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The previously approved 50% parking rate increase throughout Downtown and The Short North has been halted for six months pending further study and additional recommendations by the parking meter working group assigned to oversee rate adjustments. The resetting of the meters will begin as early as tomorrow.
Thanks to everyone who helped to support the online petition and who voiced their concerns with this issue. Please take a moment to contact The Mayor’s Office and the Public Service Department and thank them for addressing this issue.
Amazing what 1,000-plus names on a petition and all that negative press will do. Now, the task will be to keep City Hall honest in actually working toward a better option and not just spending 6 months to reach the conclusion they just tried to impose.
Hoo-ray for all who signed the petition!
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to write letters, make phone calls, sign the petition and keep this conversation alive.
A great first step towards a better solution for the city, the residents and small businesses.
Good news for the time being.
Thank you to everyone who communicated with the city and signed the petition. It’s vital to small businesses and our great districts that we sensibly approach parking meter increases. Thanks to the mayor and his administration for listening!
It’s almost an early holiday gift to Columbus businesses and those who patronize them. I say “almost” because it shouldn’t have gotten this out of hand in the first place.
Right on, catnfiddle. But it got out of hand because one city official was given carte blanche’ to make a major policy change without any public input. The net result was that he caused his bosses a lot of political embarrassment.
I’ve heard people say Mark Kelsey was a bit suspect and I think this provides some evidence to that end
Wow, glad it worked. I hope they don’t have more tricks up their sleaves.
Big thanks to the many folks that wrote letters and signed the petition in support of small businesses. Thanks to the City of Columbus for hearing us.
Credit where credit is due: the city listened.
Now let’s hope they don’t just try to outlast the uproar and reenact this in 2010.
I feel confident that the working group can come up with a plan that helps the City meet the hotel commitment and allow our business districts to thrive. Thanks to the City for allowing us the opportunity to help craft public meter policy that works for all of us.
lizless Says: I feel confident that the working group can come up with a plan that helps the City meet the hotel commitment and allow our business districts to thrive.
John Angelo put forth a pretty solid plan to double the city’s meter revenue in the Short North simply by enforcing nightime hours through 9PM (which would help to turn over traffic for restaurants and other nighttime businesses) and standardizing rates to 25 minutes per quarter through the district.
I’m confident that this type of thoughtful detail-oriented approach used throughout the city will not only raise the funds required for the hotel bonds, but also stand to benefit area businesses by providing with a fair pricepoint adjustment for their customers.
I’d love to see some research done on the projected cost of adding the 1800+ new meters to areas such as Franklinton, Clintonville, KLD, Parsons, etc. There are certain business districts in the city that could stand to benefit from fairly priced meters, and I’m certain that there is revenue to be generated in those areas without placing such an insanely high rate on Gay Street only.
I could handle paying the same amount of money for a couple extra hours, if I am understanding this alternative. It wouldn’t penalize those who want to go somewhere in the city during the work day AND will encourage a little turnover on Gay Street when I want to go to Tip Top or Brioso in the evening.
That plan would also prevent the f-in’ “valets” from parking up the meters until at least after 9pm
Question to people that know better: Would it be entirely unrealistic or cost-prohibitive or ridiculous to build an underground parking garage beneath Goodale Park?
@Rick My guess is: yes it would be both of those things. Digging under an existing building, park, whatever, is a huge undertaking.
I wouldn’t blame Mark Kelsey or the Public Service Department entirely. Public Service Directors don’t just wake up one morning and decide to double parking meter rates uniformly across the city. I suspect they were asked by the Mayor’s office to raise money for the new hotel and that’s what they came up with. I do think they could have come up with something better though like John Angelo’s solution.
haven’t commented on this all day since I’m still in disbelief it actually happened
Thanks to all who made this happen, fellow small businesspeople, customers, residents, employees, city gov’t and CUers!
I look forward to seeing a win-win solution for all parties involved.
Update in today’s Dispatch:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/12/16/METERS.ART_ART_12-16-09_A1_5CG0T70.html?sid=101
I’m taking a break from civics so I can go sell some beers. Will update everyone as the work group meets and moves forward. Thanks again for all your support!