This past Sunday, Q-line asked: “Do you think the parking meter increase is fair? Why or why not?”
Here are your responses: ■“ I have less quarrel with the parking fee increase than I do with the archaic hand turn meters that do not accept a denomination variety of coinage. The meters along Pacific Palisades Park only accept quarters. If a motorist has only two dimes and a nickel, that motorist is out of luck to legally park.” ■ “I own a store on Main Street and I have to say that an increase in unfair. Santa Monica already has pretty high meter rates. Main Street does not have very much parking anyway. It will be difficult for people to find parking and then when they do find parking they are going to be frustrated by how expensive it is to park there. It will drive away business and Santa Monica is already small business unfriendly.” ■“The increase in some parking spots from 50-cents an hour to $1 is a really short-sighted move by the City Council. There is tremendous opportunity to generate funds for the City of Santa Monica that I think probably over the years the city has totally ignored, I don’t know why. There are opportunities to work with corporate partners on events on the Promenade. There are opportunities to sell advertising via banners along Wilshire Boulevard and other high traffic areas that would not distract form what Santa Monica is. Bottom line is that there are lots of marketing opportunities that the city just lets the money sit on the table. It’s crazy in this time of a budget crisis.” Excerpts from editorial pages around the world
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 21, 2003. Read the original PDF.