HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Achugbue, B.
Brandon Achugbue <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Parking has gotten ridiculous in SLO
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To whom it may concern,
I've lived in SLO with my family practically my whole life, since I was 3 years old (I am now 26). I've been away the past
couple years while studying in college, but upon coming back, I've honestly been repulsed by the parking changes I've
seen. You used to be able to park in downtown for a reasonable price and amount of time. It's like $8 for a couple hours
now! Does no one see how messed up that is?? Even old streets that locals used to know as charge-free, like Peach
Street, will charge you an exorbitant rate now. Why even come downtown when I'm going to spend just as much on
parking as I will on whatever I'm coming to buy!?
I've seen this town go from mostly farmland to what it is now, and while some parts of me are excited about growth,
things like this truly disgust me about the direction SLO is headed in. I've wanted to go downtown and study / work on
job applications every day since I'm back, but I'm barred from doing this unless I want to have to park super far from
downtown and walk in the heat, or wait until right at 5pm and TRY to park at a then-closed bank. It's not even worth it
for me to attempt these options anymore. Is this really how you want people to feel about downtown?
You really should have never taken away the first free hour of parking at our downtown garages. Now trying to go
anywhere downtown is atrocious. I've read into getting a "locals parking pass" as well and it sounds like it's going to be
a) still more expensive than before, b) a headache to deal with the app, and c) unclear as to whether you have paid
enough at any point. No one enjoys using an app for parking. The system we had before was fine and now all of it is
frustrating. The user experience has gone rapidly down, and I feel awful even thinking about trying to go somewhere
downtown. I can't imagine how the many older residents of our city must feel.
Here are some words from a few more SLO residents that share my opinion, if you're still unconvinced:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SLO/s/M5MjbrXUSV
In agreeance with one user in this thread, I think: "the city should put the 6pm time back as the latest time for paid
parking on the streets and that all of the parking structures should have at least 90 minutes free for residents of the
county at minimum." After all, our taxes pay for the maintenance of roads and streets. Why are we being double-taxed?
You're doing the longtime supporters of this town a huge disservice, and I hope you guys will soon see the error in your
ways. I know we do at least. For now, I know what part of town to avoid.
1
Dissatisfied resident,
Brandon Achugbue
2