HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Jones
Courtney Jones <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Parking Rate Dissatisfaction from a SLO Native
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Hi there,
As someone in their late 20’s who has grown up in San Luis Obispo county and has been visiting downtown SLO since the
90’s, I have very fond memories of the downtown area. It’s been a place where family, friends and neighbors gather. It’s
a place filled with art, history, good food, music, nightlife, and commerce. I loved downtown SLO so much that I chose to
live in the downtown area for over 3 years from 2019-2022. I love downtown SLO with my whole heart and would love
to see the traditions of downtown SLO preserved for future generations.
It has deeply saddened me over the years that all of the metered parking lots that charged only 25¢ per hour are now all
gone, the latest being the parking lot at the south end of Palm street across from Mission high school. It was devastating
to lose those parking lots back in 2015 and 2016 because I was a poor college student who worked full time downtown
while attending Cuesta College for my general education. I remember feeling upset that I would have to walk to my job
downtown from the bordering neighborhoods of downtown SLO just to ensure that I would receive free parking. Free
parking was all I could afford at that time. It was never guaranteed that there would be free parking in those
neighborhoods as the people who resided there also needed places for themselves and their guests to park.
It also felt unsafe as a young teenage girl, to be walking back to my car at night from the downtown area. I would be
harassed by predatory men, drunk college students, displaced homeless people. I was followed more than a few times,
having to rely on my mace and phone for protection during those long walks to my vehicle after 8 hour shifts that I
would work downtown after I’d also been in class all day. I felt unsafe and scared in the small town I’d always thought of
as my home.
I worry now for all of the young women and people who feel that they must remain hyper vigilant and on high alert
when walking to Dana street, Peach street, High Street and Buchon street just to get back to their car that’s parked in
the only places that are affordable to some.
To see what the parking situation has come to nearly 10 years later, I am truly saddened, shocked and angry. The actions
that have been taken to increase parking rates at all of the parking structures as well as all of the surrounding metered
parking spaces disproportionately impacts downtown businesses, downtown employees (such as myself) and anyone
who simply cannot afford to pay the extra $12 for a few hours of time downtown. I believe the cost of parking is a
tremendous diversity issue. It seems like the city is trying to make the downtown area an exclusive place for the
wealthy. It also appears that the city of San Luis Obispo does not care about the small businesses that have made the
downtown area so special and unique to other downtown areas of communities in California.
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This is a diversity issue. Downtown parking should be accessible for all residents of SLO county and all the visitors that
SLO county attracts. No one should be denied the joys of the downtown area because they do not make enough money
to spend at the businesses downtown as well as pay the $12 parking fee that comes along with the visit. This will
disproportionately impact minority groups of our community (bipoc, the elderly, the disabled, etc.) It feels like SLO is
saying that they do not value anyone who is in a lower income bracket, or who can’t afford to pay for downtown
parking.
This is a financial issue as well. I work full time downtown at a business that I love, I work 5 days a week, 40 hours a
week. At $12 a day, I spend $60 a week solely on parking. $60 a week for 52.18 weeks out of the whole year is $3,130.80
per year on parking. That is literally 10% of my gross annual income. Yes, 10% of my income, let that sink in.
This is even worse for people who work part time for minimum wage in downtown SLO. That is 15.5% of their annual
income.
I don’t believe downtown SLO should only cater to the wealthy, and those with the means to park downtown.
And where is the money from parking going? I haven’t been able to find any transparent information as to how my $12
per day that I pay to the city for parking is benefiting our community.
The parking rates downtown are a diversity issue, a financial issue, and a community issue. It will disproportionately and
negatively impact small businesses, bipoc, the lgbtq+, the middle and lower class, women, youth and the elderly. I
dream of being able to one day show my future children downtown SLO and what I loved about it as a child, and I fear I
will be unable to. I fear the businesses won’t survive, I fear that the downtown area will be exclusively for the wealthy
and tourists only. And I fear how this will impact my income and career in the coming years.
Thank you,
Courtney Jones
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