HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Dotzler
From:Mindy Dotzler <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Downtown Parking
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Hello,
I was encouraged to reach out about the outrageous parking situa?on in downtown.
I have lived in SLO my whole life and have worked most of my retail management career in downtown for over 12 years.
Most downtown employees, including myself, opt to park blocks alway from our places of work to avoid paying for
parking. It can definitely be a safety concern at night when walking to your car alone. How can you expect a young
person making minimum wage to shell out $12 per day for parking? That’s almost taking away one hour of their pay. I
also think it is absolutely absurd that the parking structures do not offer the first hour free anymore. That not only affects
people working in downtown but the people coming to downtown.
Parking has always been a top complaint of customers shopping in any of the downtown businesses I have worked in.
Ever since the rate increases this year I have con?nued to watch our beau?ful downtown decline in traffic. It is hur?ng
business big and small (again I have worked for both). Older customers s?ll are struggling with how to use the pay
sta?ons and more people than I can count tell me they avoid downtown because of parking. It is difficult and expensive.
There are many ?mes businesses loose sales because people are running out of ?me on their parking and have to leave.
Rates need to go back down to where they were previously, the structures should s?ll have the first hour free and a
downtown parking valida?on program should be considered. People visi?ng downtown should be able to get discounted
or free parking for spending their hard earned money at downtown businesses.
Increased rates, expensive parking passes for the structures and making locals sign up to get a hour of free parking is not
fixing the problem. I would think you all would want to con?nue to see our beau?ful downtown thrive and the current l
parking situa?on is just making it worse.
Thank you,
Mindy Dotzler
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