'Lehigh Valley InSite'
Allentown Parking Authority Changes Explained by Executive Director
April 22nd, 2015 posted by Ryan Hogan
Allentown Parking Authority Changes Explained by Executive Director
April 22nd, 2015 posted by Ryan Hogan
OMG yet another one telling us about how things should be who don't live within the city. Add him to the long list along with the Brooks Brothers, Reilly, hotel & restaurant owners, directors at LVH and National Penn Bank and dozens more.
They all come to dip into the money pit, but at the end of the day get in their cars and go home where their families live anywhere but in Allentown.
after living in the area for more than half my life and working in the downtown for a good portion of it i think i have a strong perspective on what's happening. plus we are talking about a few bucks right? come on now!
ReplyDeleteThe same be accomplished by offering free parking with one or two hour time limits.
DeleteAs far as only "..we are talking about a few bucks .." the city doesn't seem to think so. Else they'd offer free parking on the streets taxpayers already pay for. If these "few bucks" were truly inconsequential the city wouldn't be collecting them,. If my two bucks an hour is that important to the to city, imagine how much more so they are to the wife & I. Point is... if Allentown wants to attract customers, future homeowners and renters downtown this is not the way to go.
I'll give you a couple of examples. My wife enjoys knitting. When the wife is looking for about 20 bucks worth of yarn we have either the choice of driving to Emmaus where parking is meter free or (like we have done) drive twice around the block and spend what amounts to 10% more for the same product at Tuckers.
I grew up with the Tuckers and would like to give them our business, but see no reason it should cost me 10% more for the same thing we can buy in Emmaus. In addition we only parked about 100 yards away from the store in Emmaus. In Allentown on the other hand we couldn't find a metered space less then two blocks away after circling the block twice.
Let's say we decide to eat out. Which would we rather, Wert's Cafe (free parking) or downtown? Say both costs us as a couple around $40. Suppose we take two hours to eat. Again an extra 10%.
I haven't even started on employee parking costs. Yes Allentown may be able to milk employees and visitors on event nights. But other then these there's a whole bunch of suburban shoppers, potential homeowners and renters who may think twice.
I suppose nobody's going to miss our business,. BUT what if there are hundreds more like the wife and I? As you said... "we are talking about a few bucks right?"