I'm Feeling the Love
Well, not really. Seems like everytime I write about parking in Bricktown, someone’s blood pressure starts to rise. Opposing sides of this debate are both less than pleased with today’s coverage.
Some say I was too easy on the parking operators and portrayed Jim Cowan in too flatering a light. I’ve had others say I spent too much time airing complaints against the parking operators and didn’t delve enough into what the parking operators and property owners are doing to improve the situation.
Ah yes, we’ve hit a balance.
Of course, there’s more to report on all this. It’s pretty much impossible to sum up a 70-page report in a 15-inch news story. Stick with me the next couple days and I’ll share more both here at OKC Central and possibly in Tuesday’s Main Street column.
So here’s the first of what represents an FAQ (frequently asked questions) of day one:
Q: Is the city really going to buy the Bricktown garage and north parking and make them free to visitors?
A: My crystal ball is broken today. Mayor Mick Cornett is clearly interested in doing just that. But city staff will have to find money to make it happen, and the mayor will need at least four council votes on his side to make it happen. And then there’s the question of whether the owners will sell…
Q: A $10 parking cap? Are you kidding me? Is this really progress?
A: Yes, it may really be an improvement. Some of these parking operators have been known to hit $15 and even $20 on a rare occassion. It’s important to note that some operators have routinely capped their rates at $5 whether or not there is a major event going on. They say they will continue to do so.
Q: I can never find a parking spot. What are they going to do about that?
A: Let me help you. First, get a parking map from www.downtownokc.com. Then, the next time you hit Bricktown, be sure to check out the north lots, the Bricktown garage and the Santa Fe garage. I’ve surveyed parking at some of the busiest moments – including the Big 12 basketball tournaments – and always found open parking spots. Sorry, but this question (or complaint) sounds like my kid telling me I “never” let him have any fun. Yeah, go tell it to the Marines.
More to come….
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Comments
Providing more free parking in Bricktown is a terrible idea!
Encouraging the development of surface parking lots into destination people want to visit and steering whatever subsidies that are currently spent on parking towards the overall improvement of the district is a far better strategy. Or how about considering improvements to the trolley network or even a new fixed rail streetcar so we can take advantage of the incredible amount of parking that already exists in downtown?
If we create a place where people want to be, then they will figure out how to get there and can decide for themselves if the cost of parking is worth it. And a destination that attracts people will attract retail in time – free parking or no free parking!
I’ve always stated that retail will only flourish once parking is free, or cheap and immediately available within reasonable walking distance. I’m not encouraging we go out and turn everything into a surface parking lot. A city owned garage would probably fix a lot of this problem. Also, I agree that once or if they decide to hold the trolleys accountable and to a higher standard… that would alleviate a lot of problems. People could rely on the trolley system to take them to their Bricktown destination while parking a longer ways away. However, currently, people are tired of not knowing when these trolleys will arrive or depart. We need consistency. And yes there might always be parking even during big events, however, with my wife being 6 months pregnant and being 90-100 degrees, I would prefer not walk a mile just to go to a resturant.
(I posted this on a story back in May)
Regardless of reality the supposed “parking problem” there is a perception that parking is difficult and expensive. The difficulty is mainly because nobody really knows much about parking downtown. If the public was better educated, then the complaints would subside. Regarding the expense, I can understand not wanting to pay just so you can park for dinner near the restaurant…I don’t like doing that. The same goes for shopping. Nobody wants to pay $5 to shop 3 stores. If there where 20-30 stores, there would be no complaints. Would free parking help? Sure, but is only one component of the problem.
Retail needs density as well. Why do you think developers never plan more than one or two stores in a particular area? Retail thrives when other retail is nearby. There are stores that are destinations for some shoppers and some store that attract different other shoppers, when both type of retail are near each other, shoppers from one type of store will find their way into the other.
I hear many people say that there needs to be “rooftops” for retail to take off in Bricktown. I would disagree. Quail Springs became a shopping Mecca long before there was the residentail development that exists there now, as did many major shopping areas. It’s not rooftops that are hindering the growth of retail in DT.
Lastly, what I think is the major problem with retail in Bricktown is the expense of leasing space there. Why open a retail store in an area with sporadic shopping traffic, when you can get cheap rent in an area with a traffic count like Memorial Road? It’s simple economics. Until Bricktown property owners decide to ditch the greed, their buildings will be empty and the grown of the district will be stunted. Create the desire to retail in Bricktown, then use your building to make a profit, not the other way around.
What exactly are the “north lots?” I have never head anyone refer to downtown or “Bricktown” parking as “north lots”. I agree, the only parking problem is perception and the city’s lack of educating the public, primarily the suburbanite public mentality. The sad thing is Mayor Cornet may or may not admit the problem depending on the issue, but even when admitting the city failed in some areas, we STILL don’t do anything about it.
I agree, it is a joke that this “Big League City”, has a piss poor transportation system, worse than cities much smaller than us. Heck, Little Rock and Wichita and even Tulsa have much better public transportation. We can’t even get a reliable downtown circular going.
Steven, your question on the north lots is part of the problem here – and is addressed in the report. Basically, they are the lots that are just north of Main Street and are accessible from a drive just east of the santa fe tracks.
gotcha. either way as you pointed out, there is more than sufficient parking downtown and bricktown.
what i would like to see is either underground parking or a few more big garages, and than do something with all the land bein taken up by all the surface lots
Retail business will never locate to Bricktown until there is free parking. Many times I want to just strool around, visit a store, grab some lunch, go bowling. I ‘ain’t payin for parkin’!! The buisness’s should have parking space for their employees and only their employees. The rest of us should be able to park for free. We can’t seem to do enough for the basketball team, and their free lunch. How about us taxpayers.