Modesto Considering Big Changes To Downtown Parking Plan
MODESTO (CBS13) — A new report says downtown Modesto's parking system is completely backwards, something that business owners have complained about for years.
Hayden Fletcher buys more than one cup at Preservation Coffee, so he sits with a time to remember to move his car.
"I'm moving my car three, four times a day. If they're not marking the tires, I'm not moving my car, but I'm still checking every two hours," he said.
Barista Rebkah Cook also has to keep moving her car.
"I've been ticketed three or four times since I started working here. It's a huge pain," she said.
Downtown merchants say they want customers like Fletcher to stay longer and employees like Cook to move to the parking garage. But the garage costs money, while parking on the street is free. In addition, time limits vary at different locations.
"They'll go eat at the cafe next door and come in and look around, but run out saying they can't stay, because they don't want to get a ticket. That's not good. We want them to stay," said Crow Trading Antiques owner Jennifer Williams.
"People were not able to eat lunch. It takes an hour to eat lunch and they couldn't find any parking. A lot of people complained because they came downtown for business meetings, but it lasted over an hour and they came out to a ticket," said Intrinsic Designs owner Susie Fagundes.
So downtown business owners approached the city about changing the parking, and a hired consultant found the city's parking was backwards—parking garages have the most space, but cost money, while street parking is limited and free.
As it turns out, the Chamber of Commerce says downtown had parking meters decades ago.
It was the new mall that drew businesses away from downtown. To compete, the city made downtown parking free.
But now with a downtown revival, the city will recommend a framework similar to Livermore and Walnut Creek with free parking garages and smart meter street parking.