Parking Meter Changes
On Tuesday, March 2, the city’s Department of Public Works presented its plan to put parking meters in operation on Saturdays, and to raise the rates charged by the meters. VCPORA and French Quarter Citizens attended the meeting to voice concerns about the effects the Saturday hours might have on both businesses and residents in the Quarter. Below is an excellent summary of the meeting written by FQC President Brian Furness.
* French Quarter Citizens, in the absence of further studies, questions whether the proposed measures (new meter hours to include Saturday, increase in fees) will indeed promote turn-over or the predicted increase in revenue.
* In particular, we question whether the impact will not simply drive shoppers to the suburbs, diminishing in-city economic activity.
* In the French Quarter, it seems likely that Saturday meter hours would increase pressure on already hard-pressed residents as visitors occupy residential spaces instead of paying for parking.
* FQC urges that, if meters are extended to Saturday, enforcement of the resident permit parking be intensified to ensure that the burden does not fall on French Quarter residents.
* French Quarter Citizens would prefer to see changes in meter hours and fees proposed in conjunction with other measures that would adjust the residential permit parking regime to better increase parking opportunities in the French Quarter, especially for residents and property owners.
* French Quarter Citizens is looking forward to further action on the city’s signage and curb use study, which was presented at a public meeting in December, and we are anticipating a further public meeting to discuss the measures broached at the meeting, which were considerably more ambitious than the measures outlined by DPW today.
In his introduction of the subject, DPW Director Robert Mendoza noted that existing meter hours were based on a long-outdated 9-5 workweek concept. In the French Quarter, for instance, most economic activity and parking demand occurs at night … 8 am – 6 pm hours make little sense. He also recalled (and the point was later emphasized by the Councilmembers) that metered parking exists to ration (reduce) demand, not raise revenue. He also stressed that most retail establishments support metered parking, because it increases turnover.
Regarding parking in the French Quarter, Mendoza pointed out that Saturday metered spaces now filled early in the day with workers and there was little turnover during the day. He also noted that the lack of parking in the French Quarter was increasing pressure on parking in adjacent neighborhoods. He promised to increase enforcement in the Quarter, and noted that French Quarter community organizations favored increased RPP hours.
Mendoza pointed out that DPW’s initial plans had included extensions of the hours but the plans were abandoned when it was discovered that meters could not be read easily at night.
DDD’s Patrick Thompson also stressed the need for additional studies, underlining that the DDD’s main interest was to increase turnover. Another French Quarter resident testifying spoke in favor of a residential permit that would give people time to unload, even if otherwise parked illegally.
Councilmembers Head and Midura (the only ones attending) urged that Mendoza arrange a meeting between French Quarter community groups and Councilmember Carter and Councilmember-elect Palmer to work out what was to be done in the Quarter.
During a subsequent conversation, Mendoza acknowledged that the December presentation had not been followed up in timely fashion (the principal researcher had suffered a heart attack) but that he hoped to pull things together and have another public meeting (time not mentioned).
At Meg Lousteau’s request (she had to leave to attend another meeting), I indicated that VCPORA shared many of the points made by French Quarter Citizens.
* French Quarter Citizens, in the absence of further studies, questions whether the proposed measures (new meter hours to include Saturday, increase in fees) will indeed promote turn-over or the predicted increase in revenue.
* In particular, we question whether the impact will not simply drive shoppers to the suburbs, diminishing in-city economic activity.
* In the French Quarter, it seems likely that Saturday meter hours would increase pressure on already hard-pressed residents as visitors occupy residential spaces instead of paying for parking.
* FQC urges that, if meters are extended to Saturday, enforcement of the resident permit parking be intensified to ensure that the burden does not fall on French Quarter residents.
* French Quarter Citizens would prefer to see changes in meter hours and fees proposed in conjunction with other measures that would adjust the residential permit parking regime to better increase parking opportunities in the French Quarter, especially for residents and property owners.
* French Quarter Citizens is looking forward to further action on the city’s signage and curb use study, which was presented at a public meeting in December, and we are anticipating a further public meeting to discuss the measures broached at the meeting, which were considerably more ambitious than the measures outlined by DPW today.
In his introduction of the subject, DPW Director Robert Mendoza noted that existing meter hours were based on a long-outdated 9-5 workweek concept. In the French Quarter, for instance, most economic activity and parking demand occurs at night … 8 am – 6 pm hours make little sense. He also recalled (and the point was later emphasized by the Councilmembers) that metered parking exists to ration (reduce) demand, not raise revenue. He also stressed that most retail establishments support metered parking, because it increases turnover.
Regarding parking in the French Quarter, Mendoza pointed out that Saturday metered spaces now filled early in the day with workers and there was little turnover during the day. He also noted that the lack of parking in the French Quarter was increasing pressure on parking in adjacent neighborhoods. He promised to increase enforcement in the Quarter, and noted that French Quarter community organizations favored increased RPP hours.
Mendoza pointed out that DPW’s initial plans had included extensions of the hours but the plans were abandoned when it was discovered that meters could not be read easily at night.
DDD’s Patrick Thompson also stressed the need for additional studies, underlining that the DDD’s main interest was to increase turnover. Another French Quarter resident testifying spoke in favor of a residential permit that would give people time to unload, even if otherwise parked illegally.
Councilmembers Head and Midura (the only ones attending) urged that Mendoza arrange a meeting between French Quarter community groups and Councilmember Carter and Councilmember-elect Palmer to work out what was to be done in the Quarter.
During a subsequent conversation, Mendoza acknowledged that the December presentation had not been followed up in timely fashion (the principal researcher had suffered a heart attack) but that he hoped to pull things together and have another public meeting (time not mentioned).
At Meg Lousteau’s request (she had to leave to attend another meeting), I indicated that VCPORA shared many of the points made by French Quarter Citizens.