Comments on: MTA Must Act Quickly to Convince Merchants of Parking Plan’s Benefits http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/10/14/mta-must-act-quickly-to-convince-merchants-of-parking-plans-benefits/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Benjamin http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/10/14/mta-must-act-quickly-to-convince-merchants-of-parking-plans-benefits/comment-page-1/#comment-45711 Benjamin Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:05:02 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=63181#comment-45711 Every time there's a proposal to increase the cost or the hours of operation of parking meters, people like CT talk a big game about how this is going to be the thing that tips the scale and drives them to commute out of the city with their entertainment dollars. It's nonsense. Paying a few bucks for parking isn't going to be the tipping point that drives people out of town for the evening. If extending the operational hours of the meters means you can always find a spot within a block or two of where you want to go, then for a few bucks you're getting convenience you can't buy today. What might drive people away, however, is needing to circle for 30-45 minutes before a spot opens up: if you're going to drive for more than a half-hour, you might as well leave the city. Every time there’s a proposal to increase the cost or the hours of operation of parking meters, people like CT talk a big game about how this is going to be the thing that tips the scale and drives them to commute out of the city with their entertainment dollars.

It’s nonsense. Paying a few bucks for parking isn’t going to be the tipping point that drives people out of town for the evening. If extending the operational hours of the meters means you can always find a spot within a block or two of where you want to go, then for a few bucks you’re getting convenience you can’t buy today.

What might drive people away, however, is needing to circle for 30-45 minutes before a spot opens up: if you’re going to drive for more than a half-hour, you might as well leave the city.

]]> By: jeremy shaw http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/10/14/mta-must-act-quickly-to-convince-merchants-of-parking-plans-benefits/comment-page-1/#comment-45181 jeremy shaw Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:42:44 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=63181#comment-45181 Funny that Nat Ford called reinvesting parking revenues locally "pretty far down the line." While he obviously doesn't want to auto-embroil into that political cauldron, it seems closer than that. At least by San Francisco standards. http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/07/21/sfcta-completes-exhaustive-parking-study-supervisors-delay-action/ Funny that Nat Ford called reinvesting parking revenues locally “pretty far down the line.”

While he obviously doesn’t want to auto-embroil into that political cauldron, it seems closer than that. At least by San Francisco standards.

http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/07/21/sfcta-completes-exhaustive-parking-study-supervisors-delay-action/

]]> By: SF Hold em http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/10/14/mta-must-act-quickly-to-convince-merchants-of-parking-plans-benefits/comment-page-1/#comment-44961 SF Hold em Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:54:57 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=63181#comment-44961 CT... I'll call your bluff and call you a liar too. In my experience I would almost rate Clement parking worse than downtown or the Tenderloin (Mission/Valencia and North Beach are positively the most difficult places to find parking) There's only so much Outback Steakhouse and Fuddruckers you can handle before you'll surely be missing Burma Superstar. There's only one San Francisco in the Bay Area and certain things (food, entertainment) are just not replicated in the nearby "competing markets". Save an overnight culture change or other unforeseen event, people are going to continue to flock to the best neighborhoods in the City. CT… I’ll call your bluff and call you a liar too. In my experience I would almost rate Clement parking worse than downtown or the Tenderloin (Mission/Valencia and North Beach are positively the most difficult places to find parking)

There’s only so much Outback Steakhouse and Fuddruckers you can handle before you’ll surely be missing Burma Superstar. There’s only one San Francisco in the Bay Area and certain things (food, entertainment) are just not replicated in the nearby “competing markets”. Save an overnight culture change or other unforeseen event, people are going to continue to flock to the best neighborhoods in the City.

]]> By: CT http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/10/14/mta-must-act-quickly-to-convince-merchants-of-parking-plans-benefits/comment-page-1/#comment-44921 CT Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:12:26 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=63181#comment-44921 I did not have any problem looking for parking on Clement for the past year at night. It is just not many people coming out for dinner anymore. Plus I live in Sunset. It take me only 10 min to get out of the city to enjoy dinner with out have to think about the meter if I have to pay for it. I guess if we really are moving forward on this. I am sure a lot of us are eating in Daly City. I did not have any problem looking for parking on Clement for the past year at night. It is just not many people coming out for dinner anymore. Plus I live in Sunset. It take me only 10 min to get out of the city to enjoy dinner with out have to think about the meter if I have to pay for it. I guess if we really are moving forward on this. I am sure a lot of us are eating in Daly City.

]]> By: Josh http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/10/14/mta-must-act-quickly-to-convince-merchants-of-parking-plans-benefits/comment-page-1/#comment-44871 Josh Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:17:03 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=63181#comment-44871 "I hope the MTA moves very cautiously on this whole issue and they had better do their homework, or there will be a revolt similar to what happened in Oakland," I hope Ken Cleaveland realizes how ignorant he sounds saying something like that after the MTA released a 40-page study. That's 40 pages of 'homework,' Ken. And it says you're wrong wrong wrong. “I hope the MTA moves very cautiously on this whole issue and they had better do their homework, or there will be a revolt similar to what happened in Oakland,”

I hope Ken Cleaveland realizes how ignorant he sounds saying something like that after the MTA released a 40-page study. That’s 40 pages of ‘homework,’ Ken. And it says you’re wrong wrong wrong.

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