Does Downtown Need Parking Meters?

[uptowngirl]

I hate meters, but I hate searching for a damn parking space more.

I went to the library yesterday to return a mega load of books, I have to hike it from the north forty (two cop cars parked in spots in front of the library but not harrassing or moving anyone from the front of the library or Hemming Plaza!) with 40lbs of books. I also had to feed a meter where I did park and fight off three different homeless dudes begging for money. I told them I had none, they said they would take change, I said I had none, they said I was feeding the meter with change.... well DUH!!!!  Then I had to weave my way through the additional homeless outside the library doors (not asking for money thank God!), drop my books off, weave my way through some more homeless inside the library to pick up some new books, and then start the process back to my car......Brentwood Library is looking better and better all the time. I am about to give up on Downtown...I mean really I feel like I am fighting a losing battle with limited 'friendlies" on my side....

[fsujax]

I hate the meters and then not being able to find a quarter to put in the stupid, dinosaur things.....speaking from my experience yesterday.

[Lunican]

For future reference, the library has a book return drop box on Duval Street.

[thelakelander]

If you're going to be in downtown near Hemming Plaza for less than an hour, park in the library garage. Make your run, then get your parking validated at the library information desk on the main floor.

[stephendare]

The Meters need to go.  Altogether.

[uptowngirl]

There is a library parking garage?

I had no idea...

I like that I can order any book on want on line to be delivered anywhere you like (I choose Brentwood) and just go pick it up when you get your email....I ahve found this much easier than trying to park and navigate the homeless downtown. I do miss the little stops i make at the businesses by the library while there...but I am finally starting to realize they really don't want anyone doing anything but working downtown.

[stephendare]

Uptowngirl.  Welcome to the Ballgame.  Its what 900 thousand of your other fellow citizens already knew.

Seriously.  You have to wonder about a group of people who don't question whether or not its odd that fully 70 percent of its citizens refuse to come into its downtown.

Poll after poll has told the city that the parking policies are the problem, but these are all dismissed as crazy talk.

"Surely it couldnt be anything that minor".

well it is.

[kathy Jackson]

Jacksonville is on the edge of ruin and they are just preying on the poor.
This one of the most racist cities in America.
All people of color know that this hell on earth is cursed, why don't white people?

[tufsu1]

and this relates to parking meters how?

[mtraininjax]

OK - Who among the parking meter historians is taking meters with, what $30 worth of coins, right off their posts? This is pathetic when people resort to stealing the meters for money. From CBS47 website:

A meter mystery is creating a parking headache in Downtown Jacksonville.Someone is stealing parking meters right off their poles downtown. According to the City of Jacksonville, twenty parking meters have disappeared over the last four weeks. The meters hold at the most $30 in quarters and aren't easy to steal.
“It really takes a heavy piece of equipment or a vehicle with a chain to take [the meters] out -- a lot of effort for the small amount of change that goes into those meters,” said Bob Carle, chief of the city’s parking division.

As a result of the thefts, crews have increased the collection of money and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has been notified.
“It's hard to tell what motivates the folks that tear up the parking meters but it could be the nominal change that's in there or it could be the novelty of having the parking meter,” said Carle.
Most of the meters were stolen off streets that don't see a lot of on-street parking. Many of the stolen meters have been replaced with refurbished meters. The city is looking to move towards “smart” meters that accept credit cards when money is available.

[thelakelander]

Perhaps its not about the change?  Maybe they should just pull up all the meters and reinstall them at SJTC.  There's more money to be made there.

[Lunican]

“It's hard to tell what motivates the folks that tear up the parking meters but it could be the nominal change that's in there or it could be the novelty of having the parking meter,” said Carle.

Or maybe it's revenge.

[Overstreet]

I hate meters, but I hate searching for a damn parking space more. ............... fight off three different homeless dudes begging for money. .............

Without the meters the folks that work down there would park on the street to save parking fee and there wouldn't be any spaces.

I don't lie to the "give me a dollar guys" I just tell them,  "No" or "No, get away from me".

[stephendare]

Overstreet, there are 18thousand people living working and playing downtown.  There are 36 thousand parking spaces.  Even if every employee parked on the street, there would still be room for twice as many people as are presently downtown.

[thelakelander]

Just place a time limit on the free parallel parking an enforce it like they do in downtown Cleveland and Raleigh.


New free parallel parking spaces on Euclid Avenue in the heart of DT Cleveland

Anyway, I've noticed the missing meter heads on the street.  Now I seek them out and park in those spaces to avoid having to pay.  The change saved up is better spent supporting people who have taken risks to open businesses in DT despite the backwards public policy enforced on their customers.