One of the city candidates is promoting free downtown parking as part of his platform. Doesn’t that sound like a great idea?
I used to think so, but then I had a conversation with a small business owner who was very much against the idea. Surprised by this, I asked why, and learned that if there are no meters, many of the prime spaces could be/would be taken by downtown residents with no incentive to move their vehicles. Long-term parkers would occupy the convenient spaces in front of businesses and actually make matters worse.
If something sounds like an obvious solution, before you jump in to support it, ask yourself why it hasn’t been enacted already. It’s always worth the time to learn about unintended consequences.
