Should German Village have Parking Meters?

[Walker Evans]

Interesting article about the lack of parking meters in German Village. Apparently, GV exists in some sort of geographical anomaly where meters don’t make sense.

Columbus: Village can keep the change

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

By GARY SEMAN JR.

ThisWeek Staff Writer

While commuters in other areas of the city will have to drop coins in new parking meters in spots that were previously free, those patronizing German Village destinations apparently have nothing to worry about for the time being.

The city of Columbus’ parking meter advisory team did not recommend German Village streets as part of the initial 500 additional meters to be installed on streets. However, in the future, streets can be looked at for metering if the businesses are interested and approach the city.

Catherine Adams, owner of Caterina Ltd. on South Third Street, said parking meters along the community’s most visible gateway would be “detrimental to everyone concerned.

READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/germanvillage/stories/2010/08/11/columbus-village-can-keep-the-change.html?sid=104

[Columbusite]

Old North Columbus and Clintonville also offer free on-street car storage. Oh well, they’re being subsidized, so since people aren’t pulling change out of their pocket right when they park it’s “free”. Heck, even downtown streets that have under utilized parking are metered. Until the city decides to use meter revenue to improve the neighborhoods they come from I wouldn’t want to see more meters.

[HeySquare]

It’s a historic district. Meters, striping, additional signage, removal or potential damage to existing historic streetscape elements… it’s really inappropriate.

[FADulous]

personally, I really hope we aren’t investing in 500 more ice age coin operated meters. Chicago, for instance, catapaulted most of its old meters in favor of credit card/coin and bill kiosks and it really cleaned up the streetscape.

[cc]

I think tasteful implementation in appropriate areas would aid parking turnover. One credit card machine at the end of the block would work like they use in NYC.

[jackoh]

Two things.

First; there is really very little in the way of off-street parking in GV so parking meters on the streets would- 1. create a major hassle for residents and 2. be a major turn-off for prospective buyers and renters, thus further depressing the already vastly overvalued property in GV.

Second; if there were parking meters on the streets of GV, how in the hell could the parking valets at Lindeys and Barcelona possibly do their jobs?

Oh, and one more thing. Parking meters on the streets would not fit in GV. Because, in spite of its perceived “urbanness” (and “urbaneness”) it really should be a gated community!

[Walker Evans]

HeySquare wrote >>
It’s a historic district. Meters, striping, additional signage, removal or potential damage to existing historic streetscape elements… it’s really inappropriate.

Do you know if there are any other historic districts in the country that have implemented them successfully? I’m sure there’s got to be historic areas somewhere that require a parking turnover solution that doesn’t detract too much from the nature of the area.

Maybe if we bury the overhead utilities in GV and then install parking meters it would be a good aesthetic tradeoff. ;)

That or we could just install some really old meters in GV.

[Walker Evans]

I guess the thing that feels weird to me about the article is that it’s made to sound as if the reason GV doesn’t have meters is because no one there has asked for them.

Meanwhile, the Public Service Department is planning on rolling out 400 new parking meters to areas that didn’t ask for them.

[Core_Models]

I think being the largest privately funded historic preservation district on the National Register of Historic Places probably gives them some juice other neighborhoods don’t get.

[roy]

FADulous wrote >>
personally, I really hope we aren’t investing in 500 more ice age coin operated meters. Chicago, for instance, catapaulted most of its old meters in favor of credit card/coin and bill kiosks and it really cleaned up the streetscape.

FAD, you aren’t paying attention. New smart meter heads were identified by the parking meter work group as a core necessity. Council approved the first round of smart dc/cc/coin heads June 21.

[Walker Evans]

roy wrote >>
FAD, you aren’t paying attention. New smart meter heads were identified by the parking meter work group as a core necessity. Council approved the first round of smart dc/cc/coin heads June 21.

In all fairness… it’s been a tough story to follow.

[cc]

Walker wrote >>

roy wrote >>
FAD, you aren’t paying attention. New smart meter heads were identified by the parking meter work group as a core necessity. Council approved the first round of smart dc/cc/coin heads June 21.

In all fairness… it’s been a tough story to follow.

I think he is talking about something like this:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4183/is_20080411/ai_n25164569/

as opposed to the simply more updated ‘old style’ meters that Columbus is putting in place. NYC has replaced many of its meters also with end of street kiosks, turning some of the old meter poles into bike racks.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/17/nyc-transforming-parking-meters-into-bike-racks/

Cities across the country are ditching individual meters.

Of course all Columbus meters should be gone by now ;)

Columbus parking meters will be gone in three years

[TaraK]

I’m most familiar with the meter situation downtown rather than in other communities, but my thoughts are:

1. Where would the meters be? On 3rd? Any street with businesses also has as much or more residential.
2. If not on third, then where? It really wouldn’t make sense to stick them on Mohawk or Sycamore.
3. This really seems like it would put a damper on business in GV. Already, I hear to many people cite the following reasons for not going to locations in the village: 1) “It’s too far.” (Usually said by people who are content to drive to downtown or Short North, but not further?) 2) “There’s no parking.” (I don’t get this; I always think it’s pretty easy to find parking if you circle the block. 3) “I hate the brick roads.” (Just a weird excuse.)

It seems to me that, if the city wanted to generate revenue from GV parking, it might make more sense to extend the area that requires city permits. I guess it wouldn’t bring in as much revenue, though.

[cc]

If cities like Boston can do it, Columbus can also. It is about having some areas with residential permits and also strick enforcement of all parking regulations. Parking right in front of ones house is a cool priviledge which sometimes has to be leveraged by location. i think parking kiosks on a few blocks would ‘share the wealth’ and actually bring more people/business to GV.

It really has helped in areas like Beacon Hill.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6375353_parking-regulations-boston.html

[Tenzo]

It’s a bad idea for a couple of reasons

1) It’s not an area where a large amount of people work.
2) It’s a historic area. They are talking about putting in gas lamps and toning down street lights. Big efforts are underway to bring the look back to the 19th century. Digging up brick sidewalks to put in 21st century meeters is an equivalent of ‘let them eat bricks’
4) With meters comes the need for off street extended parking. Which means either paved lots or 1950’s style parking grarages.
5) It’s not a retail district in the sense that lots of people go there. Instead, people go there and wander.

So am I saying German Village is special? Well, yes. It’s unique and a Columbus treasure and should be treated that way.

[Author]

Posts