More for the parking meter

 

Businesses want input on plan to raise rates                                                 

Saturday, October 17, 2009 3:18 AM                                             

By  Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Start hoarding change: Columbus is considering a 50 percent increase in parking-meter rates.

 

The extra nickels, dimes and quarters would bring in an additional $1.5 million a year from people who park on streets Downtown and in the Short North, the Arena District, German Village and other neighborhoods, one city official said.

 

An increase, the first citywide since 1998, would take effect on Jan. 1.

"It's a market adjustment," said Public Service Director Mark Kelsey, whose department has begun briefing city commissions and council members.

 

"We don't believe it's that big an increase that it would be an inhibitor to people coming Downtown."

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/10/17/pkgrates.ART_ART_10-17-09_A1_F7FD7DJ.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101&title=More+for+the+parking+meter

Parking-meter rates go up Nov. 30

Business and restaurant owners say they already are struggling to attract patrons

Tuesday,  November 17, 2009

By Mark Ferenchik

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the city will begin bumping up parking-meter rates by 50 percent beginning Nov. 30.  Crews will begin resetting the rates that day and should get to all 4,200 meters citywide within a month, said Randy Bowman, the administrator for the city's division of mobility options.  That means rates for two-hour meters will increase from $1 to $1.50 in the least expensive zone, and $3 to $4.50 in the most expensive zone Downtown.  The hike would raise annual revenue from $3.1 million to $4.6 million.  The city has meters Downtown, near Ohio State University and in the Arena District, Brewery District and other neighborhoods.

 

Short North merchants, already stung by the recession, aren't happy with the rate hike, John Angelo, executive director of the Short North Business Association, told city officials and business leaders who met yesterday to discuss the changes.  Short North and Downtown restaurant owner Elizabeth Lessner said the impact on business could be significant.  "It's going to take a roll of quarters to eat lunch at the Tip Top," she said, referring to her E. Gay Street restaurant. 

 

Full story at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/17/copy/METERTALK.ART_ART_11-17-09_B1_DGFMTH1.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Big conversation going on about this on CU:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/parking-meter-rate-increase-to-take-effect-nov-30th

 

And I've posted my personal thoughts on this topic here:

 

http://www.walkerevanseffect.com/blog/parking-meters-one-step-forward-two-steps-back/

 

As you can tell, I'm not a fan at all. ;)

Business owners fight parking-meter pinch

Wednesday,  December 2, 2009 2:53 AM

By Mark Ferenchik

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Faced with the city's 50 percent parking-meter rate hike, some Downtown restaurant owners are trying to keep their customers happy -- or simply keep them.

 

Barrio, at Spring and N. High streets, is offering $1 in quarters through December to patrons with lunch reservations to help them feed the meters.

 

"It makes sense to subsidize parking. It's part of our survival plan," said owner Jeff Mathes.

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/02/copy/METERRATES.ART_ART_12-02-09_A1_PAFS4QV.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

An earlier story on the proposed increase:

 

More for the parking meter

Businesses want input on plan to raise rates

Saturday,  October 17, 2009 3:18 AM

By Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Start hoarding change: Columbus is considering a 50 percent increase in parking-meter rates.

 

The extra nickels, dimes and quarters would bring in an additional $1.5 million a year from people who park on streets Downtown and in the Short North, the Arena District, German Village and other neighborhoods, one city official said.

 

An increase, the first citywide since 1998, would take effect on Jan. 1.

 

Full story at:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/10/17/pkgrates.ART_ART_10-17-09_A1_F7FD7DJ.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101&title=More+for+the+parking+meter

Check out this new thread over at Columbus Underground on the parking meter increases.  This was started by Liz Lessner who operates four restaurants in the Downtown and Short North.

 

From http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/columbus-parking-meter-rates-now-higher-than-nyc-and-boston

 

Columbus' parking meter rates now higher than NYC and Boston!

The new meter rates go into effect today.  No input from small business was factored into the decision and we are worried.  In fact the meter rate increase was a unilateral decision brought to us from our Public Services Department.  No studies or research has been conducted to best raise the rates though some great ideas have been brought forth (and thus far ignored).  This is an across the board rate increase, little thought, research or planning went into the decision and how it affects stakeholders.  It's too bad many of the small businesses won't survive to 2012 to see the promised new smart meter heads or enjoy the increased business from the new hotel.

 

The meters next to Cafe Brioso on Gay Street will now cost a quarter for three minutes, better get your coffee quick.  At Tip Top and Due Amici, your quarter will earn you five minutes.  In the Short North, a quarter will get you ten minutes.

 

Our rates are significantly higher than both NYC and Boston.  In Boston, a quarter gains you 15 minutes.  In NYC, your quarter gets you 20 minutes.

 

What's up, City of Columbus?

New parking meter rate t-shirt is available at http://kevindutton.com/cmr/

 

 

Detail below:

 

WOW unreal.

They want almost 5 bucks an hour to park on Gay and High street?! There isn't a high enough demand or low enough supply of parking for that kind of pricing. You're just going to end up with perfectly good spaces not getting used at all. If I were a business owner, I'd be p!ssed.

You're going to need 15 minutes just to be on the safe side, to get coffee. That's a buck twenty five as an added "tax'' on your coffee. How do they expect downtown businesses to compete? If you're a downtown office worker from the suburbs you have the choice of getting your mud near point A or point B of your commute. This would incentivize people to get their coffee from whatever suburb they came from. Same goes for various other types of businesses. This is so backwards.

Excellent letter to the editor by Columbus restaurateur Elizabeth Lessner.  She nails City Hall on several levels...

 

Downtown has become less user-friendly of late

Saturday,  December 5, 2009 3:10 AM

 

 

What is happening to our city?

 

I bought into our mayor's vision for Downtown.

 

I was inspired and excited for the push toward rail and better transit options, the city's new Complete Streets plan, the wonderful new Huntington Park, the newly revamped Gay Street and the vision for the Scioto Mile and Mile on High. At the 2012 Vision meetings two years ago, I was engaged and excited to be part of a public process that was molding Columbus into a place where I wanted to live, work and play.

 

This energy, vision and excitement prompted me to open two small businesses Downtown over the past two years, and plans were in the works for two more in the next three years. However, in light of recent events, my expansion plans for future businesses Downtown have been put on hold, and my excitement has waned.

 

 

Full letter at:http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2009/12/05/Lessner_SAT_ART_12-05-09_A11_EMFSRME.html?sid=101

That was a very impressive letter to the editor by Liz Lessner.  She apparently feels so strongly about this and other downtown issues that she resigned from the City's Downtown Commission (see article: Restaurant owner quits Downtown panel). 

 

This extreme meter rate increase by the City's Public Service Director has kicked up a major league storm of anger against City Hall.  Columbus Underground has been documenting it here for the past week. 

Looks like City Hall is trying to subdue the anger over the meter rate increase.  Credit card meters are nice, but they don't address the core issue of a huge rate increase harming downtown businesses.

 

City will install 720 meters that take credit cards

Faster timeline to placate businesses

Monday,  December 7, 2009 - 3:09 AM

By Mark Ferenchik and Martin Rozenman

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The administration of Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, stung by the angry reaction to a 50 percent parking-meter rate increase, is taking steps to pacify business owners and City Council members.  Besides setting up a group that includes business representatives to monitor the effect of the rate increase, the city will begin by the end of May to install 720 meters that accept credit cards, a feature endorsed by business owners who opposed raising the rates.

 

The new meters had been planned for late next year because city officials had said that the first $1.4 million collected from the rate increase would be set aside as the city's guarantee on bonds issued for a new Short North hotel near the Greater Columbus Convention Center.  That angered some business owners.  Coleman's public service director, Mark Kelsey, will ask the council tonight to redirect $500,000 from his department's budget and the city's capital-spending plan to begin buying and installing the meters.  Columbus eventually must replace more than 4,300 parking meters Downtown and in German Village, the Short North, the Arena District and other neighborhoods because they are nearing the end of their life cycle.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/07/copy/METERFIX.ART_ART_12-07-09_B1_C8FTRLC.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

There aren't better alternatives to raise money? Come on... The last thing Columbus needs is another disincentive to go downtown.

Finger-pointing follows meter-rate hike

Tuesday,  December 8, 2009 3:07 AM

By Robert Vitale

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Columbus City Council members scolded the Coleman administration last night for doing little to publicize a 50 percent increase in parking-meter rates, and questioned why its impact on businesses will be studied afterward instead of before.

 

Public Service Director Mark Kelsey, the administration official who imposed the increase Nov. 30 for more than 4,300 meters in the Downtown and nearby neighborhoods, started off with an apology. But he ended up tossing his own criticism back at council members, who he said were thoroughly briefed about his plans.

 

"You're acting like this is news to you, and I'm a little surprised," Kelsey told Councilwoman Charleta B. Tavares, who said the council should consider taking back authority over meter rates that was ceded to the administration in 2007.

 

Full story at:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/08/council08.ART_ART_12-08-09_B2_4UFU5S9.html?sid=101

I thought this passage from the Dispatch article was very telling...

Business owners from Downtown and the Short North asked the council last night to put the rate increase on hold until the city gauges whether the extra costs will affect people's shopping, dining and nightclubbing habits.  Council approved two new funds to hold money from the increase -- one will back bonds for a new hotel near the Greater Columbus Convention Center, while the other will pay to replace aging meters -- but members didn't try to stop the increase.

 

They made it clear, however, who is responsible.  "We didn't raise the fees," Councilmember Tavares said. "Director Kelsey raised the fees."

Although City Council did show sympathy for downtown business owners and criticized Public Service Director Kelsey, they didn't do anything about this extreme rate increase.  It seems like City Council was more interested in deflecting blame then solving the problem.  Apparently the only response has been to create a panel to gauge the 50% rate increase on downtown businesses.  So, if businesses cut hours and go out of business because of this rate increase, then City Hall will consider some relief?  This sounds the "dunking the witch" test.  You dunk the suspected witch.  If she doesn't drown, then it proves she's a witch.  If she does drown, then it proves she is not a witch.  So, City Hall is going to dunk downtown businesses to if they will drown or not!  Proving your downtown business went under because of this extreme rate increase and then getting relief from City Hall is at best a Pyrrhic victory.

They should just raise city taxes a bit. Even if it were a special tax on downtown as a district, alone. It would be better if downtown businesses had to slightly raise the price of their products rather than the city impose a blatant parking fee hike to their customers. 

Why not just extend the hours that parking meters are enforced and gain more revenue without raising the rates... or at least not raising them as much?

More coverage of last night's council meeting from NBC4:  Business Owners Upset Over Meter-Rate Increase

They should put meters at Wal-Mart and see how that goes.

Business owners call for Kelsey's resignation over 'Metergate'

By Steph Greegor

Published: Wednesday, December 9, 2009 6:58 PM EST

 

Downtown business owners say Columbus Public Service Director Mark Kelsey misrepresented facts to members of Columbus City Council Monday night concerning the 50-percent parking meter rate increase that went into effect Nov. 30.

 

Downtown business owners are dubbing the controversy “Metergate.”

 

“His dishonesty is absolutely unacceptable. He should resign,” said Liz Lessner, a Downtown entrepreneur who owns restaurants Tip Top, Surly Girl, Betty’s Fine Food & Spirits and Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace.

 

Read more at: http://www.theotherpaper.com/articles/2009/12/09/front/doc4b20382d95d7d038547027.txt

This "Metergate" situation is really starting to boil over now.  In addition to the call for City Public Service Director Kelsey's resignation, the City is now claiming that adequate public input on the parking meter increase was gathered from the CVB group Experience Columbus.  A charge that Experience Columbus denies.

 

More from http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/columbus-parking-meter-rates-now-higher-than-nyc-and-boston/page/21:

 

From Liz Lessner:

The mayor's office provided me an email and attachments this past Friday asserting several conversations were held with Mr. Astleford of Experience Columbus before rendering their decision to raise meter rates.  I did reach out to Mr. Astleford to ask why he would do this to his constituents.  Mr. Astleford was very upset and denied any conversations about this matter with the administration.  If Director Kelsey can't conduct business and communications with honesty and integrity, he should resign.  Our city deserves better and expects better.

From John Angelo (Short North Business Association):

I spoke with Paul Astleford, president of Experience Columbus today.  He emphatically assured me that neither he nor anyone from Experience Columbus ever engaged in a dialogue with the city about raising rates on Columbus meters.  Paul knew that a conversation was being bantered around about setting aside money from parking revenues for the $1.4 million bond agreement for the Convention Hotel.  There was, however, no reference to, and certainly no conversation about, raising meter rates as the source of those revenues.

This whole thing has been badly handled from the beginning by City Hall and Public Service.  Now, they are making it worse by either stonewalling (read Public Service spokesman Rick Tilton's comment) or completely fabricating claims. Even this "advisory committee" smacks of clsoing the barn door after the horse got out.

 

But the bottom line is that in raising the parking rates so drastically, the Mayor and Public Service Director have completely gone against even City Hall's own past statements about the need to revitalize and redevelop downtown Columbus.  Who is going to want to pay that kind of money to go to a restaurant, entertainment venue or otherwise do business downtown?

 

It would be one thing if Columbus had a well-developed streetcar and light-rail system in and out of downtown, in addition to COTA's buses.... but there are few viable options already and making parking more costly only makes a downtown revival less viable.

 

Frankly, I think COTA would be smart to do some guerilla marketing by returning the downtown shuttle circulator and buildng an ad campaign around "beat the meter....ride the bus!"

My Dispatch Letter to the Editor:

 

<a href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2009/12/08/Evans_SAT_ART_12-08-09_A14_LMFT6SC.html?sid=101">Hike in meter rates Downtown will hurt</a>

 

Additional thoughts here:

 

<a href="http://www.walkerevanseffect.com/blog/parking-meters-one-step-forward-two-steps-back/">Parking Meters: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back</a>

From 10TV:

 

City To Take Second Look At Parking Meter Policy

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mayor Michael Coleman said Friday that he wants the city to take another look at Columbus' parking meter policy.  The policy, which went into effect on Nov. 30, came under heated criticism from residents at Monday's City Council meeting. 

 

10TV News obtained a memo from Coleman to Mark Kelsey, the director of the city's Department of Public Service that charged the department with putting together a group of city officials and citizens to examine the policy.  Coleman said that the city must look at meter locations, operations, pricing and enforcement.

 

MEMO FROM MAYOR COLEMAN TO DIRECTOR KELSEY (PDF FILE)

 

Full story at http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/12/11/story-columbus-parking-meters.html?sid=102

City stands by increased parking-meter rate

Saturday,  December 12, 2009 3:31 AM

By Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

City officials acknowledge that they should have sought input before raising rates at 4,300 Columbus parking meters, but they're fighting back against complaints that they tried to mislead people about the move.

 

Members of Mayor Michael B. Coleman's administration also have closed the door on talk of rescinding the increase, at least until a not-yet-appointed advisory group has had time to study its effect on businesses in and around Downtown.

 

"There isn't a funding source that doesn't have consequences," spokesman Dan Williamson said. "The mayor signed off on this policy because it was the right one."

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/12/meterfolo.ART_ART_12-12-09_A1_D7FVKP1.html?sid=101

Yes, I'm afraid the Dispatch has shown the Mayor's Friday memo to be nothing but a useless pr statement.  This talk from City Hall of not rescinding the extreme rate increase until a not-yet-appointed advisory group studies its effect on downtown businesses has just got to stop.  This is asinine thinking from City Hall that will destroy the retail business community downtown.  Compound that with the insulting fabrications of Public Service Director Kelsey and the (so-called) Urban Ventures Coordinator Mike Brown.  This is nothing less then a slap in the face to same retail businesses that supported the Mayor's 0.5% income tax increase. 

 

City Hall has until next Monday's City Council meeting to do the right thing, which is to rescind this extreme rate increase and then quickly convene the advisory group.  If they don't, then it will show that City Hall does not care about downtown retail businesses.

A must-read....very powerful letter...

 

An open letter to Mayor Coleman from the Short North Business Association

Published: Saturday, December 12, 2009 6:18 PM EST

The Other Paper

 

Mayor Coleman -

 

Please tell us that the media is spinning your apology and related gestures in a twisted way.

 

According to the media, though you apologized and indicated there were numerous interesting ideas the community has brought forward, you have no plans of halting or even slowing the meter reprogramming and implementation of the dramatic parking rate increases across Columbus.

 

Prior to your letter to Director Kelsey, the director had tried desperately to divert attention from the decision making process by pointing vigorously to forming an advisory committee that would look (after the fact) at meter price zones, review pricing structure, review meter times and review aggressive ticketing. According to the media, all your letter did was mandate that the Director do what he had already publicly say he was going to do. According to the media, your plan remains to reprogram the meters as quickly as possible... force the meter change on Columbus... and then put on the merchants of Columbus the burden of proof that the rate changes are indeed detrimental to the development of the urban core.

 

Full letter at:

http://www.theotherpaper.com/articles/2009/12/12/mojo_wire/doc4b2423e0f3de1518548381.txt

Here is the link to our online petition:

 

http://www.petitiononline.com/c4ccg/petition.html

 

Please pass this link along to as many people as possible! Below is a sample message that you can copy & paste to send out via twitter or as a facebook status update:

 

Sign the petition to show your support for a smarter approach to the parking meter rate increase: http://bit.ly/88Hcx2

 

Please let me know if you have any questions on how best to circulate this information.

Signed it and I hope the city will be able to hold more sway, and by city I mean residents and their reps in city government, over the anti-urban Public Service Department.

Looks like City Hall finally saw the light, after considerable citizen pressure.

 

City rolls back parking meter increases

Officials say they want four to six months to study options

Tuesday,  December 15, 2009 - 2:37 PM

By Mark Ferenchik

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Mayor Michael B. Coleman is rescinding the city's 50 percent parking meter rate hike for as long as six months to determine better ways to raise rates to back a new hotel and replace aging meters without angering small business owners. 

 

"He is essentially calling for a time out," Coleman's spokesman, Dan Williamson, said today, adding that the mayor remains committed to a rate increase.  "What the mayor is signaling here is we're open to how we raise rates."

 

City officials were stung by the reaction of Downtown and Short North business owners in particular who complained loudly that the rate hikes would hurt their businesses.

 

Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/15/City-rolls-back-meters.html?sid=101

by the way... this is unbelievable.  $4.50 for an hour is utterly insane. Insane.  I wonder if it occured to these people that they would never realize a 1.4m increase per year because people would refuse to park at the meters.

 

good to see for you guys that the city saw (or was forced to see) the light. 

Huzzah! Very exciting news today. Already working on my thank you letters! :D

 

 

It's so public; I don't know if I should sign something like this with the job I was just offered.  :|  Name and addresses are right there on the website. I don't know, it might not matter if I do. The rate increase is pretty appalling.

No worries! We did it without you! ;)

Council puts parking meter rate hike on hold

Monday,  January 11, 2010 - 11:06 PM

By Doug Caruso

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Columbus could put off raising parking meter rates for almost a year, after the City Council approved changing an agreement to pay for a Downtown convention hotel.  The new agreement says the rates will go up by Jan. 1, 2011.  One way or another, city officials have said, rates must rise so that Columbus can kick in $1.4 million to back bonds to build the hotel.  In the meantime, a committee of 13 people will begin meeting next Tuesday to consider the best way to go about raising meter rates.

 

The group includes several who were critical of a plan that would have immediately raised meter rates across the city by 50 percent.  Their criticism led to Mayor Michael B. Coleman's administration rescinding the rate hike.  "The hope is that we'll be heard, and we can look at some alternatives," said Elizabeth Lessner, president of the Betty's family of restaurants, who is on the committee.

 

She and others cried foul when Public Service Director Mark Kelsey announced that he was raising the rates.  They said the city held no hearings before the decision was made, and they worried that high meter rates would drive away business in the Short North and Downtown.  Now, Lessner said, there's an opportunity to change meter rates in ways that raise the money and help the businesses that rely on meter parking.  For example, she said, meter hours in the Short North could be extended to 9 p.m. from 6 p.m. without raising the price.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/11/council-puts-parking-meter-rate-hike-on-hold.html?sid=101

FIRST MEETING OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Parking meters must raise additional $1.4 million, panel told

Wednesday,  January 20, 2010 - 3:07 AM

By Doug Caruso

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

No matter what happens to parking meters in Columbus, they have to bring in an additional $1.4 million per year.  That's the message city parking officials kept repeating yesterday as a 13-member advisory panel held its first meeting to look for the best ways to change the city's parking-meter locations, rates, operation and enforcement.  Public Service Director Mark Kelsey told panel members that they have one key question to answer: How do we get to $1.4 million?

 

Some said after the meeting that they fear that figure will limit their ability to offer solutions that could achieve the city's goals without raising rates by 50 percent, as Kelsey proposed in October.  "It does feel that there's a predetermined outcome," said Elizabeth Lessner, a panel member who owns four restaurants in the Short North and Downtown.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/20/copy/Meter_meeting.ART_ART_01-20-10_B3_PRGBU5J.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

The City did the right thing by postponing the extreme parking meter rate increase proposed last year.  They also did the right thing by forming this advisory committee to work out alternative ideas.  But it sounds like the City (specifically Public Service Director Mark Kelsey) doesn't know what an advisory committee is for.  It sounds Director Kelsey wants to tell the committee how the rate increase will be done and have the committee issue a rubber stamp agreement.  This city director is starting the committee out on the wrong foot.

 

Here's a sampling of comments from the discussion thread "Parking Meter Meeting - 1/19 - Recap" over at Columbus Underground:

 

"Public Service Director Mark Kelsey was bullying, condescending, and unwilling to listen to any input or answer questions from the commission members."

 

"Kelsey is making it clear that he doesn't want to collaborate with this commission, doesn't want to justify his actions, and has every intend on proceeding exactly as originally planned with the parking meter rate hikes."

 

"Kelsey feels offended that his actions were questioned in the first place, so of course he has to lash out at the people he feels responsible for his public humiliation. Typical bully mentality."

 

"It was certainly not an "open forum". Questions were not welcomed and the few answers that were given seemed vague and forced."

 

"We weren't given the opportunity for any input. It was one long monologue, no dialogue. Jeff Mathes was able to squeeze in a good question related to financing that Pam O'Grady assured would be answered in Kelsey's presentation. It wasn't."

 

"As much as it pains me, I think I may have to support a new administration. While Mike and the crew have done some good things for the city, they are just dragging it into the ground now."

Yeah. I think it's time for Plan B.

From Columbus Underground:

 

Parking Meter Rate Adjustments Proposed

By Walker | April 7, 2010 - 11:15am

 

After months of discussion and deliberation, the Parking Meter Advisory Team has assembled the rough draft of their solution to the parking meter rate increase problem imposed by the bond funding scenario for the new Convention Center Hotel.

 

The proposal includes two main meter adjustments: a standard city-wide rate of 75 cents per hour and city-wide extended meter enforcement hours that would run until 10pm.  This new flat rate would raise meter rates in some areas such as The Short North and Discovery District and lower meter rates in other areas such as Gay Street and Long Street.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/parking-meter-rate-adjustments-proposed

Meter proposals spread the pain

More spots, hours avoid rate increase

Thursday,  April 15, 2010 - 2:53 AM

By Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Motorists would be spared a 50 percent hike in parking-meter rates but would pay at 400 more spots on Columbus streets under alternative plans drawn up by city officials.  Several of the proposals also would require people to feed meters until 10 p.m. at more than 1,800 existing spaces where free parking now starts hours earlier.

 

Mayor Michael B. Coleman rescinded an across-the-board increase in December because of complaints that the plan would chase customers away from businesses in the Short North, Downtown and other areas.  The original plan was designed to raise an extra $1.5 million a year.  Some of the alternatives would almost double that take:

 

• A plan to set all but the longest-term meters at $1 per hour - a price decrease in most zones - would raise an additional $3.1 million yearly because of additional meters, longer hours and the introduction of devices that take credit cards.

 

• The same proposal without credit-card meters would raise $3 million extra per year.

 

• Another proposal would lower most meters' hourly rates to 75 cents but would bring in an extra $2.2 million because of additions, extensions and new technology.

 

GRAPHIC OF PARKING METER PLAN IMPACT BY NEIGHBORHOOD

 

Full article: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/15/copy/meter-proposals-spread-the-pain.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Parking-meter plan would have three rates citywide

Monday,  April 19, 2010 - 4:59 PM

By Mark Ferenchik

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Columbus' Parking Advisory Team will consider a parking-meter plan with three standard hourly rates when it meets Tuesday.  The recommended initial hourly rates are:

 

• $1 for 30-minute meters (55 meters).
  
• 75 cents for two-, three- and six-hour meters (3,737 meters).
  
• 40 cents for 12-hour meters (855 meters).

 

The city's recommendation to the team also includes adding 432 meters to Downtown, Italian Village, the Brewery District and areas near Ohio State University.  The proposal also would extend the hours of enforcement to 10 p.m. at 2,390 meters in areas including the Short North, Arena District, Brewery District, Grandview Avenue area, Gay Street and the North Market.

 

Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/19/parking-meter-recommendation.html?sid=101

I think this proposal is pretty solid.

 

Just sucks that it took months to land on the square labeled "common sense".

Agreed.  Good job by you, Liz Lessner and everyone else who forced the City to see the light on this issue.

Task force approves parking-meter plan

Tuesday,  April 20, 2010 - 4:40 PM

The Columbus Dispatch

 

A parking meter plan for Columbus won speedy approval this afternoon from a task force of business owners and neighborhood leaders.  Changes could be in place by mid-June.  The main plan would create three rates throughout the city:

 

• Two, three and six-hour meters -- the bulk of those lining Columbus streets -- would charge 75 cents per hour. Rates now range from 40 cents in the Short North to $1.50 in much of Downtown.

 

• Twelve-hour meters, which now cost between 20 cents and 38 cents per hour, would charge 40 cents per hour.

 

• At the small number of meters where parking is limited to a half-hour, the charge would be 50 cents. Some now cost up to $1.

 

 

Time Expired

The end of the parking meter.

By Tom Vanderbilt

Updated Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010, at 7:03 AM ET

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Seventy-five years ago, the world's first parking meter cast its thin, ominous shadow on the streets of Oklahoma City. The meter was the brainchild of Carlton C. Magee, a local publisher and Chamber of Commerce Traffic Committee chief, and he hoped it would solve the city's chronic parking problems. In the pre-meter days, police would drive around with stopwatches and chalk, enforcing the city's parking time limits by marking the tires of cars seen squatting for too long, but the system was ill-equipped to handle the "endemic overparking" problem. Even worse, a survey found that at any given time, 80 percent of the city's spots were occupied by employees of downtown businesses—the very same businesses complaining that lack of parking was driving away shoppers. Calling for an "efficient, impartial, and thoroughly practical aid to parking regulation," Magee held a student-design contest and launched his instrument.

 

Magee's meter was crude—only later models had the red "expired" warning flag—and its mechanism was hardly Swiss in its movements. (In an Einsteinian turn, early meters were often said to "shorten time.") But McGee's device was effective—a spark cast upon the vast, dry tinder of congested downtowns. "The parking meter's rapid and eventually universal spread can be understood on at least two grounds," write John Jakle and Keith Sculle in their illuminating book Lots of Parking. First, meters did the job, ensuring a steadier supply of parking by increasing turnover. Second, they took what had been a "free" good—free only in the sense it was not charged for on the spot—and turned it into a viable revenue stream for cities.

 

Full story at:http://www.slate.com/id/2271254/

Public Parking Meters Removed for App-Based Loading Zones

 

Starting Monday, November 18, nine designated public parking areas will become dedicated loading zones through a partnership between the City of Columbus and curbFlow — a Washington D.C.-based startup designed to relieve congestion caused by delivery vehicles.

 

The zones will all be located in the public right of way along street curbs, primarily replacing existing metered parking spaces. The spots area located in the University District near OSU, the Short North, and Downtown near the North Market and on Gay Street.

 

“We are dedicated to being responsive and to providing mobility options that add to the quality of life for our residents and visitors,” stated Jennifer Gallagher, director of the Department of Public Service at the City of Columbus. “With increasing demand for curb space due to the growth in e-commerce, freight and on-demand deliveries and ride hailing, this pilot program with curbFlow brings an innovative, data-driven approach to managing congestion. It will also make our streets safer and air cleaner for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.”

 

The installation of the Loading Management Zones (“LMZs”) began this morning, and the immediate reception was mixed. While some neighborhood stakeholders, business owners and property owners were solicited for feedback in the planning process, others felt caught off guard by the process.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/public-park-meters-removed-for-app-based-loading-zones-we1

New Rules for Downtown Parking Coming in February

 

The rates of Downtown parking meters will be changing soon, along with the introduction of a new way to pay for them.

 

The City of Columbus announced today that the changes will be implemented on February 24. On that date, Downtown drivers will be able to use the ParkColumbus mobile payment app – already available in the Short North and in the Brewery District – to pay for meters and to extend their parking time.

 

And, while there are currently seven different categories of meters Downtown (ranging from 30-minute meters that cost a dollar per hour, to 12-hour meters that cost 40 cents per hour), the new plan calls for just three:

• Value meters, priced at 50 cents per hour, with no time limit.
• In-demand meters, priced at $1 per hour, with a three-hour time limit.
• High turnover meters, priced at $1.50 per hour, with a 30-minute time limit (75 cents for 30 minutes).

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-rules-for-downtown-parking-coming-in-february-bw1

 

Downtown parking meters could help pay for car-free options under proposed district

 

 

The city's parking division is turning its attention downtown after the first year of implementing the Short North parking plan.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/01/24/downtown-parkingmeters-could-help-pay-for-car-free.html

Group to Decide How to Spend Downtown Parking Meter Revenue

 

The city is in the process of setting up a benefit district that will allow revenue from parking meters Downtown to stay in the area and be fed back into transit and other mobility improvements.

 

It’s a model that has already been established in the Short North, where a committee made up of neighborhood leaders and area commissioners makes recommendations to the city about how the money generated there should be spent.

 

Since the new Short North parking rules were established last year, a total of $2.6 million in parking revenue has been generated in the neighborhood. After the city’s implementation and enforcement costs are subtracted, about $600,000 is left – of that, a little under half went to a contract with the Short North Alliance to implement a parking validation program, provide marketing service, and to establish an employee benefit fund that offers bike share and ride-hailing discounts.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/group-to-decide-how-to-spend-downtown-parking-meter-revenue-bw1