HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/7/2022 Item 6a, Grady
Delgado, Adriana
From:John Grady <johngrady5@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, June
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Council meeting June 7, 2020 - Proposed Parking Fee Increase
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Dear Mayor and City Council,
I believe your proposed parking fee increases for downtown are exorbitant and should not be implemented all at once.
Doubling these fees (even more in the structures with the loss of one free hour) in one fell swoop is simply too much for
too many people to bear, especially at a time when many motorists are already struggling with the recent 50% (or more)
increase in the cost of gasoline.
I recommend a more measured approach, phasing these increases in over two years. I suggest the following plan:
Structure (and 10-hour street parking):
Reduce structure one free hour to one-half hour. Increase rate by 33% - from $1.50 to $2.00 in year one. Then increase
this amount by 50% in year two, to reach a $3.00 per hour rate. Keep the 30 minutes free in structure even then. I'll often
park here for only 5-10 minutes to run over to the library to pick up a book on hold. With your plan, I'd now pay $3.00 just
for parking 5-10 min to pick up my library book! I'm sure many other drivers run a similar quick downtown errand. The loss
of any free time in the structures could likely deter people from even coming downtown.
Core Meters:
Similar to the above plan, increase rates in year one by 33%. Current $2.00 rate increases to $2.66. Then in year two
increase this by 50% for your desired total of $4.00 per hour.
At least this significantly lessens the immediate impact of your proposed plan and allows people some time to adjust and
possibly even find other modes of transportation. Hopefully over this two year period we will see the price of gas decline
somewhat which will help lessen the burden of this cost increase on motorists.
Please note: I just looked up Santa Barbara's parking rates for their downtown core. They charge only $1.50 per hour,
with the first 75 minutes free!
Regards,
John Grady
San Luis Obispo, CA
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