The foolhardy plan to ignore the parking study, and have meter enforcement end at 6PM is on tonight's city council agenda.
Let me remind you that the stated reason for the change from the 8PM recommendation is to allow downtown residents to park at the meters when they come home, without having to feed them. Of course, the major reason for the original recommendation was to increase parking availability for night time visitors, supporting downtown stores and restaurants, and encourage residents to park in the garages. If you want downtown stores to stay open after five (I do), and you want our restaurants to thrive (I do) people need to be able to park.
The traffic study was a long process, including participation from downtown businesses and residents. City council should listen to their recommendation, and not bend to the will of a few condo owners who have permits in city garages, that they should use a little more. Unfortunately, the committee of the whole recommends passage, which means, since it's the committee of the whole, that they have enough votes for passage.
I invite Councilor Lovely to meet me downtown some Friday night, and show me where all of these "always available" parking spots are. I'm betting there in places that only residents would know to look for them, if they exist at all.
Do me a favor, G. If you see Charlie Walsh in the chamber during the city council meeting tonight would you wake him up and tell him I said hello? :)
ReplyDeleteOMG, G! I was flipping channels late last night and came upon what must have been a rerun of the latest city council meeting. Watched for about 5 minutes before I had to run to the toilet and throw up. That must be what hell is: a never-ending Salem City Council meeting at which Joe O'Keefe is president and JP is on his feet talking. It's enough to scare you into going back to church on Sundays!
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