Plenty of Parking

A circulating petition against timed Broadway parking on Saturdays has acquired 200 signatures and counting. Characteristic of how the ordinance was passed, most of the initial signees were surprised in addition to disappointed when they heard that Saturdays would be a ‘ticketable’ day downtown instead of the original Monday through Friday.
Downtown parking on Saturdays did not ‘require’ reform until a business owner located on Broadway complained to the Parking Commission of vehicles being left overnight and staying there, painting a false picture that Broadway was taken over by vehicles from the bar scene. 

Russell Quammen, a downtown resident who has lived on Broadway for more than six years stated, “I’ve never seen a situation where a person shopping downtown on a Saturday would have to walk more than half a block [prior to Saturday restrictions].” Quammen also added, “Some could use the exercise.”

Parking availability aside, visitors spending a weekend afternoon downtown can be seen walking (voluntarily) up and down the strip discovering our many retail, entertainment and dining options.
In the paragraph heading the survey circulated to Broadway business owners by the Parking Commission, it is stated that, “Many businesses are experiencing high volumes on weekends – especially Saturdays.”

Why would an ordinance be passed to increase the flow of customers to downtown stores if business is already thriving?

In the survey results, a business located downtown for over 80 years comments, “I don’t see any ongoing problems right now. I would support additional enforcement when it becomes a problem.” Another owner writes,“Saturdays are leisurely with strolling and dining. Restricted parking on Broadway would limit this a bit.”

Restricted Saturday parking did not have an isolated city commission vote and instead was passed under a consent agenda, one vote for sixteen separate requests, authorizations and applications.

The approved ratification has been tagged by its few and silent supporters as better for business. Yet up and down Broadway the majority of business owners feel ticketing on Saturdays would harm their current success. In the survey, one owner states, “If parking is regulated on the weekends my business would be better off somewhere else.”
Furthermore, why would the concept of a 90-minute limit make it past the Parking Commission and to the City Commission in the form of an ordinance when only 39 percent of the businesses surveyed saw a need for parking reform on Saturdays?

Under ordinance number 4701, the valuable statistics and comments produced by the survey could have been ignored by the Parking Commission no matter what the results were. “The Parking Commission, if in their judgment traffic conditions warrant it and subject to review by the board of city commissioners, may extend, change, or adjust the parking zones designated herein, provided said extension changes, or adjustments are posted or marked.”

Curiously enough, a member of the Parking Commission may support the new enforcement yet suggest an amendment, or favor, that would ensure their Broadway operation would not be negatively affected. As stated in the comment section of the survey results, “My only concern is trying to accomodate 5 hr film times from 1-5 on Sat and Sun afternoons - Is ther a way to have ‘movie zones’ on Fargo Theater side of the block??? =-)” [sic]

Currently, there is no parking allowed on Broadway on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. to allow street maintenance such as cleaning or snow removal. If a driver parks their vehicle on a Friday night on Broadway, they: 1) intend on moving it before 2 a.m., 2) weren’t aware of the ordinance, or 3) are fully conscious of the possibility of being ticketed but believe it won’t happen because of the inconsistent enforcement.

After all, if a driver has parked on the wrong street overnight and wasn’t ticketed, wouldn’t they be inclined to continue? Instead of introducing an entirely new day of ticketing to downtown residents, employees and shoppers, the original overnight parking restrictions should be fully enforced.

Even after the parking signs were changed, it was never too late to ask the people if they were in favor or against timed parking on Broadway on Saturdays. The response has been dominantly against a sixth day of ticketing and soon the next step will be to approach the City Commission.

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