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New parking fees, meters in Marquette won’t solve problems

Marquette’s downtown district has seen much success over the years, becoming known as a welcoming place for visitors and natives alike to do business, shop and dine and generally be entertained.

However, there are some changes taking shape that might cause at least a few people to second guess hopping in their cars and taking a trip downtown.

The Marquette Downtown Development Authority recently began implementing phase I of its plan to alter the parking system there by adding new meters and pay stations and raising prices at those spaces that had already required users to pay.

The DDA says it will continue monitoring the system and modify it if necessary. But the new prices and meters have caused some to speak out in opposition, and we wouldn’t be surprised if this plan is changed again in the future.

The DDA’s reasoning behind implementing the new parking fees is to increase the money it takes in to make up a $100,000 shortfall in annual funding between parking-related revenues and parking-related expenses. It would also help make the $150,000 annual bond payments for the $1.2 million project that restored the Bluff Street parking structure.

Making up the shortfall with parking-related revenues would leave more money collected through the DDA’s Tax Increment Financing to reinvest in other improvements downtown, the DDA said. And it isn’t always a bad idea for funds to be self-sufficient, so that the money coming in matches or surpasses the cost of services being provided.

But it isn’t realistic to expect every service to be funded in a self-sufficient way.

Considering government as a whole, many services — such as police or fire protection, for example — may never be directly used by the taxpayers funding them. Millages for libraries, trails and other senior services — though they are voted on by the people — may not be used by all the taxpayers who pay into them.

Moreover, part of the DDA’s revenue is used on various events and promotions. Those expenditures and events may increase awareness of our downtown, but it could be argued they might not directly benefit all of the businesses within the DDA’s tax district.

The new meters and higher prices can generate revenue, but at the same time, it may very well have an adverse impact on the customer traffic downtown, as shoppers could make fewer visits, or make one-stop trips to avoid paying for extra time at the meter, rather than spending a little more time and money at multiple establishments.

The DDA maintains the transition to paid parking will address a recurring situation of downtown employees taking up all the prime parking spots — leaving fewer for potential customers — and that paid parking allows for a situation where you are paying for the convenience of parking nearby, rather than dealing with the inconvenience of walking.

At the time of this writing, the lot at the corner of Third and Washington streets has plastic bags over the new meters. Apparently there was a miscommunication and rates were set at $1 per hour, rather than the intended 50 cents, which the DDA is correcting.

For full-time employees working downtown five days a week, simple math tells you the 50-cent per-hour meter rate would cost them $20 a week, or more than $1,000 a year.

Though the figure probably includes employees with access to a privately owned lot, there are nearly six times the number of people working downtown as there are permits purchased through the DDA.

But not everyone can afford the $300 permit expense, which means nearby roadways where vehicle parking is available at no cost — such as along Bluff or Ridge streets — will fill up quickly, possibly to the dismay of area residents.

We understand the DDA’s need for money. We get that. But we question whether this is going to have the desired results.

People are already grumbling that these new fees are regressive and are going to hurt the people who can stand it the least: minimum wage (or slightly better) workers or their family members, many of whom make up the downtown’s customer base.

We hope the DDA is willing to listen to residents and business owners and be open to making changes if the new parking regulations don’t work as well as expected.

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