Few things irk me more than when I hear people bitch & moan about downtowns 1 way streets and parking issues. I get alot of " id love to join you - but parking is a bitch" or "I dont like driving there, to many one ways ".
So imagine my pleasure when I read an article in the Biz Journal about the apparent lack of parking. One of the central district's largest parking lot operators has even threatened to eliminate some of its spaces May 1 as city leaders consider an ordinance to regulate the limited supply of public stalls.
The city proposal, which would require parking lot operators to make basic improvements to continue operating, such as provide minimal lighting to their lots, is set to be considered by the City Council next month. The city ordinance would allow 50 illegal lots to come into compliance with improvements. If approved, the city hopes the ordinance would encourage development of new buildings on high-profile parcels that now hold parking lots.
Granted , I walk a lot – but I don’t see the parking “problem” as a major issue - especially compared to other cities .So maybe im clueless , someone fill me in . . .I would personally like to see the city develop more lots like the one at 14th and H. It provides a service (parking) and has ground floor retail serving the streetscape.
Supposing it true & we were running low on spots ,why can't people fathom walking 2 blocks instead of 1 or valet parking when they come to a popular downtown destination ? Face it people this is not Elk Grove ( which is why you drove down here to eat & play ) - you may not be able to pull right in front of your destination . As the city gets closer to adopting a surface lot policy, part of a comprehensive parking strategy adopted by the City Council last fall, some business owners say they're worried it will result in fewer spaces.
Listen to this quote :
"The average suburbanite is not used to using valet and having to walk," said Shawn Eldredge, who owns Capitol Painting & Services on O Street in midtown. "We're still suburbanites at heart. We're not ready to swallow that pill yet."
While very true for most , does that mean people who choose to live in the central city and maintain a walkable community should have to accomodate those who do not ? Isnt it time that they “swallow that pill ? “
The best part of the Central City for me is its walkability , beautiful trees and a ever more vibrant street scene . The idea that my car is 1 of 5 options I have for getting to the store , movies , bookstore or park is the reason I have chosen the central city as my home for the last dozen years . Maybe if people walked more , drove less and used light rail we wouldn’t be having this conversation .
Monday, April 23, 2007
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6 responses:
The city is never going to be able to make downtown like the suburbs, and honestly, why would they want to?
If people want a suburban experience, they're going to stay in the suburbs. What makes downtown/midtown better is the pedestrian scene, density of shops, restaurants, etc.
Going downtown intimidates suburbanites. It's not a lack of parking that's the problem. It's that people don't feel like they know *where* to park. They also exaggerate the number and aggressiveness of Downtown's homeless population.
The city should focus on providing parking information for different parts of downtown/midtown. How about an interactive map that shows street parking, valet and parking lots for all of downtown? They could even do it as a Google maps mashup, so people could easily zoom in and out, pan, etc. (Heck, something like this may already exist.)
The city should also encourage downtown businesses to provide directions and parking information on their individual web sites.
Again, the problem is not a lack of parking. It's an intimidation/perception problem, and that's where the city should focus their energy.
Good topic.
Totally agree with everything Carl said. For example, I bet most people have no idea you can park at the state garage at 17th between Cap and L Street for $2 at night.
It drives up the wall when I hear people complain about parking. It's not hard to find parking in downtown. You may have to pay a couple bucks for it, or walk a couple blocks, but it's there. My wife and I generally walk when we go out, but with a kid sometimes driving is needed. We never have to park more than a couple blocks from where we want to go, even in busy areas like the 18th and Cap or 16th and J vicinities.
Couldnt have said it better myself Carl , Going downtown really does intimidate suburbanites - although in fairness , i do have friends who dont bitch and realize it comes with the package .
Its ironic really because ive always believed and told people that for a city its size Sacramento has one of the safest downtowns around .
The city and businesses could do a much better job in dessimating info , but a little common sense , patience and reading of signs will take you most of the way .
Like LIUS said even in the busier sections of midtown im out of my car with street parking for free in less tha 6 minutes . . .
Did people forget that we also have a light rail system w/park and ride lots that eliminate all of the afformentioned "problems"?
You guys have nailed it.
From a quote formerly on our office wall..."people don't realize that when you build more roads and parking all you get is more roads and parking." The operative word here is "All." Parking has such a low value in terms of its contribution to community, to civic aesthetics, to the pedestrian experience. The quote reminds us that there's so many better ways to use that valuable land. That said, mixed-use parking, as CCO points out, has some merit (if there is a parking problem).
That said, I'd love to see the overall "traffic/parking angst" churn the city and members into a greater commitment to finding ways of decreasing traffic in the urban core--CCO's four other ways of getting around. Until people begin to experience some personal discomfort with the present situation, real change just hovers in the real of "good ideas and intentions."
On a separate note, by way of urban/suburban comparison, it bears pointing out that most people shopping in the big-box strip malls (including myself when I'm there) actually drive from one lot to the next (Target to PetSmart to Old Navy and then across the road to the Mimi's and the Michael's). The inconvenience and inefficiency of this system always boggles my mind and makes me ever so grateful for the walkability and relative ease of parking in the urban core. Its all about perspective...
The city tried really hard to make downtown like the suburbs--that was the big push from the 1960s to about 1990. The problem is, of course, that it doesn't work unless you tear down a lot of neighborhoods to make parking lots. Sacramento is still scarred by that process. Those parking blots are places that could potentially be returned to the city in the form of street-oriented retail with residential above (the traditional urban form) with the 21st century addition of parking in the back. We can't quite exclude the automobile, but we can de-emphasize it.
Suburbanites get scared off easily at first, but they will come down if they have enough reason (the suburbs are boring enough and the city is exciting enough.) Carl hits the nail on the head. They don't know quite where to park, and the idea of parking a block or two away is alien to them. Seeing street people is also often an alien experience (maybe not as much as it used to be) and many will amplify its significance.
Often, this unfamiliarity is cured by repeat visits--once the inhabitant of a suburb has made a few trips, they start to learn where the parking spots are, and are less uncomfortable by the prospect of seeing a street person.
Parking in downtown Sacramento is a lot easier than most of the urban areas in California I have experienced (los angeles, san francisco) but this might just be because I don't know where the cool parking spots are in those cities...
Thats what I was just thinking , everyone seems to love goin to SF and I hardly ever hear people bitch about parking .its an expected fact that parking is impossible .
I look forward to the day that is the case here .
Soon .. i Hope .. soon
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