Meter cost increase

[custosnox]

Just thought I would give everyone who didn't notice the heads up.  Tonight the council is going to vote on an increase on the parking meters downtown.  If passed the cost will go to $1.00 per hour.  I think this was brought up on another thread somewhere but not sure.

[godboko71]

Is this increase where the city still controls the meters or are they also giving control of the meters up to a private company?

[custosnox]

All this does is change the city ordinance to reflect the the change in cost.  There is no change in who will control it

[TulsaSooner]

I read that it was on the Tuesday committee agenda, not tonight's full Council meeting. 

[custosnox]

I'm not seeing it anywhere on Tuesday's agenda, but it is on tonights.  I missed the meeting so I'm not sure how it went.

[carltonplace]

I'm OK with raising the meter rates, but extending the hours from 8-5 to 8-8 is a bonehead idea. We don't need to throw up any obstacles to the slow steady growth we are seeing downtown. Tell your council person not to extend the hours...there are better ways for the city to make money (sales tax from new business perhaps?)

I think the plan is to privatize this, and if that is the plan then I'd wager that the company that would take over would be American Parking. I'm sure free on street parking is cutting into their revenues since no-one pays to park in any of their hundreds of hideous surface lots after 5. If you can't beat the free competion, take it over and eliminate it.

[TheTed]

The cost increase seems like a no-brainer. It's ridiculously cheap right now. Maybe an increase will spur downtown workers to park in lots in higher numbers. I'm wavering on the extension of hours.

Will we actually have someone giving tickets after 5pm? Right now we have one guy. It seems to be a free-for-all during events downtown right now. Park wherever you want, block the sidewalk, whatever. The dozens of cops twiddling their thumbs for three hours during a show can't be bothered to give tickets for that.

If we want to get serious about parking revenue, how's about we actually ticket people who use the sidewalk as a parking lot. A UPS logo or a TV news logo doesn't give you the right to park on sidewalks.

[Conan71]

$1 per hour doesn't sound like that big a deal, but I agree with Carlton, I think it sends up the wrong message to attracting people downtown after work hours. 

[Red Arrow]

$1 per hour doesn't sound like that big a deal,.... 

Depends on how much you want to see or do what requires paid parking.

Some see parking fees as a revenue opportunity.  Some see them as a way to encourage customer turnover.  Some (like me) just see them as an additional expense to doing business downtown.  

[nathanm]

Depends on how much you want to see or do what requires paid parking.

Some see parking fees as a revenue opportunity.  Some see them as a way to encourage customer turnover.  Some (like me) just see them as an additional expense to doing business downtown.  

Personally, the only time I've ever paid for parking downtown is when going to the BOk Center. It's not strictly necessary, but there are some convenient lots that are worth it for special occasions. Otherwise I'm either downtown after hours and can park in a metered space for free or I park on street where there are no meters. Saving money and getting some exercise having to walk a couple of blocks to my destination? Excellent!

At least we're not like Fayetteville. While they have more stringent enforcement, I get ticketed rarely enough and the fine is inexpensive enough (until you hit 5 citations in a month) that I don't bother feeding the meter. They even send you a bill at no extra charge after a while. As long as you pay the bill once they send it to you, they don't issue a summons and increase the fine. Speaking of which, it's been a while since I got a bill..I really should call them, I probably have a couple of outstanding tickets.

Ten years ago, the fine there was $2. They're up to $4 or $5 now. It goes up to $25 for the sixth and subsequent citations in a calendar month.

[Red Arrow]

I don't generally mind walking a few blocks.  I frequently walk about 2 miles during my lunch break just to get out of the office.  It's not much fun if the temperature is 90+ and the dewpoint is in the 70s.  About the same fun the few days we get ice/snow, wind, and sub-freezing temperatures.

[Weatherdemon]

The only problem with meter increases is that it will cause an increase in lot fees.

[Townsend]

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=12537524

Tulsa City Council Delays Meter Increase, Many Still Inoperable

[custosnox]

I really don't mind the increases, but I try not to park at a meter more then a couple of hours anyhow since I really don't like having to go back out and plug the meter.  However, if they are extending the time and turning it over to AP, then I have objections.  I do wonder if anyone has done the math on turning over control, not that I care for AP anyhow.

[sgrizzle]

I don't mind the rate increase but don't extend it until 8.

Want to raise more money from parking? Charge a 30% tax on all surface lot revenues within the IDL.