Thursday, July 29, 2010
Chapel Hill consultant says free parking isn't free, or a good idea
CHAPEL HILL —There’s nowhere to park downtown. It’s too expensive. Chapel Hill has tried to confront these well-worn perceptions for decades. Of late, the town has moved to free parking on Sundays and free valet service, but cries continue for more options.
- Jeremy Lange
- Dan Douglas of KlingStubbins is crafting a plan for downtown Chapel Hill.
Referencing “The High Cost of Free Parking” by UCLA Urban Planning Professor Donald Shoup, Douglas explained that visitors are paying for an experience downtown that’s different from malls. Franklin Street is public, and Southpoint Mall is corporate, which means Chapel Hill can market a unique experience, he says.
“If you are trying to compete with malls on the basis of free parking, you will lose every time,” he said.
Douglas believes people will pay, as much as $2 an hour even, if metered spots are available and the downtown offers character and charm. He says it's too costly for a town to give away prime real estate for no return. His pay-to-park opus was met with applause by most of the planners and business owners in the room.
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"...and the downtown offers character and charm." It does? Really? Anyone who believes this is deluded or hasn't traveled much. The buildings don't look like much, and the street squatters are the same as they are in many cities.
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No such thing as free valet parking when the hand that takes your keys extends to receive a tip as well.
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