Comments on: ACHD Commish Weighs In On Parking

By: slim jim

slim jim — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:35:20 +0000

Team Dave – you do not sound like a good person for a life of politics. I will not be supporting you should you find yourself running for gov. where you will find more opportunity to fleece the citizens.

By: tater123

tater123 — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 04:39:46 +0000

Good on ya, Rebecca! Very well said!

By: Rod in SE Boise

Rod in SE Boise — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 02:35:51 +0000

Parking meters exist to keep store employees from using up all the parking spaces and thus allow customers to come and go and spend money. The city should not try to make a profit from the meters.

By: Casmir

Casmir — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:39:21 +0000

The density of the downtown core has made the issue of street side parking irrelevant. There are not enough spots and way too much demand. The $1.8 million the city makes on parking, should be used to create (or help create via partnerships) easy, cheap, accessible parking garages. The perception of parking “difficulty” in downtown is a huge barrier in getting people to support businesses there. Since the city seems so concerned about businesses, they should take those funds and do something worthwhile with them. For a change.

By: dh

dh — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:33:11 +0000

Just curious, what would Dick Daley, Chicago’s Teflon X “mayor” whom Bieter apparently uses as a role model and aspires to emulate, do?

Having said that, I avoid DT Boise, and its festering NE almost as religiously as I do the People’s Socialist Republik of Kaliphonia. Haven’t had to travel to the PSRK since I retired.

Other than several unique medical facilities that are unfortunately located in Boise, I eschew DT yuppie-ville like the plague.

By: Porcupine

Porcupine — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:11:54 +0000

I would agree with the increase parking fees IF the city council would set the example and give up their free parking in the Boise city garage. They should park on the street or in the parking garage and pay for it out of their own pockets.

But of course city council folks deserve free parking…. not us regular citizens.

By: Clipper

Clipper — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 02:12:00 +0000

It seems disingenuous for Arnold to say she won’t buy $500 worth of hair products from a downtown business if meter parking is increased to $1.50 per hour, especially when the first 20 minutes on the meter will still be free. I also find her shrill “shame on you” tone condescending and immature.

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 00:12:11 +0000

I don’t know the parking situation in Boise – but across the country, misguided Business Improvement Districts and business owners constantly push back against an increase in fees using the excuse that an increase will cause motorists to flee to the suburban malls.

Meanwhile, that businesses existing customers must circle 3 or 4 times to find a spot or end up walking several blocks while the owner has their vehicle parked out front and runs out every other hour to feed the meter.

This is insanity. Business owners need to keep their cars out of metered parking. Furthermore, the 15 minutes spent trying to find parking costs the consumer way more than an extra 50 cents or a dollar over 2 hours. When you are spending $80 at the local hardware store or salon or whatever it is, does another dollar weigh your decision? No. That time spent circling certainly does.

The best way to combat that is to increase the parking fee. Your best customers will find parking available and will HAPPILY pay an extra $1 or $2 dollars if it means that they can park close and not spend time searching for it. Even if you value your time at just minimum wage, that 15 minutes represents $2 on it’s own.

By: Angela F

Angela F — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 23:45:33 +0000

Well said, Ms. Arnold! I wondered if increasing fees for parking garages, and discouraging auto traffic to justify a downtown trolley weren’t the ultimate goals anyway. I, too, would reduce or stop my trips downtown if the rates went up without legitimate reasons. As far as I can tell, we do not have a parking problem worth raising rates or extending hours. If the city wants to raise rates and explain exactly what they want to spend the money on, I might be willing to listen. Otherwise, look for real problems to solve.

By: JJ

JJ — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 21:20:38 +0000

downtown businesses support more meter turnover for proximate parking availability to their business, but raising rates and discouraging people from coming downtown is the wrong way to free up some meters.

I too would like to see the list of businesses who support the parking increases, I would like to know who not to patronize with my business.