> >http://www.madison.com/wisconsinstatejournal/local/34712.php >********************************** >Downtown parking relief may come sooner >0:03 AM 10/23/02 >Dean Mosiman City government reporter >
>The city has been losing major office tenants in the area, partly due to >parking woes in the upper State Street-West Washington Avenue area. Lets start by agreeing that we want to improve transportation to the downtown area. Thats good public policy. The only reason 'parking' is a problem is because planners, employers, employees, etc, think of transportation only in terms of SOVs (single-occupant vehicles). The consequences of this short-sighted thinking will be an increase in traffic on downtown streets. And then Ms. Shmitz will be whining to the City to do something about the traffic problem, a problem she is now asking them to create. And there will be more crashes, more noise, and more pollution. >But the city can build the garage sooner than planned - without socking >taxpayers, Williams said. The parking utility has reserves and can borrow >and repay money on its own, she said. Again, this is only true in a very narrow sense. I have no reason to doubt the accounting of the City Parking dept. But the costs of dealing with the increase in traffic will be placed directly on the taxpayers. Madison taxpayers, who will likely NOT be the people parking in the ramp. >The garage would be in addition to a possible $5.5 million, 250-space >mid-State Street parking facility, Williams said. hmmm. $22,000 per space.Thats almost 50 years of bus passes. Or you could hire about 5 more bus drivers for 10 years. Can anyone think of a more expensive transportation subsidy? Mike Neumans proposal is a downright bargain. >"The only thing that's stopping us from putting more parking Downtown is a >place to build it," Marx said. Why not tear down all the buildings, and make the entire area one big parking lot? _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
