by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
City Council member Suzanne Jenkins wants to change approximately 1,600 parking meters Downtown and her plan is pretty simple: convert every meter to allow for a maximum of three hours instead of one or two hours.
Jenkins, who is spearheading the Downtown action plan committee – which was formed to assist the redevelopment of Downtown — says changing the meters will help Downtown merchants as well as people attending meetings at City Hall and office buildings.
The committee was formed early last month and one of the primary concerns among approximately 450 Downtown business owners and city leaders who attended the initial meeting was parking, according to Jenkins.
“All of them said, ‘If we could have three hour meters, you would fix a huge problem immediately,’” said Jenkins.
But Stephen Dare, owner of Boomtown restaurant across from City Hall on Monroe Street, wants to take Jenkins’ plan one step further. He wants the meters completely abolished.
“It’s the only thing that people really hate about Downtown,” he said.
Dare said the meters that offer a one-hour time limit make it difficult for someone to attend a meeting, enjoy lunch or Downtown entertainment — all while figuring in walking time. He said that people are turned off to Downtown after getting parking tickets for expired meters, something that leaves daytime restaurants and merchants in a deficit. Parking also effects the ability to find good, reliable help because the cost of a parking pass can be expensive, according to Dare.
“The offset to stay Downtown is being canceled out by Downtown parking,” he said. “The only good business Downtown is at night.”
Parking enforcement doesn’t work at night and meters are free after 6 p.m. and on weekends. Dare has requested that the Downtown Ambassadors take on the role of parking enforcement. The Ambassadors began in late 2001 as a group who provides hospitality and information to Downtown workers, residents and visitors.
Jenkins said her committee is also looking into allowing the Ambassadors to help people find parking to attract more people to the city through hospitality and help rather than tickets. She is in the process of sending the proposal for parking meter hour extensions to the mayor’s office in an effort to determine the next step.
“From my understanding, it would not be a problem,” said Jenkins.
Bob Carle, chief of public parking, said though he is not taking sides, adding more hours to the meters would decrease the ability to park the maximum number of cars in one spot per day. At a two-hour meter, five vehicles can park in the spot during a 10-hour day, he said. If the meters are extended to three hours, approximately three cars can park in one spot during the day — if the cars use the maximum allotted time.
The 1,600 meters on the streets in Downtown Jacksonville generated about $654,000 in revenue last year, according to Carle. And based upon the cost to employ parking enforcement, a supervisor and meter maintenance, the revenue from the meters “clearly covers the costs,” he said.
According to Carle, if 1,600 meters are used on a daily basis and time is extended to three hours, the maximum number of parked vehicles at meters would decrease to 3,000 vehicles per day from 8,000.
“We’re not taking any positions,” he said. “We just want to provide information to the powers that be to make an informed decision.”
Jenkins said she wants to first target the meters closer to restaurants, but the sooner it can be done, the better.
“Parking is one of the first places that people face with the city government, and it’s giving us a black eye right now,” she said. “I want to send a better message to the community when they come Downtown.”