HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Goodman
From:Alexandra goodman <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Parking fees Down Town
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To whom it may concern,
I am a mother of two young girls, with another due next month. Since moving back to San Luis Obispo (SLO), we used to
be frequent visitors to downtown. We would o?en go to the library mul?ple ?mes a week, as well as the children’s
museum, and, of course, enjoy lunch or coffee at local spots. I also made a conscious effort to support local businesses
by shopping at places like Boo Boo Records, Hands Gallery, Summerland, and Eco Bambino. On weekends, we’d make
family ou?ngs of dining downtown for date night or a?ending library events, followed by ice cream and lunch as a family.
However, all of this changed due to the significant increase in parking prices.
For instance, taking my children to the library used to cost $1.50, with the first hour being free for a two-hour visit. Now,
it costs $6 in the parking garage for the same dura?on. This has made it difficult for us to con?nue to visit local stores or
have lunch a?er our library trips. I o?en find myself rushing my family to get back in ?me, and telling my daughter that
we can’t go to the used book store or have lunch because of the parking costs. The same issue applies to our visits to the
SLO Children’s Museum, where the cost has risen to an unreasonable $8 for a two-hour visit.
You may argue that the other parking structure on Palm Street s?ll offers a free hour, but it’s not accessible for my family.
As a mother with two young children under the age of 5 and another on the way, I need to bring my stroller and have
access to an elevator. Using that structure with the elevator as a necessity and then walking to our des?na?on becomes
a hardship. I believe that free parking for the first hour should be available at all parking garages, and the hourly rates
should be lowered.
The current parking situa?on downtown has had a significant impact on my family’s ability to support local businesses.
Instead of spending money on parking, we’ve been taking our business elsewhere or staying home. As someone who was
born and raised in SLO and spent much of my childhood downtown, I am disheartened. I kindly request that you
reconsider the exorbitant parking fees and make it easier for local families to return to the heart of San Luis.
Kind regards,
Alexandra Sherfield
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