds, so there is nothing new there.  Just upgrade their technology if needed.  You will still get the fine revenue, albeit there would be the loss of meter revenue.  However, as Lake alluded to, the increased property values should compensate.  Plus there would be higher sales tax and business license revenue too.

I live in Greenville SC and the parking is handled just as described above.  It works great.  Just this week, I went DT for a dentist appointment.  I parked about 35 feet from the door, needed no coins, finished my appoitment in less than the 2 hour limit, and left with no more hassle than if I had gone to a suburban one-practice office.  My dentist use to be the only one downtown, but just in the last year three other practices have opened in the core.

Most parking spaces are 2 hours, but some are 1 hour and still others 30 or 15 minutes.  The latter are the ones closest to the 'quick turnover' businesses like banks.  The EASIEST time to find a space is during business hours.  Outside of business hours, all spaces are free without time limits, and the throngs of restaurant and bar patrons and shoppers make finding a space a challenge during peak times.  As problems go, that is a good problem to have.         

It really isn't difficult folks.     

All the meters are being replaced to take credit card

[marksjax]

Except where there is little need then u get the coin operated style. Busiest areas get newest versions.

[marksjax]

It must be a thankless job collecting the quarters. We heard one such worker loudly saying over and over,
'I hate my job, but I am happy to have a job'. COJ might need to council him to remind him he represents the city.

[Ocklawaha]

So meters are good because they keep enough people out of downtown that you can almost always find an open space so your can buy a Slurpee? You go on to confirm that if every space was full, you won't hassle with parking for a fee to buy your Slurpee. So two more times you have simply confirmed what we have been saying for years. IF YOU WANT PEOPLE DOWNTOWN, YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST MAKE IT INVITING. It would appear that WE ALL agree that trashing the meters in favor of controlled temporal parking is the answer.

Aiiiiieeee.  No dude, I haven't "confirmed" anything of the sort

If you read my statement over again, I'm saying that meters are good because they keep the more convenient spots available for downtown visitors, and in doing so make downtown more inviting for said visitors.

"...meters are good because they keep the more convenient spots available..." There's your answer. Paraphrased you are stating that; the meters are good because they keep enough people out of downtown parking spaces so you'll always be able to find a convenient parking spot.

If keeping a bunch of downtown parking 'available.' as opposed to filling every downtown spot with customers, then you are right, the meters discourage people to visit downtown parking. Again there is NOTHING in a meter that couldn't be accomplished with posted temporal parking limitations, except for additional maintenance.

[/b]  I totally agree that it's good to make downtown "inviting", but "WE ALL" do not agree that yanking the meters is the answer, nor do I agree that their presence is what's keeping people away.  In the experiences I cite, they are precisely what encourages me to shop downtown.[/b]

Correct yanking out the meters isn't THE answer, merely part of a much more comprehensive approach to making it inviting.

And yes, I have confirmed that because the meter system works so well, I AM able to dash in for my Slurpee.  What's your point??  I didn't say I wouldn't "park for a fee"; jesus dude, at a meter I'm "parking for a fee", I said that I wouldn't patronize these businesses if I had to go on an endless search for parking blocks away or up in some deck.  Because it's inconvenient and uninviting.  So the meter system directly supports me shopping downtown.  Get it?

So what is the difference between a 2 hour metered parking, and a 2 hour free temporal parking space? You whole argument rides on meters keeping spaces available, a nice way to say they drive off customers.

If the threat of parking tickets is what's keeping downtown empty, then why is it empty at night and on the weekends??

Because retailers can't stay in business if their work day is reduced to 6 pm - 9 pm, so if you are going to compete with Stephendare's free parking at malls, you must level the playing field. Mall parking is free 24/7 and that makes a huge difference in the success of the enterprises located therein.

[RockStar]

At least the new ones also take dimes and nickels...

[If_I_Loved_you]

Parking meters are here to stay I really don't see the point in removing them. The parking garages and parking lots should have a program that gives two hours of free parking and the retail and restaurants should help pay those fees. If a customer informs the business owner that he or she is parking at those places and the customer has bought $20.00 dollars of food or merchandise. But to remove the meters and give free parking to all in the downtown area is not the answer. Besides the COJ needs the funds from the tickets.

[marksjax]

They are here to stay? Just because?
The city better be revenue neutral or at a loss on parking meters or they got some 'splaining to do

[marksjax]

Parking meters as a source of revenue is a no-no:

"Parking meters have been challenged in court many times for many many years, but are considered legal if the parking meters are used for purposes of parking regulation and not for revenue purposes. In a 1937 case in Oklahoma,[16] H.E. Duncan contended that the ordinances impose a fee for the free use of the streets, which is a right of all citizens of the state. The Courts ruled that free use of the streets is not an absolute right, but agreed with an unpublished 1936 Florida court decision that said, "If it had been shown that the streets on which parking meters have been installed under this ordinance are not streets where the traffic is sufficiently heavy to require any parking regulations of this sort, or that the city was making inordinate and unjustified profits by means of the parking meters, and was resorting to their use not for regulatory purposes but for revenue only, there might have been a different judgment."

[Ocklawaha]

Parking meters are here to stay I really don't see the point in removing them. The parking garages and parking lots should have a program that gives two hours of free parking and the retail and restaurants should help pay those fees. If a customer informs the business owner that he or she is parking at those places and the customer has bought $20.00 dollars of food or merchandise.

Interesting concept for the garages, we could call it "validation!"

But to remove the meters and give free parking to all in the downtown area is not the answer.

Because? Um? People would actually come downtown? Lot's of people would come downtown? Lot's and lot's of people would come downtown? ...And they would all still be held to the temporal limitations posted on the signs and enforced by the division of Parking Enforcement.

Besides the COJ needs the funds from the tickets.

The 4,500 meters do not cover the expense of their own operation and maintenance, we have to subsidize them to have the privilege of being fined by them or ticketed for miscalculating them. With temporal free parking zones we would still retain the revenue from parking violations, without the need to pay to keep the meters running.

[If_I_Loved_you]

Parking meters are here to stay I really don't see the point in removing them. The parking garages and parking lots should have a program that gives two hours of free parking and the retail and restaurants should help pay those fees. If a customer informs the business owner that he or she is parking at those places and the customer has bought $20.00 dollars of food or merchandise.

Interesting concept for the garages, we could call it "validation!"

But to remove the meters and give free parking to all in the downtown area is not the answer.

Because? Um? People would actually come downtown? Lot's of people would come downtown? Lot's and lot's of people would come downtown? ...And they would all still be held to the temporal limitations posted on the signs and enforced by the division of Parking Enforcement.

Besides the COJ needs the funds from the tickets.

The 4,500 meters do not cover the expense of their own operation and maintenance, we have to subsidize them to have the privilege of being fined by them or ticketed for miscalculating them. With temporal free parking zones we would still retain the revenue from parking violations, without the need to pay to keep the meters running.

"People would actually come downtown? Lot's of people would come downtown? Lot's and lot's of people would come downtown? ...And they would all still be held to the temporal limitations posted on the signs and enforced by the division of Parking Enforcement."

To see what a few stores and restaurants "Downtown Jacksonville combines the latest in retail and historic shops which have served locals for decades. For the worldly, sophisticated shopper, stop by the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville's store, located in the heart of Downtown at Hemming Plaza, for the best in contemporary designs, home accessories and art books. Speaking of books, Chamblin's Uptown Books has got tons of them! From out-of-print books to the latest novels and more, visitors will find a verifiable bookmine. The cozy, yet trendy cafe on premises is a perfect spot to peruse the literary stock as well. Locally owned, Jacobs Jewelers has been serving customers since 1890 and has the distinction of being Florida's oldest jewelry store. It is here that one will discover fine gems, pearls and have crystal from Waterford and Swarovski at your fingertips, while visiting this historic Jacksonville landmark.

Also in Downtown, along the Northbank of the St. Johns River sits Jacksonville Landing. This riverfront marketplace features brand name stores like Nine West and The Body Shop and local retailers showcasing the flavor of Northeast Florida. Stop by Sundrez to pickup a cigar, as the shop has the only walk-in humidor in Downtown Jacksonville, or treat that special someone by picking up a few souvenirs to remember your trip to Northeast Florida. The Jacksonville Landing is also home to The Toy Factory, a huge hit with kids of all ages. Talk a break from shopping and dine at one of over 20 restaurant options or listen to live entertainment nightly along the St. Johns." http://www.visitjacksonville.com/things-to-do/shopping/downtown-retail

Getting rid of parking meters so the masses of Jacksonville residents can shop downtown is just silly. When those same people can go to any mall or St. Johns Town Center and shop till you drop.

[If_I_Loved_you]

If I loved you, I think this is becoming pretty obvious that you are garden guy deciding to troll the forums.

I can tell you that I personally will not be taking any further of your posts seriously, and I would advise other posters to adopt the same position regarding your comments.

Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.
- Lao Tzu