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Hand on a bible: I have no personal ax to grind and am not, despite appearances, trying to stammer my way out of a ticket here. I got one, fair and square, and will pay the 20 bucks (double if I'm late) with a minimum of fuss.
I was shopping locally 30 seconds too long and got nailed.
In fact, let me drop the pretense and just cut this local parking ticket issue to the quick: villages struggling to attract viable stores should not discourage shoppers by deploying parking meters. This is especially true when the formidable competition from nearby strip malls allows shoppers to park for free, without scrambling for loose change amid pocket lint, or worrying about their shopping time expiring.
Look around Westchester and Connecticut: downtowns that work through good economies and bad — like Greenwich — tend to have a corporate presence within walking distance of shops. Workers, flush with money, frequent stores and restaurants during the day.
I live in Hastings, where plenty of stores have floundered. There are always empty storefronts, giving the village a bedraggled vibe. There is no corporate presence, which means you can roll a bowling ball down the sidewalks during the day. It's hard to sustain too many restaurants without good lunchtime business. One particular site has had more restaurants fail than I can adequately remember. Worse: with the opening of the mammoth Ridge Hill shopping center nearby, right across the border in Yonkers, competition is going to get even stiffer. I fear a huddled mass of empty storefronts.
Yet — even while Hastings, like many villages, guilts residents into buying local, they charge for the privilege of parking.
These meter-happy villages seem to know better. To help business along during the holiday season, most suspend meters. But why, considering the empty storefronts, don't they suspend this hardheaded policy all the time?
It's a question I corner my mayor (poor guy) with whenever I see him at local events.
After I chew his ear off, Mayor Peter Swiderski, a good sport, points to the $40,000 or so parking tickets rake in annually. But, I counter, there is no cookbook formula here for how much that $40,000 costs. We currently have a number of large-sized empty storefronts downtown. They are hard to fill at any point in time, much less in this fading economy. We also have a number of conventional-sized spaces available. A congenitally troubled downtown hurts home values, local employment and much more.
So why not shelve the rigid meter theology? To guard against auto squatters, who park all day long, have a traffic officer make a chalk mark on tires, as Greenwich did for years, only ticketing after 3 hours, a sufficient time to fill bags to the brim with local goods? In response, the mayor points to that 40 grand.
We agree to disagree and leave it at that.
But with the economy falling into the deep again, maybe I should make more of my anti-meter campaign. I'm not grinding a personal ax here. Instead, I am aiming to start a collective movement. It's not as sexy as the anti-nuke or anti-war movements, but will anyone join my anti-meter cause? We can get shirts, buttons, sing songs and who knows? Maybe even help some profoundly troubled, stuck-in-the-mud local downtowns.
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Marek Fuchs is the author of "A Cold-Blooded Business," the true story of a murderer who almost got away with it. His upcoming book on volunteer firefighting across America, “Local Heroes,” is due out in 2012. He wrote The New York Times' "County Lines" column about life in Westchester for six years and teaches non-fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville. When not teaching or writing, he serves as a volunteer firefighter. You can contact Marek through his website, www.marekfuchs.com or on Twitter: @MarekFuchs.
Comments (23)
Too bad many pelham merchants are brain dead and park along fifth avenue all day long destroying parking for shoppers.
Marek,
I am a relatively new resident to CT and the practice is obsured. The state taxes residence so much, as it is, with piss poor accoounting of the monies. Then you get the local yocals putting ancient parking meters up and when your 30 seconds in not putting money in the meter you get a 50.00 fine. Makes me think twice about going back to a community. When I 1st saw the S.Norwalk area I could see the big picture of what that town was trying to achieve. I started doing business with a merchant down there and I can't tell you how many tickets I have gotten by not watching the second hand on my watch. And the town wonders why that people aren't shopping there. Even in Westport you can get 2 hours free. When will this antiquated practice stop? The revenue from state taxes that the merchants have to pay should be plenty for the cities to endure. BTW, the parking cops use to walk, now they have a segway that is driven around so you can be nabbed even faster for going over your time. Gee, that was a good investment with the meter money, don't ya think?
Mr. Fuchs: Your article clearly implies a a singular connection between the presence parking meters and the awful state of many downtown shopping and business districts. All the studies show that parking meters per se have little or no impact on people/s willingness to shop in these places. The problem is much more complex and communities have to develop a multi-teired approach to the porblem/ Such a strategy must include, among other things,the creation of walkable streets and sidewalks; intra- and inter-core transit; culture and entertainment; increased safety and cleanliness; a real estate policy, a parking management program and programming
and marketing.
Hey History Guy: We might have to agree to disagree. I said that villages struggling to attract shoppers should not discourage them with meters, when competing strip malls allow parking for free. But I didn't say (nor do I even remotely think) that ridding ourselves of parking meters would be a magic bean or pixie dust cure for local retail ills. Best, Marek
New Rochelle went 24/7 on there meters in downtown parking lots and the only thing that did was chase people away.
Mr. O'Toole: Amen to that. Best, Marek
David Marcus gets it. Mamaroneck Village gets an annual donation in December to pay for all the metered spaces. Canvas bags with an advertised message are placed over each space. This is very generous and nice, but counter-productive. Many shoppers, including me, do not go near the Village for these 2 weeks, as it is too difficult to find one of the "free" spaces. Parking in small downtown areas is a complex issue that requires thoughtful solutions; and each hamlet is different.
Hey JReader: Shopkeepers I've spoken said the free parking helps them, big time...but that's anecdotal evidence, nothing scientific. I do, though, agree that every hamlet is different. Moreover, right now, too many are going with the catch-all strategy: meters. If you don't have a corporate presence in town, with people shopping during the day (or have a big shopping mall opening nearby, like the Rivertowns) I think it's self-defeating. Best, Marek
Hey Marek, love the column. I sent you a note (for an article idea) via your website but didn't hear back. It occurred to me that you may not have gotten it. Let me know,
Rob Cummings
Wait, is this the Rob Cummings of Armonk fame? If so, it's great to hear from you. If not, nice to meet another Rob Cummings. Either way: I'm so sorry if I didn't get back to you: once in a while I lose messages in the shuffle or the spam receptacle...can you try one more time? Lemme know if it doesn't work. Best Wishes, Marek
Marek - the one and only... I sent you a note using marekfuchs.com contact page with my contact info. Hope it gets through!
-Rob
im starting to get very disappointed that you are representing the suburan fathers. all you seem to do is whine and complain. meters are not what is turning people away from local stores. look at The Westchester mall, and the Gallaria mall in white plains. both charge for parking, and the lots are always filled with cars. the issue at hand is perceived value. people dont shop at the local store when they can go to target and get the same item for half the cost. restaurants do well when they are doing things right. good service and food at a price that is right. if you want to champion local businesses, why not look at sales tax reductions for non-chain stores. or rent control for localy owned businesses. i find that no matter which village i go to in the area, the meters allow for sufficient time to get my shopping done, i make sure i put in for the max time if i plan on taking my time. maybe you should consider putting a couple more nickles in next time and help support your local government with the income from the meter, instead of whining about a ticket in the guise of some champion for local merchants.
All I do is whine and complain? Hey, I resemble that accusation! In all seriousness, malls are destinations and The Westchester, in far better shape than the Galleria, doesn't even have the sort of meters that require a store of change. You pay with bills or a card, far easier. No tickets involved for shopping extra either. Moreover, high-end malls like the Westchester need to charge for parking so kids won't loiter the whole day. The Galleria appear to be failing...and should (like many of our downtowns) lift the meters. In fact, they should probably pay us to park there. The other really important thing to remember is this: most downtowns compete with local strip malls, where parking is free and you don't have the hassle of change or tickets for getting caught up in your shopping and going two minutes over...
No tickets at the Westchester but you pay A LOT more for parking there. The Galleria doesn't use coin meters anymore, they got rid of them a couple years ago. Now they have a machine you type in your space # and it gives you a slip. if you want to add time you just have to go to any machine, type your # and add some more money. You dont have to go all the way to your car. Would you be in favor of this type of parking in a village? I would put machines every block or so. You dont have to go all the way back to your car, just the closest corner and add more time? if it was a town you could walk around Like Tarrytown, lots of antiquing, restaurants and the music hall. would make parking on Washington street easier to deal with. Or Ossining, park at the post office and be able to walk all up and down main street with out having to go back to your car for the meter. as for strip malls, these are local businesses as well no? You want to be lazy and not have to walk to a lot, you pay. And as far as Malls being destinations, main street should be as well. Why do you go to the mall? because they have lots of different stores and some eating establishments all in one spot? so should main street. Look at Mt Kisco, the main drag has some big chain stores and some mom and pop, lots of parking. Its nice to walk around on a sunny day, stop in the stores get some ice cream. Tarrytown is similar only a lot less chains. I think the biggest draw is layout. Its easy to walk around mt kisco and tarrytown. Its not easy to walk around new Rochelle or Ossining, everything is spread out. Meters are not the issue though, as proven by destination locations. People are willing to pay for parking, if they can get more bang for their buck (more stores close to one spot, less trips in and out of the car) it becomes a more pleasant experience.
Sure: people are willing to pay for location and quality; fact is, though, a lot of smaller villages don't have the ability to attract too much quality. Most of their stores are workaday enterprises---like, say, stationary stores. But when we are asked to "buy local," we are effectively being asked to pay more (for stationary or printer cartridges) than we would at Staples at the local strip mall...AND feed meters for the privilege. No wonder Main Streets are dying. Best, Marek
The problem with parking is that 95% of the customers want a front space. No matter whether you eliminate or charge there are only a few spaces that are directly in front of the store you want to shop in. I believe that the invention of parking lots that are convenient for a group of stores makes more sense. Only handicap parking should be in front of these stores. The lots should be free and this will allow less stress in shopping. Also, shoppers can extend their shopping experience.
Furthermore, the revenue gained from these meters are small and as far as where the money goes, well, I am not the bookkeeper for this, so I can assume all I want. Stores are suffering and they need to make shopping a pleasant experience and parking should not be a stress issue. Build a multi-tier parking lot to avoid problems. But like Greenwich, that would be an eye sore and isn't allowed, parking there is always a problem however, they do have 12 hour meters. Walking is a new concept.
Yes, there are issues beyond the meters. But I love what you say about allowing for less stress in shopping. Great retailers know this. Local officials do not. Best, Marek
Many years ago the Village of Ossining removed its parking meters in the downtown district because mechants complained that they hurt business. However, this did not improve the business climate and store employees and even owners tooktheparking spaces that should have gone to customers for hours on end. Chalk marks on tires were erased and other ways were devised by crafty drivers to overcome the posted time limits. Around 2004 the parking meters went back up to assauge complaints about lack of parking and to assure a rotating supply of spaces.Today parking is easier but even so business has not improved. It's clear that the problem of dormant downtown shopping districts in small towns and villages is a complex problem and not due to meters as Mr. Fuches contends. Removing the meters will not bring business back to his hometown. Private landlords, business owners and other stakeholders need to band together to manage local business districts as a single entity much the same way that large shopping malls management corprations do. Parking, store hours promotional events, street cleaning, security and store facades, signage and parking etc need to come under a single umbrella. Parking fees that presently go to the municipal coffers could be diverted to pay for the centralized managment and property owners could pay into an assessment fund to pay for other ammenities.
Hey History Guy: I wasn't trumpeting a meter-less world as a one-step solution to save local retailing as we know it. I only wish the business world were that simple, especially these days. But the meters (especially in villages that have no corporate presence and have a huge mall complex opening up nearby) are a self-destructive measure. Lifting the meters policy (as many of these villages do during the Christmas shopping season in a nod to reality) would be a good first step. Best, Marek
Isn't the mark-on-tire-ticket-after-3-hours best for businesses? In other words, with meters, I'm often uneasy shopping, looking at my watch, ready to scurry out. I'm rarely in the relaxed state stores prefer. And retailers don't want frenetic turnover, with customers rushing in and out. At the same time, you don't want squatters. Granted: if someone is going to shop for hours, I'm sure that's fine with retailers. You don't, though, want people to ditch their car in town, taking up a space, before hopping on the train to the city. So have a traffic cop put a chalk mark on a tire. If it's still there in 3 hours: ticket. If not, enjoy shopping in a village while in a relaxed state...just like you do at a strip mall.
3 hour limits can work in low-demand areas. In SoNo, there are times when even with $1/hour meters, all the on-street spots are filled. Making them free would make it impossible to find a spot, and what good is a free spot if it's already taken?
Ultimately, parking meters are the logical response to situations in which demand exceeds capacity. If the most convenient spots have meters and the less-convenient ones are cheap or free, then you have a well-running system in which everybody can find a spot that meets their needs.
Ultimately, the issue of whether parking meters hurt local businesses has been studied and no study has been able to find a measurable impact. It appears that customers for whom a few quarters in the meter is a financial hardship don't spend much money in the stores anyways.
Well, I'd like to see any thorough modern study that takes into account stiff competition from, for example, online retailing. I've seen a few studies, but they were done when the Internet was only a gleam in Al Gore's eye or when Amazon was in its infancy. Now, that local stationary store has to worry about me going to Staples, where I don't feed a meter, and Amazon, where I don't even have to get into my car. And this is one of those issues, too, that's a bit hard to measure. The issue of NOT buying local is guilt inducing. For many I talk to, it's a guilty little secret--not something that would always become apparent in a study, even one that took into account the modern retail environment, so rife with competition.