Parking Meters: No Exceptions!

[Noone]

          A few years ago when I worked downtown, my brother and I had finished eating at the long since forgotten Gordo's (RIP) and walked up Laura St. to his car. A meter "man" was eyeing the meter, the car and the approaching marks, us. The meter, upon inspection still had 15 minutes on it.We did not acknowledge the meter "man" prescence but he gave us the evil eye stare as we got in and drove away. At the time I saw him writing the tag number down on my brother's car.
          One week later, he received a parking ticket in the mail specifying the time period that we were downtown and the meter number(which was NOT out of time as we drove off). Apparently the meter "man" did not like the way we looked or maybe we didn't "respect his authoritayyy" so this little hitler decided to envoke the only control he had in his life and write us up for whatever reason. Well, the ticket was thrown out after repeatedly retelling this tale to various blundering city employee genetic deadends. Only upon the inspection of this "tool"s reader did the city see that he was being...outside the parameters of the "law". Now I just park at FCCJ and walk. Up yours COJ Parking Gestapo..way to throttle downtown business.

3 years later.

Just did a site check for the March 19Th clean up of Hogans Creek. So I'm on Monroe between the jail and Maxwell House Plant and there is a line of parking meters. The line is from Monroe St. to Bay St.

The man is ticketing vehicles. Someone is pulling out and I take his spot. 20 minutes left on the meter. I'm walking to check the creek. There is the green envelope on a car. he walks by a JSO vehicle that is at the meter and its expired. Then walks by and tickets a vehicle a few cars over. You witness this and then your continuing to go on with what your doing and then just say I need to just ask him why the city vehicle gets the pass.

I ask the question and its immediately where is your car. He informs me that they get two extra hours. Really. I did not know that. He is agitated and gets in his car and moves up about 50 yards. Now I still have some time on the meter but I feel I'm in a catch 22 situation because of the question I raised. He's still ticketing away and calls me down to wear he's at. See that car. It has a handicapped sticker and the meter is expired. There aren't enough handicapped spaces around here so that one gets 4 extra hours. Really. I did not know that.

Now a lady that got a ticket drives up and is asking about the ticket that she just got. I was wanting to explain the taxpayer incentive package that is available for certain situations that apparently exists but another car pulled up right behind her and then she was asked to keep going because now your blocking traffic.

Visit Jacksonville. Visit our Downtown. Visit our Waterways.

He's watching me and I too had that fear and got into my vehicle and backed out down the street so as not to be able to read my license plate.

Do we really want people to Visit our Downtown?

[Bativac]

3 years later.

Just did a site check for the March 19Th clean up of Hogans Creek. So I'm on Monroe between the jail and Maxwell House Plant and there is a line of parking meters. The line is from Monroe St. to Bay St.

The man is ticketing vehicles. Someone is pulling out and I take his spot. 20 minutes left on the meter. I'm walking to check the creek. There is the green envelope on a car. he walks by a JSO vehicle that is at the meter and its expired. Then walks by and tickets a vehicle a few cars over. You witness this and then your continuing to go on with what your doing and then just say I need to just ask him why the city vehicle gets the pass.

I ask the question and its immediately where is your car. He informs me that they get two extra hours. Really. I did not know that. He is agitated and gets in his car and moves up about 50 yards. Now I still have some time on the meter but I feel I'm in a catch 22 situation because of the question I raised. He's still ticketing away and calls me down to wear he's at. See that car. It has a handicapped sticker and the meter is expired. There aren't enough handicapped spaces around here so that one gets 4 extra hours. Really. I did not know that.

Now a lady that got a ticket drives up and is asking about the ticket that she just got. I was wanting to explain the taxpayer incentive package that is available for certain situations that apparently exists but another car pulled up right behind her and then she was asked to keep going because now your blocking traffic.

Visit Jacksonville. Visit our Downtown. Visit our Waterways.

He's watching me and I too had that fear and got into my vehicle and backed out down the street so as not to be able to read my license plate.

Do we really want people to Visit our Downtown?

I have to consider myself lucky that in my years of parking downtown, I've never been ticketed.

Has "easing up on parking enforcement downtown" come up yet during any of the discussions with Mayoral candidates? Is it on their radar at all? I know a couple of them talked about shutting down the Skyway (wow, that'll help, not that the Mayor can do that anyway).

[mtraininjax]

Parking tickets are no big deal, 20 bucks if you get there late, you go down to the drive-in at the Yates building and pay the ticket. Its a numbers game. Not really a big deal to most people who park and do business downtown.

[buckethead]

Step #1: Go to free parking on the streetside, sell the meters to New York City or someplace else that NEEDS them.

Net Result, downtown retail and streetside business blooms and life returns to the core.

Step #2: Raise the price of garage parking as much as DOUBLE the current rate.

Net Result, corporations boost employee parking compensation or subsidize the parking outright for a equal cut in their city taxes.

Step #3: Drop the price of parking around the core in the JTA, Commuter Rail, Streetcar and Skyway garages, include package deals for park and ride.

Net Result, enhanced downtown mobility, less congestion and easy park and ride access to anything important, the further result is a layered transit network paid by the enhanced rates in the downtown garages...

The only thing the City "gives away" is the tax break to ease the pain...
the trade off
In return the City get's REAL BIG CITY TRANSIT.

Gee, that was easy... Any Comments?

Ocklawaha

But that would radically increase the tax base in the core. All those people...

Pushy, hungry, cranky, shopping, eating, working people.

It won't do.

[Bativac]

Parking tickets are no big deal, 20 bucks if you get there late, you go down to the drive-in at the Yates building and pay the ticket. Its a numbers game. Not really a big deal to most people who park and do business downtown.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic but I disagree 100%. The average Jacksonville resident is never going to set foot downtown again if they're ticketed, not when you can park for free at Riverside Arts Market, or St Johns Town Center, or Avenues Mall...

Why leave a hurdle like this in place? Is the city really making that much money from parking tickets?

[fieldafm]

The average Jacksonville resident is never going to set foot downtown again if they're ticketed

1000% agreed.  I have several people in my office on the Southside who avoid downtown like the plague b/c of parking tickets they received while downtown.  These people are instead spending their money elsewhere in large part b/c of the failure of downtown to position itself as a place that small business can compete on an even playing field. 

[Jimmy]

When I worked downtown, I got dozens of tickets between quick stops at my office and quick stops at the Courthouse.  Back then, principally, tickets were either $5 or $15 and I considered it to be the cost of doing business (although I had a space in one of the FBC garages - but they're too far from anything useful to be practical for lawyers).

When the ticket prices went up, I walked more and tried to use the trolley when possible.

I no longer work downtown.  Now I avoid going downtown when I can.  The memory of all those tickets, which I could kinda-sorta justify, is too vivid.  I'd love to eat a Burrito Gallery for lunch.  I'd enjoy visiting the Library.  But unless I have a business reason to be downtown, I find myself picking options in Riverside or elsewhere.

I went to early vote the other day.  Scored a 30 minute meter right out front of the SOE office.  While I voted, I was distracted thinking about how much time was left on it.  I couldn't visit with anyone in the office after voting.  Had to get out of downtown as quickly as possible under the threat of useless fine. 

[uptowngirl]

If there was actually some competition for spaces DT, this type of action would be justified. As it stands now there are tons of spaces on the street, and in garages, no competition at all. Places like NY and Chicago can charge and ticket all they want as there is tons of people competing for these spots, Jacksonville-not at all.

[RockStar]

I no longer work downtown.  Now I avoid going downtown when I can.  The memory of all those tickets, which I could kinda-sorta justify, is too vivid.  I'd love to eat a Burrito Gallery for lunch.  I'd enjoy visiting the Library.  But unless I have a business reason to be downtown, I find myself picking options in Riverside or elsewhere.

You can always park in the lot right next to Burrito Gallery for free.

The threat or thought of parking tickets should never keep you away from their carnitas....

[thelakelander]

^After 6pm or something like that.  I believe that's a reserved lot during regular working hours.

[mtraininjax]

Not sure if you're being sarcastic but I disagree 100%. The average Jacksonville resident is never going to set foot downtown again if they're ticketed, not when you can park for free at Riverside Arts Market, or St Johns Town Center, or Avenues Mall...

Why leave a hurdle like this in place? Is the city really making that much money from parking tickets?

Most people with these comments have no idea where downtown is located. Why bother?

I was there out in front of the Atlantic Bank Building for a meeting in the B of A tower and I was 10 minutes past my meter, no ticket, no problem. Its a numbers game.

Free parking is available in the suburbs, but then again, so is free thinking.....

[cityimrov]

I think parking meters are good thing.  They are a good tool in trying to control demand for the scare amount of spaces that downtown has.  Parking meters discourage people from bringing their cars downtown.  That's a good thing since downtown is an area that attracts hundreds of thousands of people want to go there everyday.  If the hundreds of thousands of people who want to go to the vibrant downtown core all of a sudden brought their cars, finding a parking space would be nearly impossible.

Since taking a car to downtown is discouraged by parking meters, the best choice to get to downtown is to use our excellent mass transit system - metro, buses, streetcars, monorail, etc.  Lot's of other people do thatt.  If we use these good solid options, we wouldn't even have to worry about driving to downtown thus leaving parking spaces available those who absolutely need to bring a car to downtown.  

I think the best way to entourage people to go to downtown with as least frustration possible is to entourage others to use the city's excellent mass transit system. 

By the way, we talking about Downtown Chicago/San Francisco, right?

[buckethead]

Courtesy of Banksy