Every time I have gone downtown, with the exception of Farmer's Market, I have found a spot to park. I don't go there often though because the stores don't have decent dependable hours. It is sort of hit or miss much of the time. <br> <br> Best,<br> <br> _DJA<br><br><b><i>Paul Rumelhart <godshatter@yahoo.com></i></b> wrote:<blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> I'm one of those people who is put off going to downtown because I'm not <br>assured of convenient parking. If I happen to be near downtown, then I <br>will walk in and do business there ocassionally. If there is something <br>specific there that I want (such as a good sandwich from Wheatberries), <br>then I'll go there when I'm close to downtown. If I'm at home and need <br>something, I hop in the car and go anywhere but downtown. It just <br>doesn't even come up on my list of areas to head for.<br><br>If the odds of finding
parking at any given time were higher, I'd go <br>there more - even if I had to walk farther. Once you're downtown, it's <br>no big deal because there are enough shops that you can easily get to <br>that are quite nice. Another put off is that even when you find <br>parking, it's either behind a big building you have to walk around or <br>it's paralell parking on a busy street. Sometimes you get lucky and <br>find some diagonal parking spots.<br><br>I can't imagine that I'm unique when it comes to this.<br><br>Anyway, I also welcome more data on this subject.<br><br>Paul<br><br>Dan Carscallen wrote:<br><br>>Phil says:<br>>"If we determine there is a shortage of parking downtown at certain<br>>times, then one question is what are the consequences of that shortage?<br>>For example, do customers go elsewhere to do business as a result? The<br>>conventional wisdom probably says "Yes," but I'd like to see evidence to<br>>support the conventional wisdom.
(Anecdotally, I've never gone elsewhere<br>>to do business because I couldn't find a parking spot. The businesses<br>>that have what I want determine where I shop, not parking. Perhaps I'm<br>>an exception.)"<br>><br>>If this is the case, I'm just as much as exception as Phil. (Does this<br>>make us exceptional? I'd like to think so) And if we're getting<br>>anecdotal, I've never had a problem finding a place to park downtown, or<br>>near enough for a short walk. Maybe I'm still an exception . . .<br>><br>>BUT, as Phil so eloquently states, a comprehensive study of the<br>>"problem" (real or perceived) needs to occur. Maybe something can be<br>>gleaned and expanded from the study the NSA is doing. It would be nice<br>>to get the whole parking thing defined so people don't have that "moving<br>>target" to keep shooting at.<br>><br>>DC<br>><br>><br>>=====================================================<br>>
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