While the City is dragging it's feet in actually providing all of the documents requested, letters from two of Cincinnati's most "establishment" bodies show just how wide and deep the opposition to the Mallory/Quall's agenda is.
Read the letters for yourself below:
I'm confused about your opposition to the privatized parking. Current government run parking is horrible at helping small businesses. I own a restaurant downtown and after 5 every single space becomes full for the rest of the night. My costumers coming at 6-9PM have no where to go other than big old garages a few blocks away. I have to pay part of the cost for a valet (which costs my customers $8 a night) because there are no meters available. Even if the meters continued to 8 or 9PM at $2 an hour, that would be cheaper for most of my costumers than valet, and I wouldn't have to subsidize part of the valet cost. It might mean that parking options would grow, meaning rather than driving for blocks my costumers could find a spot right outside.
ReplyDeleteFinally, the Chicago deal is HORRIBLE, agreed! But Indianapolis is phenomenal. They've had privatized parking for almost 2 years, the rate downtown is $1.50 and they have technology like a text 5 minutes before your meter ends, and you can see open parking spots on an iphone app like google maps.
If the Cincinnati deal looks like Indianpolis's I'd think COAST would support it as it gets a non-government function into the private sector and out of bureaucratic hands. If it looks like Chicago's, sure I'll oppose it, but I've heard that there is no deal because they are still negotiating it. Once we see it I'll make up my mind on how it would help my business.
Roger, please see our earlier blog post detailing our opposition http://coast-usa.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-parking-issue-is-so-important.html
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