HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Hilty
From:Jennifer Hilty <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Parking fees downtown SLO
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Dear City Council Members and Mayor,
I am a longtime local. Our entire family is no longer going downtown due to the high cost of parking and the rollout of
only 1 parking garage accepting the one-hour free parking for locals. Our entire extended family used to enjoy dining out
together every Saturday night at our favorite downtown restaurants. We no longer do that and instead are choosing
restaurants not situated in the downtown area. You have effectively killed the downtown for our family. My very active
80-year-old parents find the kiosks confusing to use, they must walk some distance to find one and then remember
their license plate number. The parking app is not something they are comfortable with installing and using. Nothing
about this scenario is intuitive to that generation and my dad is pretty computer savvy. The rollout of only 1 parking
garage accepting the one-hour free parking for locals was a huge mistake, how do you expect 80-year-olds to walk 6-7
blocks or more to their destination and then back. They used to be able to park on the street at a minimal cost and effort
on their part or at a closer more convenient parking garage but can no longer do that.
I visited downtown Boulder, Colorado recently and enjoyed dinner and strolling through their vibrant downtown. Here
stndth
are their parking fees to park in the lot downtown. 1 hour cost $1.75. Then the 2-6 hour cost $1.25/hour. From 3pm-
3am the total cost to park in the lot is $3.00-it is a flat rate. And get this Weekends and City Holidays the cost is FREE.
Boulder encourages people to park downtown and enjoy the experience.
I am asking that you reinstate the universal first hour free parking in all parking garages, reduce the cost to a more
reasonable price to park downtown, reinstate the Sunday parking and end parking enforcement at 6pm instead of 9pm.
Then maybe our family will shop and dine downtown but until that happens, we will choose to shop and dine elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hilty
4631 Poinsettia St, SLO
jhiltyslo@gmail.com
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