Let’s assume that we’ve been able to attract people who are willing to invest their capital to open destination businesses that will motivate people to come downtown. Is that enough?
Of course not. If you want people to eat, shop, and be entertained downtown there is one hurdle that Salisbury seems reluctant to address – parking.
Let’s assume that something opens where “Flavors” restaurant was located. Let’s assume there are multiple shops that customers wish to patronize on Main Street, east of the Plaza. Where do they park? They have to park at a metered space. That means that someone who wants to come downtown, have lunch, and do a little shopping has to either park in the lot south of the Plaza, in the city parking garage, or they have to feed a meter. People simply don’t want to do that.
Do you really think that will stop people from coming downtown? Not in the evening (parking is free after 5 PM). It won’t stop people coming downtown if they HAVE to come or if there is a SPECIFIC purpose for the trip. However, it will prevent people from making spontaneous trips.
How do you know? I can only base my opinions on what is successfully done elsewhere. There seems to be certain common factors among towns of Salisbury’s size that have successfully turned around their downtown areas. According to Eddie Bumbaugh, Executive Director of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, one of those key factors is free, plentiful parking.
Won’t that be abused by those who live and work downtown? Could be, but it doesn’t have to. Bumbaugh argues that free parking is a necessity, but that limits must be placed on it. Two hours? Three? I can’t say which is the best limit.
I know people will argue that we’re somehow subsidizing people who come downtown. Fine, let’s concede that argument for a moment. If you are opposed to free and ample parking (with time limits), then simply admit that you fall into the camp that doesn’t want downtown to be turned around. Otherwise, admit that this is something that needs to be done.
G. A. Harrison is the Managing Editor of “Salisbury News”. Delmarva Dealings appears each Wednesday and Sunday at SbyNEWS.com.
15 comments:
A good post. I have been advocating free parking for the whole downtown area for some time. I think that one reason Escape Restaurant had to close was the parking issue. Some friends and I went there for lunch but became frustrated because we had to keep going out and "feeding the meters." The same scenario happened at Flavors. In fact, two of us came out to find the "meter guy" at our cars preparing to write us a ticket; he did relent after we plead with him. Why did the City erect two meters right in front of the post office side entrance that most people use? We have to put a quarter in--or risk a ticket--just to check our mailboxes or buy stamps. Come on, Salisbury, it's time to make ALL of downtown free parking. Away with the meters.
Perhaps Salisbury should visit Easton and see how they do it. Free parking with time limits is their answer and it works for them.
i don't mind parking meters. safety is the bigger concern.
Snow Hill, Berlin, Cambridge, Easton..... the list goes on and on, and there are scads of shoppers there all day long! While Salisbury remains a desert.
You're right on the mark, G.A.
This is exactly the reason I don't go downtown anymore.
The meters are a pain in the butt.
If I can't park close by for free, I'm not going.
i don't mind parking meters. safety is the bigger concern.
July 13, 2011 12:21 PM
I think you are absolutely correct. I don't think it matters much WHAT they put there. If people don't feel safe, they will not come.
And what I have been reading about code violations, who would want to open a shop anywhere in Salisbury and have to be hit with frivolous fines. Especially with no warning.
I'm sure the police know who are committing the most crimes. Target them and run them out of the city. The hell with being politically correct. That is just a waste of time with little to no results.
My 1/2 cents worth.
And the income that the city loses from it? It would result in higher taxes for city residents- yes- a subsidy for downtown workers, visitors, shoppers, drinkers. Squarely on the backs of city taxpayers.G.A., have you been drinking the liberal koolaid...?
one more thing about code violations, the inspectors will write a code violation, while your neighbor has the same violation and they won't write a violation on that person. For some reason code inspectors pick and chose and ignore other places in a similar situated place.
How much income does the city receive from parking? If nobody is going there NOW it can't be much. And IF they get new business' to attract more parking, wouldn't that be better than a few quarters?
G.a., that's the choice...either people pay to park or the taxpayers as a whole have to.That's a question for the poeple of Salisubry who seem to subsidize everything here for all the people who don't live here. But it's a fair question if your going to complain about downtown.
Ummm... Has any of you naysayers ever heard of sales tax? City business license fees? Business insurance? City business taxes? If there are no businesses there, then these pots are empty! Just keep on counting those quarters, City of Salisbury!
Today I parked in the parking gararge (50 cents a hour). Because I had to sit in line to pay my parking fee, it ran over by one minute and was charged an additional 50 cents for 61 minutes. I know, I could have parked in the parking lot across from the library but where I was going was much closer to the garage. Do you think the guy collecting the money would waive the extra minute because of the line....no way!
"if" there has to be metered parking can't they change the meters? one's to swipe a card or not have to be fed $ every 20 min?
FREE parking doesn't work, an earlier article by SBYNEWS showed that at a strip mall? It's the economy and lack of businesses downtown that will attract people to shop. Downtown is nothing by renters, attorneys and financial businesses that only attract certain types of customers. Free parking is just a liberal ploy by G.A and it wouldn't work, just trying to stir up the pot. Let talk about what the real problem is, people out of work who can't afford to make purchases in an area that doesn't have anything to buy! Get real and stop be a the problem and become the solution. Get real!!!! You must have gotten a ticket because you we're to cheap to pay the meter. Now let see if you print this.
Anon 0654 -
That's the best you can do? Calling me a liberal? Sure, so was Ronald Reagan. So is Jim DeMint.
You seem to be under the misguided impression (surprise there) that I am arguing that free parking will fix the problem. I didn't. This was the third in a series of pieces about what should be done for downtown. As I have noted in the first two posts - THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET.
If you had exercised what passes for your mind and read those other pieces you would have noted that I already addressed most of your poor excuse for an argument. However, there will be more in the coming weeks.
Unfortunately, people like you seem to be incapable of processing all but the most simplistic of solutions.
I want to go back to your laughable "liberal" statement. Liberals (in the American sense, statists or socialists everywhere else) are rationalistic. They believe that they can come up with think up a solution to a complex problem. Conservatives do not approach solutions in the same way. This is why we so often call for state centered pilot programs or experiments (the federal laboratory).
IF you had bothered to read this post, as well as the earlier ones, you would have noted (I know, I'm hopeful) that I cited examples of where these ideas had been used and were found to work. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you did read these things and are one of those people who honestly believe that Salisbury is somehow special and that what works everywhere else won't work here. Perhaps you think that up is down as well?
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