Loring Park neighborhood is an "impacted" neighborhood (copyright, Jim Graham) in terms of parking. Because of our location, we are the repository for the parking problem created by residents of other Minneapolis neighborhoods and ESPECIALLY people from the SUBURBS, who want to shop, work, or do business downtown. They take all the on street parking spots without regard for the residents of the neighborhood. The insult to the injury is that they park leaving large gaps between cars, thereby "killing" available spots of an already scarce resource.
In all seriousness, [EMAIL PROTECTED] 's post illustrates how the city's departments fail to take into account residents' needs. This discusion is the same one that we had last winter about snowplowing and the need to tow cars, and the disproportionate impact on downtown neighborhoods and poor people. Same argument, different season. I contend that city departments do not include residents' needs very much when they schedule work. I don't think that there is much coordination between departments either. The Park Board tree project is a good example of this--they couldn't get to the park, but the parking restrictions stayed in effect anyway. Snowplowing, and leaf removal are other examples. The work has to get done, scheduling and changes happen, but the residents never get to hear about it. Aside from the communication problems that are never addressed by the city departments, there is an additional problem--the contracting out of car towing to private businesses. The city needs to remove cars that block necessary work that is scheduled. But they have created a series of incentives that drive the towing companies to yank as many cars as they can. Oftentimes, the residents get caught up in the problems created by the city's lack of communication and coordination. So, who pays in that case? It creates resentment toward elected officials, city departments, and truly predatory businesses. I'll give you another example that illustrates my point. The corner of Spruce and Willow (the park side) was taken over as an MTC busstop several years ago, removing 5-10 parking spots. There was no public comment period or notice. This is in a "critical parking area" where there is intense demand and competition for on-street parking. The MTC bus #25 comes through the neighborhood very infrequently. I have never seen many people get off at this stop at all. So, for who's convienence is this? My view is that the city doesn't care and they didn't even think to get citizen imput when they were making this decision with the MTC. 5-10 extra parking spaces in Loring Park is no little thing either! The current Park Board work and it's impact on parking is no little thing, but like I said: Same problem, different season. David Wilson Loring Park On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Ok, I stole and mangled a thread there. My rant is with the Park board > and their tree cutting crews. For one WEEK (sorry Mr. Mork) they have signed our > street for No Parking to enable them to cut the diseased trees. The trees > mind you were signed themselves many many months ago (I ranted about that > earlier) and have now infected every other remaining Elm in the immediate > neighborhood; so we have resigned ourselves to this outcome. The park is one block > away, > we want to keep the forestry there as healthy as possible. Cut the damn trees! > Problem is: The tree cutters sign the street, removing an effectual block > of parking in a neighborhood where parking opportunities are already between > zero and nil, and then they don't show up!! They don't do any work. Oh wait, > they do show up to wrap a strip of duct tape around their sign, write on it > with a marker and change the day No Parking is supposed to be in effect. What the > hell? At least the monitors are not ticketing any more, I can just imagine > how I'd feel if I had to pay a couple hundred bucks to bail my car out and came > back to the exact same situation for which I'd supposedly been towed. > I'd appreciate it if Annie or anyone else could explain this b.s., I've a > bunch of tenants who want to know. > > Jon Gorder > Sylvan --South Finger of Downtown > (Loring Park) > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL > PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
