| Parking Problem? |
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| By Patsy Terrell | |
| Friday, 23 May 2008 | |
| Last Updated ( Friday, 23 May 2008 ) |
I’ve lived here a long time. People have been talking about there being a parking problem the entire time. As of yet, there has NEVER been a parking problem - not today, not five years ago, not ten years ago, not before that. You know how I know? Because I’ve lived in places with parking problems, and I know what they look like.
You’ll know you have a parking problem when you’re paying as much to rent a parking space as you’re now paying for your monthly mortgage.
When I worked at HCC, parking was a continual topic of conversation. I went to a University where we parked at the football stadium and they bussed us onto the main campus a few miles away. That is a parking problem. When you have to park a half block away and walk, it’s not a parking problem.
A few years ago the library was concerned about parking. So, they bought and leveled a building to make more parking. I go to the library pretty regularly. There are always numerous empty parking spaces. Maybe once in the last five years I’ve been unable to park on Main Street, in front of the building. But, even then there was plenty of parking on the side street and also in the back lots.
I was doing news for a local radio station when downtown commissioned the Hyatt Palma study those many years ago. When they gave their report the nice southern gentleman said all he had heard about since he had been there was that there was a parking problem downtown. He said, quite colorfully, that where he was from they had a phrase for such a statement - “That dog don’t hunt.” He went on to say that downtown should hope for a parking problem, that’s what every town was hoping for.
We’re still not there. There’s no parking problem downtown or anywhere else in Hutchinson. Drive down the streets at any given moment and you’ll find a parking spot - generally one very close to your destination. But, again, walking a block - which you rarely have to do - does not mean we have a parking problem. It means you have a thriving area where lots of people are gathering. That’s good.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit, if I had to spend thirty minutes circling every time I wanted to go to Smith’s Market I’d get annoyed by that. Very quickly. One of the reasons we choose to live in a town this size is to avoid some of those problems. But, there’s a happy middle ground. We can grow significantly and still not have a parking problem.
I wonder how many parking places there are in Hutchinson. There must be a significant number per person who lives here. Think about all those parking lots at stores, restaurants, public buildings, the fairgrounds, sports facilities and churches - not to mention private homes. Then there’s all the parking along streets. Considering only a percentage of our population can drive - surely you’re not letting your six year old get behind the wheel - we must a very high ratio of parking spots to cars here.
I’ll admit that during the State Fair parking near the fairgrounds can get tight. But, you can park for free at the fairgrounds lots and only walk a few blocks to be in the midst of the excitement. How many State Fairs offer free parking?
The next time you can’t park right in front of the door at your destination, realize this is a good thing. It means our community is thriving. And you get the bonus of watching your pedometer click away as you walk a few extra steps.
I think the reason I dislike the discussion of a “parking problem” is that it distracts us from the real issue, which is that we definitely do not have a parking problem. Parking is a smoke screen issue. Whenever I hear someone mention parking as a reason to not do something I know they have some other agenda they’re unwilling to voice and take responsibility for. I’m not falling for it.
Didn't your momma teach you to share? Share us.
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Users' Comments (21) |
 05-23-2008 18:01, , Guest Here's a thought to ponder... not saying I know this for sure, just what popped into my head. (I think it is at least partially true for downtown) Here it is ... i think it is easier to say people aren't coming to your facility or store or event because of parking then facing the fact that your facility or store or event just isn't do what it needs to do to draw people. If you have something killer, people will walk for miles to get to it. Also people can just be really lazy sometimes. (I am one of them, sometimes) Thoughts? 05-23-2008 20:45, , Guest  05-23-2008 22:04, , Registered Many business owners have not accepted the new world in which we're living, where I can get the same product a zillion different places, including online. What you can offer me is immediacy - I get it in my hands right away, and service - it's going to be a pleasant exchange to buy it from you and it feels good to buy local. The parking is just a smoke screen, and until we put it aside, we're not going to be able to talk about the real reasons people might choose to shop elsewhere. When we can talk about those, and not get sidetracked with this non-issue, we might find some solutions. 05-27-2008 16:58, , Guest 05-29-2008 19:31, , Registered I've never had to park more than a block from my destination since I moved to Hutch in October. "That dog don't hunt." 05-29-2008 19:35, , Guest I also love the phrase "That Dog don't hunt" Thanks for that FFS!!! 05-29-2008 20:55, , Registered I also wonder why we have parking restrictions downtown when we have plenty of parking. It seems ridiculous. Lets see... you want people to come downtown and stay and shop and walk around and eat... so, we restrict how long they can stay there. Yeah, that's logical. Sure. 05-30-2008 15:00, , Registered  05-30-2008 15:36, , Registered Also if someone is juvenile enough to park in front of your business wouldn't they just rotate every few hours to avoid the ticket? And downtown residents should have reserved spots if they need em. 05-30-2008 20:56, , Registered I guess, fundamentally, that's the question - what do we want? Do we want people downtown? If we do, then not letting them park for more than two hours is not encouraging that. |
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