Parable Parking

[XLFD]

Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear had plant'd some crops and had a respectable harvest.  They want'd to sell their produce and make lots of money, so Br'er Fox devis'd a clever way of making some axtra money by havin' Br'er Bear intimidate those who came to his produce stand when they stay'd thar too long (tharby gettin' in the way of other payin' customers) into forkin' over a lingerin' fine. 

 

Br'er Rabbit came down one day and look'd over the veggies and was impress'd.  Even tho' no one else was stirrin' around that thar produce stand Br'er Bear came along afta a while and ask'd for some sawbucks for takin' too darn long for findin' the right veggies.  At which Br'er Rabbit replied, "At yonder farm around the tarbaby, I cans get cheaper ev'rythin' and not have to deal with thuggery.  I is not stoppin' here agin, and I will tell kinfolk and 'sociates not to set foot here."  Afta gettin' the sawbucks outta Br'er Rabbit, business went from bad to nothin', and Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear wound up havin' a bumper crop of rotten veg'tables.

 

 

I apologize profusely to Joel Chandler Harris who brought these colorful characters to life back in the 1870s, but this parable does have some relevance to a problem that plagues Ludington:  parking.  At the latest City Council meeting, Rhonda Moran, who works downtown, presented a petition signed by 211 Ludington residents that requested the parking lot bordered by James, Rath, Loomis Streets and an E-W alley be changed from a 3 hour limit parking lot to at least an 8 hour lot.  

 

 

The City Clerk writes in the minutes:  "Rhonda Moran explained that after she had received a ticket she was told that the reason this lot was a 3 hour parking lot was because the business owners wanted it that way and she found in speaking with the business owners that they were in favor of the 8 hour parking.  Mayor Henderson referred this item to the Public Safety and Public Utilities Committee for review and then after they look at this issue it will be moved to the Downtown Ludington Board Building and Grounds Committee. He stated that the Downtown Ludington Board has spent a large amount of time surveying the businesses on the parking earlier this year and said that all parking lots will be looked at." 

 

In the LDN Moran adds:  "Moran also said three or four other people who work at her job have received parking tickets since the summer, and said she believes the police department is being selective in writing tickets to some people and not to others."  While CM John Shay replied that the city has not changed parking limits and said the Downtown Ludington Board conducted a survey about parking earlier this year and the majority of survey respondents did not want the time limits changed.

 

I empathize with Ms. Moran, from my own bout with LPD selectivity and lack of sensitivity.  I also agree with her cause, but I extend it to all the three hour lot areas behind our downtown businesses.  When we are trying to promote our downtown businesses by using over $100,000 a year via the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to entice them into visiting this area of our city, why is the City Intelligentsia penalizing them if they spend too much time there?  With a three hour limit, you can get ticketed for staying for a full Friday Night Live, or in the course of shooting at a pool league.  If you work downtown, you may have to park over a block away, and if you live downtown, they still haven't figured out a policy for your parking. 

 

Before the advent of the development along the PM corridor, they had parking meters and enforcers in Ludington-- and people who came here to do shopping.  The loss of the meters was mandatory at a point, the setting up of limits was arbitrary.  There are no parking limits in the outlying areas, the prices are more competitive. 

 

Ludington's 16.5 police officers dutifully enforce the 3 hour limit on workers, and owners.  They are just doing their job while others are doing their job.  They also enforce the limit on residents and visitors, who in turn, realize the folly of driving downtown when there is no such hassle elsewhere-- and better deals. 

So what should the Downtown Ludington Board Building and Grounds Committee do?  Should they keep the status quo, extend that one lot to 8 hours, extend the limits on other lots, or something else, like throw out most time limits for all downtown lots? 

 

Br'er Shay and Br'er Barnett may benefit from your input, and end up with less spoilt cabbages.  

 

 

 

[Edie Lindsey]

Nice play on "parallel parking". Between Labor Day and Memorial Day there shouldn't even be limits. Before next summer, have the DDA and merchants figure something out that has some basis in common sense.

[charlemagnetism]

good read. did you notice the ldn had a history of parking in mondays paper. great minds...

after seeing the map above i really dont see why the 3 hour lots dont get moved to 8. i see a lot of empty lots right now whenever i go there. seasonal lots maybe as edie said.

[XLFD]

I actually saw the paper's article about three hours after posting this one, which I drew up on Sunday. You both advocate more looser parking laws; anybody think there should be more restrictive parking limits?