Giannini: Parking Meters will be Providence Greeters

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Joanne Giannini, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

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The next time you go the hairdresser on Wayland Square or go to a market on Federal Hill, you may be greeted by a new addition on the street where you park:  a parking meter.

In Mayor Jorge Elorza's 2015-2016 budget is a new proposal that is sure to encourage a heated debate in City Hall this summer.  If you don't think it's been hot enough, stick around its about to get a lot hotter.

The new budget proposal is going to add about 700 new parking meters in the Federal Hill, Hope Street and Wayland Square neighborhoods of Providence.  There are approximately already 1,400 metered parking spaces in the city.  With the addition of the proposed meters, there will be approximately 2,100 meters in the city.  The new parking meters will be the black box meters which can accommodate twelve or more parking spaces at once and take credit or debit cards.  The older meters will be changed to accept credit  and debit cards also.

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The new parking meter proposal is expected to generate $4.2 million in revenue, approximately $1.7 million more this year.  Although these are the projected figures, I can't help but feel that Providence could lose more than they bargained for.

Mayor Elorza's spokesperson, Evan England, said that the city is still working out precisely where the meters are going.  Also being considered are popular crowded areas such as the Providence Performing Arts Center and the Dunkin Donuts center in Downtown Providence.  So it seems that the locations for these parking meters are a work in progress and the locations are not written in stone.

There definitely will be a tug of war as to what area gets the most or least meters as well as the most aggressive plan proposal.  Who will be deciding where these meters will be going and how many per neighborhood area will be installed?  Will it have anything to do with the traffic statistics for each neighborhood during business hours?  And I wonder if there were traffic studies done for the proposed areas to determine if adding these meters will increase added traffic, congestion and confusion. 

We all know it can be difficult to park on the East side in the Wayland Square area. At times I have been one of those people driving around in circles trying to find a spot to park there. The same situation exists on Hope street which is a highly traveled road. 

I don't think this will impact the many students who attend college on the East Side who are use to walking the areas of Hope Street, Wayland Square and Thayer, but it will impact on the  residents and business owners. The residents who live there already pay enough taxes and  will not appreciate these added fees.The business owners will hear complaints from their clients about it.  It might discourage customers from visiting their stores when they can go to the Warwick Mall and park for free.  The chance of losing business to other cities is an unwanted consequence that no one wants to see.  But it can happen. All of these businesses generate revenue and pay taxes.  Any decline in business can hurt our struggling economy.

Another location targeted for  the placement of parking meters is Federal Hill.  We all know that the Federal Hill neighborhood is the home of some of the finest restaurants in the state.  It also is the home of many businesses, markets and stores who specialize in a rich Italian culture that they love to share with all Rhode Islanders and visiting tourists.  The residents who live there pride themselves on being part of a community which is rich in heritage and culture. But Federal Hill has had its problems in recent years.  Restaurant  and business owners have had their hands full trying to keep things calm because of recent violent activities there including a murder outside a bar.  The last thing they need now is to get into the middle of a tug of war over parking meters.  They are trying to promote business and convince visitors that the Federal Hill community is a safe and friendly neighborhood. The summer months are here and this is when the businesses  there make their most money because of outside dining, music and visiting tourists. 

The addition of Parking meters in the Federal Hill area will not help the many restaurants, residents, businesses, markets, and law businesses that dot the crowded main streets of Federal Hill.  It could also discourage business and tourism for Federal Hill and that's a consequence that our city does not need. The many tourists from all parts of the world who visit Federal Hill will be greeted on Federal Hill by parking meters. This is not a welcoming sight and it destroys the ambiance of this historic ethnic neighborhood.

We all know that this is a proposal the City Administration feels it needs to close a budget deficit, but in the end it could be costing our businesses and residential communities a lot more money and frustration than anticipated.  The loss of revenue to these communities is a reality and should be considered by the Administration and City Council.

Also, if the final destinations have not been chosen yet, who will have the final say as to the placement of these parking meters?  Will the City Council members have input or will the City Administration choose the locations?  This will create a tug of war between the neighborhoods who are chosen for this proposal.

Mayor Elorza had overwhelming support in the election on the East side of Providence .  Will the East side community oppose these plans and will it make a difference if they do? The Federal Hill Business Association remains very active and strong in the Federal Hill neighborhood. Will their opposition to the plan change things?

Whatever the outcome, one thing remains clear.  The " Parking meter greeters" are coming to a neighborhood near you.  Be ready. 

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Joanne Giannini served as a RI State Representative from Providence from 1994 to 2010. She has previously written commentaries for the Providence Journal and the Federal Hill Gazette. During her tenure in the General Assembly, she made appearances on CNN, Primetime News, and American Morning regarding legislation she filed in Rhode Island.

 

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