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a� �� <br /> streets and lots have meters for 12 and a half cents an hour. However, there are oddities to <br /> current system that create problems. Broadway, from Main Street to El Camino Real (where the <br /> majority of restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues are located) is free. Predictably, on- <br /> street spaces on Broadway are usually congested a11 day long, even though the Downtown as a <br /> whole has plenty of available parking. At slow times it is often possible to find Broadway <br /> completely full while spaces a short distance away on side streets are completely empty. Why? <br /> You must pay on the side streets. There are also spaces irregularly scattered throughout <br /> Downtown that are free, following no appazent pattern, and these too are often gridlocked while <br /> metered spaces across the street or around the corner sit empty. This is often done to "help out" <br /> businesses on the block. But if the free spaces are overcrowded and unavailable, have we really <br /> done anyone a favor? All of this leads to inconvenient, inefficient, and confusing pazking <br /> patterns. <br /> Certainly the people who get the coveted free/underpriced parking space right in front of their <br /> destination aze pleased. What a great deal! But there aren't enough of those magical spaces for <br /> everyone. So the majority of people can't get what they want and are upset by it. What Bargain <br /> Hunter will be happy about paying a lot of money to park in an undesirable space? What <br /> Convenience Hunter will be happy about being forced to walk because there wasn't a space <br /> available on the main street? Pleasing a few lucky people while upsetting the majority is not a <br /> good way to do business. <br /> Will Charging for Parking Drive Away Business? <br /> Frankly, not too many people decide where to go for a night out on the town based on free <br /> parking. People typically are seeking a fun, unique experience when they are going out to dinner <br /> or to see entertainment. They want to go to a place that is exciting and lively. What about <br /> shoppers? Granted, discount shoppers want a deal on everything, including parking. But no <br /> downtown can ever compete with big box "power centers" to attract discount shoppers. <br /> Thankfully, they don't need to. People who shop in downtowns are not usually looking for <br /> bargain basement prices on jumbo packages of paper towels. Rather, they are seeking unique <br /> products and unique environments. Niche shopping and "experience" shopping have been the <br /> saviors of downtown retail in the era of inega discount chains. In addition, shoppers and diners <br /> are typically less sensitive to parking charges because they aze there for relatively short periods <br /> of time, meaning they accumulate less of a fee than an employee or someone else who will be in <br /> Downtown all day. Thus, shoppers and diners (priority customers for prime parking spaces) have <br /> a competitive advantage over long-term parkers. <br /> There are a few things that DO seem to stand out to visitors of downtowns, though. One is a lack <br /> of available spaces. This causes people to cruise around until they can find one, and it is <br /> frustrating. Why spend 15 minutes circling around blocks looking for a space? Who wants to do <br /> that? Underpricing curb pazking cannot relieve this problem, because it cannot create more <br /> spaces. Charging the mazket price CAN create open spaces, however, and allow anyone to find a <br /> prime space if they want it badly enough. <br /> Cruising causes many problems. First of all, the people who are forced to cruise are justifiably <br /> upset. Secondly, all of these cars circling around for a parking spot can cause major traffic <br /> paste 17 <br />