Poll: Should the St. Louis Treasurer Suspend Parking Meter Enforcement During Downtown Events?
The following letter to the editor ran recently in the Post-Dispatch:
My wife, who is a cancer survivor, attended the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure walk on Saturday. We parked on the street at 17th and Locust to join the event. No one paid the meter; we were the last space on the block, so we assumed the city waived parking fees.
Two hours later, we arrived back at the car and saw every car was ticketed. The city and Mayor Slay should be ashamed! Attila the Hun had better PR techniques. When 30,000-plus people come to downtown for such a worthwhile event, all meters in the area should be free for the morning hours.Tom Carpenter • Shiloh
This prompted a response from Treasurer Tishaura Jones:
The St. Louis City treasurer issued a statement on Tuesday addressing parking meter enforcement during Saturday’s Susan G. Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure. Some people were ticketed during the race, and this is the first year parking meters were enforced since the office decided in July to start charging for metered parking on Saturdays.
Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones defended the meter enforcement, praising the race and the other events held downtown, and pointing out that if they offered free metered parking for one event they would have to offer it to everyone. (stltoday)
The poll this week asks if you think the St. Louis treasurer should suspend parking meter enforcement during downtown events. Parking meters are enforced Monday-Saturday, no charge on Sunday. The poll is in the right sidebar.
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Tom Carpenter sounds like an idiot.
#1 – whether or not his wife has or had cancer is irrelevant
#2 – they were “the last space on the block”? So because you got the last space, somehow you assume that means parking is free? I’ll try to remember that next time I get the last space at the airport.
#3 – he wants to park for free, then race back to Chesterfield as soon as it’s over. What’s in it for the city?
I disagree, Jonathan. His mention of his wife being a cancer survivor is a relevant point since the event was intended to raise money and awareness for the treatment of cancer. It wasn’t like he was going to a Cardinals game – he was there for a purpose, and as such, the situation has more personal relevance. But who cares about that trivial information, right? Before he says he got the last space on the block, he mentions that no one else had paid the meter — implying to him, reasonably, that parking meters were not being enforced. (If others had put change in the meter, he might have done the same.) So the ticket was a surprise to him. And finally, you really demonstrate your ignorance with your “Chesterfield” remark – when it’s clear he’s from Shiloh. Shiloh is nowhere near Chesterfield – it’s near Belleville, IL. But beyond your petty insult, you ask, “What’s in it for the city?” That’s the core question here – the parking revenue if people had paid would probably be something like $30K. (Much more when you consider the parking tickets.) But how much revenue does a large event like Komen bring to the downtown businesses, especially the eating establishments? Is it worth more events like Komen – and ahem, the blues festival – going to places like Chesterfield, which despite their suburban blandness, have embraced the idea of encouraging large gatherings of paying customers having positive (rather than negative) experiences? I’ve worked downtown for 20 years and have called St. Louis City my home for more than 10, but I think the City should rethink its Saturday enforcement policies for major events – like Komen, the parades, the large marathons, etc. It should be easy enough to make an exemption in the spirit of welcoming those people from places like, oh my, Chesterfield, to come down and enjoy everything it has to offer. I’m voting yes on the poll to the right.
Do it for one “worthy” event? Then do it for every “worthy” event! And who gets to decide what’s “worthy” and what isn’t?! This could have all been avoided if the event had been scheduled for a Sunday instead of a Saturday . . . .
It’s strange to me why people who think they’re doing something “good” deserve to be exempt from the rules. This is a case of someone upset they had to pay a couple dollars to park. Wah.
I agree with JZ71, who determines what a “worthy” event is? Treat every event the same and be done with it, either charge everyone for parking, or no one. Or, as pointed out above, hold the events on Sunday.
“Before he says he got the last space on the block, he mentions that no one else had paid the meter — implying to him, reasonably, that parking meters were not being enforced. (If others had put change in the meter, he might have done the same.) So the ticket was a surprise to him.”
ah, the old “but, officer, everyone else was speeding too” defense. all he had to do was read the sign on the meter.
“And finally, you really demonstrate your ignorance with your “Chesterfield” remark – when it’s clear he’s from Shiloh. Shiloh is nowhere near Chesterfield – it’s near Belleville, IL.”
replace “Chesterfield” with “Shiloh” and his point–which you apparently missed–still holds.
“…which despite their suburban blandness, have embraced the idea of encouraging large gatherings of paying customers having positive (rather than negative) experiences?”
one might make the case that those places are bland BECAUSE they provide abundant free parking for everybody. lots and lots of free parking = less density = pathetic pedestrian infrastructure = little pedestrian activity.
I didn’t miss his point, Adam. He asked, what’s in it for the city? I responded to that, which apparently you missed. I highly doubt that free parking is to blame for blandness. Lots of other reasons for that. As for what qualifies as a worthy event, I’m sure the city could decide based on estimated attendance… The permitting process could be a mechanism for deciding, even force the event organizers to make a case for parking exemptions. Anyway, I agree that doing it on a Sunday would have been a better idea.
The point to which I’m referring, originally made by Jonathan, is that people drive in from outside of the city, expect free parking, and then leave. The specific place from which they come, be it Chesterfield or Shiloh, isn’t important. So yes, you missed the point. As for the blandness, free parking is the byproduct of a lack of demand for non-developed space. Though it’s not necessarily the root cause of that lack of demand, it most certainly compounds it and precludes density and vitality. There are countless examples all over the world.
Please. Let’s pretend he did say Shlioh, shall we? I got his point just fine… the thought that people just come in for an event like Komen and then immediately race back to Shiloh/Chesterfield. I said I’m not so sure about that… suggesting that those downtown restaurants/shops who open for the crowds rake in some revenue.
True, you suggested that people stick around and spend money downtown, but that was after you made a really big deal of his referencing Chesterfield instead of Shiloh. One would think that if you had grasped the essence of his comment you wouldn’t have taken such offense to the arbitrary distant location that he picked in order to make his point. Maybe you were just writing quickly–that’s fine. In any case, we disagree on the city’s obligation to provide free parking for people who don’t even live in the city.
Living downtown, I see little positive economic impact for the city from an event such as the Komen race. The majority of the people attending these events do not ever come into the city and on the rare occasion that they do for an event such as this they certainly don’t stay and spend money. On the other hand, the city must put on extra police and city services to keep people safe and clean up after so many people so these events become an expense to the city. Parking policies are clearly stated on each meter and have been in affect for almost a year now. As a resident, I am subject to these regulations, so why should someone who contributes nothing to the city expect to park for free? The city is full of inexpensive lots that allow all day parking for often less then $5, the meter are intended to allow a free flow of short term traffic into and out of the city, tying up a meter spot for 3 or 4 hours during an event such as this or a ball game was never the intention.
People take the city for granted, but where else is it possible to move 30,000 thousand people into and out of an area quickly and safely? Judging by recent events out in St. Charles and Chesterfield, people often fail to understand how few places can handle a crowd such as this and the expenses that so many people bring. So instead of complaining about not being able to park for free, where is the appreciatuion to the city for hosting these events?
Mark pretty much summed up the entirety of the issue. Amen. David, do you still think the parking and services should all be provided free?
I appreciate everyone’s thoughts, opinions and insights on this. Some great observations – and please understand, I’m a major proponent of the city. I would be curious to hear from a downtown business owner/manager – on what, if anything, crowds like Komen do to their sales. But I understand where everyone is coming from. My thought is that there is a near-expectation of ample and free parking outside of downtown/midtown – whether it’s justified or not. I do advocate for the city having the option of waiving parking meter enforcement, if there’s a case to be made for it… and require the organizers seeking the permit to make the case. The argument of “if we do it for one, we’d have to do it for everyone!” is not working for me. In all-or-nothing approach seems shortsighted. I also think the organizers of major events can do more to communicate about the parking situation – show where to park, focusing on free options, paid options and metered options. Some already are doing a good job – the annual Girls on the Run 5k that brings in about 20,000 kids and family members did a good job of instructing participants on where and how to park. The same organizations, IMO, should also encourage participants from outside the city to explore a little after the event, too, if they’re being gracious to their hosts. Anyway, I don’t think it’s correct to stereotype all county visitors as ignorant users of city infrastructure – just as you wouldn’t the same people to characterize downtown as unsafe, undeveloped and “not a real city.” There has to be some level of mutual respect – on both sides.
David, you’ve been reasonable in this discussion, so thanks for that, but I think you really underestimate the level of regional “take-the-city-for-granted” mentality that exists. As a city resident, downtown office worker, and regular attendee of city-based events year round, I hear it constantly. Being a non-city resident is like the old cliche of not wanting to “marry the cow” while still getting the “milk for free”. If anyone has a sense of entitlement, it’s non-city residents thinking they “own” the city, and should have a say in all things, often times backed up by very little knowledge of how things in the city really work or are paid for.
Most people would agree that raising money for cancer research is a good thing. What about Pridefest? A pro-abortion fund raiser? An anti-abortion fund raiser? A tea party parade? A naked bike ride? We have a hard time defining pan handling (Is it free speech? Or loitering?) We have a hard time defining gun “rights” and gay rights. What makes you think that it would be any easier for some level of government to say that yes, your group is deserving of free parking while that other group is not?! You assume that everyone knows how to “play nice together”. Guess what? They don’t! We have lawyers, vocal advocates and politicians – it will NEVER be easy to come up with one set of rules that will make everyone happy, so it’s easier (and fairer) to have the same rules apply to EVERYONE.
Well said!
A similar issue is when people come to Forest Park and think that driving and parking laws are somehow suspended for them and damn the city for enforcement. “How dare the City ticket me for parking along a clearly yellow-striped curb with no parking sign! I’ll never come back to the City again!”
Land is not free and neither is parking. If anything the cost of parking is priced too low and should be raised to fund transit.
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