Everyone loses with Sarasota's paid parking
Once again, Herald-Tribune Opinion Editor Roger Brown is all wrong about Sarasota's paid parking program ("It's time to declare a win on parking and move on," Sept. 2).
There is no "win" for anyone.
In fact, Sarasota's paid parking program has neither been effective nor efficient since its inception.
Year after year, changes have been made to parking rules and hours of operation, and parking meters have been replaced or changed because they are difficult to use.
It makes you wonder whether we should have had a paid parking program in the first place.
Just think how free parking in St. Armands Circle and downtown Sarasota would positively impact all of us.
There would be:
- No more $6 million-plus expenditures.
- No more irate peoplehaving to pay fines.
- No more paying $10,000 for new signage every time we change the parking hours and rates.
- No more buying and replacing parking meters.
- No more new special uniforms for the "parking enforcement specialists."
- No more new parking enforcement cars for the parking enforcement specialists.
- No more new parking enforcement golf carts to take the parking enforcement specialists around town issuing tickets.
- No more special meetings, task forces, ad hoc committees, workshops and city commission sessions that devote endless hours to discussing Sarasota's paid parking problem.
There is nothing so useless as starting a program that should not have begun at all.
Paid parking has always been unpopular in Sarasota, and it has obviously been costly to city taxpayers.
Sarasota should start a new program that welcomes our visitors and residents by having free parking in our city.
Everywhere. Every day.
Carole Nikla, Sarasota
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Paid parking in Sarasota isn't a 'win.' It's a mistake. | Letters
