srrk

Wed, Sep 28, 2011 : 1:08 p.m.

I like the Birmingham model - park in a parking structure and if you are out within two hours, it's free! There's a way to get customers in to shop (and not hog the space all day)! Come on Ann Arbor, get on with becoming a more welcoming business district. I generally prefer to shop or dine outside of the downtown area primarily due to parking constraints and hassles.

ChrisW

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 6:06 p.m.

Would be nice if they fixed the broken credit card reader at the William lot next to The Blake Transit Center. One of the two machines works, but the other has been broken since July.

DAN

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 4:55 p.m.

There are relatively few handicapped meters in 'prime areas." Most people who need them should not be required to pay the highest rate [which is constantly spiraling upward] as they must be as close as possible to the merchant.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 4:41 p.m.

Since I work downtown and am on a strict budget, any increases in parking mean less money for me to spend on things downtown. So at least in my case, increases in the parking rates *directly* take money away from downtown businesses.

Goober

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 4:34 p.m.

As a side note, I have a story to share with readers. I just left Briarwood Mall about 20 minutes ago and was almost rear ended. The car in front of me decided that the pedestrian nearing the beginning of the crosswalk was close enough and slammed on their brakes. I was able to easily see this coming and jumped on my brakes. I stopped and then looked in my rear view mirror. The truck behind me slammed on their brakes pulling to the left of me, stopping almost even with me. The car following the truck, then slammed on their brakes nearly rear ending me, giving me the horn at the same time. I know this does not have anything to do with parking rates, but Ann Arbor leadership (the mayor and city council) have a habit of making rules and changes to the disadvantage of those that elect to drive a car. An increase in the cost to park downtown is another indication of mismanagement.

dotdash

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 4:14 p.m.

It's worse for people who work downtown, but frankly, for shoppers, $1.40/hour is pretty cheap. I was pleasantly surprised (shocked) to find such cheap lots when we moved here. I hate the time wasted in going up and down the parking structures, but compared to anywhere else I've lived, parking is reasonably priced.

Forever27

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 3:36 p.m.

even at $1.80 an hour parking in Ann Arbor is perfectly reasonable. There are plenty of spaces available for those willing to walk two blocks from their car. You can't come to an urban area and expect to find free streetside parking in front of every store. it's simply an unrealistic expectation.

treetowncartel

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 3:33 p.m.

Tom Perkins should do a piece called how to park in Downtown Ypsilanti for free.

AA

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 3:33 p.m.

Greed, pure and utter greed. Until the kisoks are taken down and meter rates cut by 50% I will not, and will tell everone not to spend one thin dime on parking in Ann Arbor. Does that help your business?

racerx

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 2:59 p.m.

So. How will this change (if at all) when the 600 space downtown parking garage is completed? Apparently this will become the #1 prime parking spot. Will the street meters then have a lower price? Assuming, the rates for the 600 Library Lot will have to keep pace to offset the cost that it took to build it. And, without a conference center or any other tenants above at the beginning I wonder what the cost will be. Will they be higher than those existing structures (Ann/Ashley, Fourth/Washington)? Inquiring minds....

Tom Whitaker

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 2:34 p.m.

Some of the street meters outside the DDA boundary were added by the City a couple of years ago, supposedly to raise revenue that wouldn't go into DDA coffers, but instead, go directly to the City. The meters along the west side of Division, between William and Packard is one example of where this was done. If you drive by on any given weekday, you might see a couple of spaces taken at Packard--presumably by Crazy Jim's customers, and a few at William, perhaps taken by Raja Rani customers. By and large, however, the spaces remain unused until the evening when the enforcement period ends. When cars ARE parked along here, the lane lines are painted so tightly that I fear someone will get killed by a passing car while getting out the passenger side of their car. I wonder if the City has ever gone back and calculated how much these cost to install (along with the dozens of signs that came with them) and maintain vs. the actual revenue collected? I'd be willing to bet they are in the red. Factor in the safety risk and I think it's time to remove these meters and others that aren't being used and implement resident permits in all the near-downtown neighborhoods that don't yet have them. (Non-residents get up to two hours.)

James J. Gould

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 2:11 p.m.

With the new enforcement of the crosswalk ordinance, why risk going to downtown Ann Arbor at all ? Let the students have it. They are the only ones with enough money to afford Ann Arbor prices anyway.

Gregory Dodd

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 1:53 p.m.

I think UPS and FedEx trucks should be parking and paying for parking like the rest of us. Using flashers is for emergencies, not for cutting overhead. They should not get to stop in the street and block traffic because they don't want to look for parking and pay for it. Would it be OK for the rest of us to stop in the street because we are in the course of our daily job?

Huron74

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 1:36 p.m.

Sad to say but Ann Arbor is becoming more like Chicago every day. And not in a good way either. Let's look at the list; One party rule; Long term mayors with pet projects; Endless tax increases and proposals for new ones. Add in aggressive beggars and unresponsive cops to the mix and there we are; Chicago on the Huron. I quit going to Chicagoland about a decade ago and now I'm starting to feel alienated from the city where I was born and raised and have lived most of my life.

Betty

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 12:39 p.m.

I find AA parking overpriced and hostile. I don't treat other people poorly and I don't have time for towns, bureaucrats and parking shake-down schemes that treat me poorly. There is a poster of a collage of "no parking signs" with an ironic "welcome to Ann Arbor". It's a funny poster, but it reflects an arrogant unwelcomeness to downtown that I find unpleasant and has repelled me to other places. For me, when possible I avoid downtown, and when I must go downtown I find free places to park in AA. I presume that sending away customers is not the intention but it is the outcome in my case but the parking hostility raises my resolve to go elsewhere. The restaurants in Dexter, Saline and Northville are lovely and the shops are charming and the parking is free. For example some downtown businesses open their lots in off hours. This is 'welcoming'. Most businesses do not open their lots even in non-business hours. This is 'unwelcoming'. Revenue being down at the DDA should be the GOAL-not a crisis. AA would be a more welcoming, friendly town if the politician had that posture. Instead we have a 'gotcha' game by the revenue officers of the parking brigade shaking down the citizens to justify their department's existence. Make AA pleasant (I would come back)

Bob Bethune

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 12:31 p.m.

Free parking is available at the Ann Arbor Park-n-Ride lots. URL: <a href="http://theride.org/parkandride.asp" rel='nofollow'>http://theride.org/parkandride.asp</a>.

Awakened

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 12:27 p.m.

I never minded paying for parking on the assumption that the money was used to maintain the parking system and structures. But we have seen the funds raided again and again to avoid cutting pet spending projects. $1.40/hour tax to frequent AA businesses is more than I choose to pay. And getting a cut rate to walk several extra blocks in an increasingly hostile environment is no bargain. Goodbye, Downtown.

rusty shackelford

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 12:11 p.m.

&quot;Of course, for those savvy enough, free parking options also abound in and around the downtown — you just have to know where to find them.&quot; Ryan, PLEASE do not do a story on this. We cherish our free parking.

Wolf's Bane

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 11:58 a.m.

We simply walk downtown or we park for free at the special lot afterhours. No, I will not reveal the name or location of the lot.

rs

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 11:18 a.m.

Seriously? If $1.40/hr blows your budget, don't go downtown - you can't afford anything there anyways. You can't even buy a bottle of water for $1.40.

KJMClark

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 10:57 a.m.

I almost always park for free downtown. But then again, I almost always bike downtown. Bike parking is free. But we make up for it by spending $100 to $200 each trip, mostly on groceries &amp; stuff from Downtown Home and Garden. You can fit a lot of groceries in a bike trailer.

CB

Tue, Sep 27, 2011 : 10:26 a.m.

I just go where there's free parking. Downtown merchants should be fighting any charge for 1-2 hour parking. Especially with the ridiculous taxes they pay. This is probably why downtown has turned into mostly coffee shops and bars. And don't get me started on the stupid parking meters that don't take $1 bills.