If San Francisco has learned anything, extending the meter enforcement hours is a really bad idea. Remember how bad it got in Oakland when meter maids went nuts ticketing the hell out of every little thing and extending parking hours to 8PM? Business lost at least 30% of their customers, and the people got their wish by scaling it back to 6PM.
If you notice on this map supplied by the Chronicle, we are screwed.
By the look of this map, it almost looks like every single parking meter is highlighted with proposed changes, including the ones at SF State University that would be extended to 9PM (pointless idea, most students leave the campus at 4PM).
Sure, I can understand the city is broke, but if you raise parking rates, how much will that affect the businesses such as restaurants and stores? Will they pay for parking after 6PM in the city's hot spots or neighborhood places? The answer is no. And once business drops, that's less taxpayer money the business owes to the feds, state, and city/county, which means that it doesn't just affect our city, it affects our state and nation.
In some areas, meter hours extension is not necessary. Take for example, Irving Street; Irving is popular during the day hours, but there's not many people around during the dinner hours where most people either do take-out, or for the lucky few, find a restaurant to sit down and have a nice dinner.
But on a slightly brighter note, I do support Sunday meter enforcement, but only in certain areas. Places like the businesses on Irving, Clement, Geary between Park Presidio and 25th Avenue, and the 9th Avenue (Inner Sunset) areas really need Sunday enforcement because parking is such a pain in the ass in these areas. On Irving, I labeled one person an "old vulture" because she was double parking on Irving FOREVER waiting for any car to move and take on the spot; while I was going around the block and seeing her several times.
This idea sucks, and it's time to give the SFMTA a piece of our minds and our middle fingers. If you can go to a public hearing, give it to them. If you can't make that, how about just raiding a Board of Supervisors hearing?
Here is my retort...
ReplyDeletehttp://holierthanyou.blogspot.com/2009/10/san-francisco-parking-case-study-noe.html
Taking your example...
"Take for example, Irving Street; Irving is popular during the day hours, but there's not many people around during the dinner hours where most people either do take-out, or for the lucky few, find a restaurant to sit down and have a nice dinner"
This is because nobody in their right mind would try to drive to Irving Street once the meter enforcement stops. There's nowhere to park because the residents have parked their butts in the metered spots and wandered home with to cook. Keep the meter enforcement going, save the spots for customers. If they are the "lucky few" who can go out for a nice dinner, even $4 in parking wouldn't buy you a glass of cabernet.