Would You Pay For Parking at Snider Plaza?

That’s the question that was tossed around at a pre-City Council meeting in University Park yesterday.

To be clear, there was no vote for this proposition, not even a long discussion, it was just a question. Breathe.

City staff were bringing some of the newer councilmen up to speed on the parking situation in Snider Plaza, and the idea of parking meters came up. Some councilmen said they would pay, others were apprehensive. The idea is that folks would pay for the time they need then move on, instead of leaving their car for long periods of time, taking up space.

So, Park Cities residents, would YOU pay for parking in Snider Plaza? Or would the 50 cents or $1 or $2 an hour drive you to shop somewhere else?

By Bradford Pearson Feb. 8, 2011 | 12:30 pm | 20 Comments | Comments RSS
20 comments to "Would You Pay For Parking at Snider Plaza?"
  1. Avid Reader @ February 8, 2011 at 1:30 pm
    Meters would not make me go somewhere else. Driving around for 15 minutes without finding a spot is what makes me go elsewhere currently. So…IMO anything to make spots open up quicker is worth at least trying.

  2. laughing @ February 8, 2011 at 1:44 pm
    I love several of the shops at Snider Plaza but paying for parking would be annoying and I would think twice before running into a store/restaurant.

  3. LB @ February 8, 2011 at 1:55 pm
    I would not pay. I’d take my business elsewhere or ride my bike.

  4. Bluebird @ February 8, 2011 at 2:04 pm
    N-O

  5. mainzer @ February 8, 2011 at 2:20 pm
    I wouldn’t mind paying when parking to go to dinner or to shop, but something about having to find change does concern me. I would be more likely to be willing to pay if there were some sort of cashless system, like swiping a cc, then swiping again when leaving to end the charges. On the other hand, I can’t imagine being willing to pay to run into Starbucks or Mustang Donuts or to grocery shop.

  6. Fondren neighbor @ February 8, 2011 at 2:31 pm
    Paying to run into Mustang Donuts is just wrong on so many levels.

  7. A. B. @ February 8, 2011 at 2:48 pm
    Just tear down Chase Bank and integrate a parking garage in the new construction. Problem solved.

  8. Maggie @ February 8, 2011 at 3:11 pm
    Nope. Wouldn’t do it. Are they going to meter Tom Thumb too?
    What a nightmare.

  9. William @ February 8, 2011 at 3:43 pm
    What about the number of people who work in Sniders Plaza in those businesses, where are they to park if they put in meters? People who work in Sniders Plaza don’t just park for an hour or so and then move on nor do they usually park in front of businesses blocking valuable parking spots. Usually people who work in Sniders Plaza tend to park on side streets, are they planning to put parking meters there too?

    I think the city needs to be more worried about the pedestrian infrastructure. There many areas including the intersection of Daniel and Hillcrest where pedestrians have to stand on a non existent sidewalk/curb and are in danger of getting hit by a car. How about looking at areas like Main Street in Downtown Dallas where they have curb bump outs so that cars can see pedestrians about to cross an intersection. Or look at the West Village where trees and light poles line the edge of the curb to protect pedestrians from crazy cars speeding through the traffic circle around the fountain like its a Nascar track. Those people are the same people who complain about finding parking. Walking doesn’t require a parking spot and its cheaper than a gym membership.

    The city should be focused promoting more pedestrian activity and connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods. I guaranty you many people shopping in Sniders Plaza live in a nearby neighborhood within walking distance. Bike parking anyone? Snider’s Plaza is a neighborhood shopping center so to reduce the need for parking manipulation try making it easier to get people to walk/bike to Snider Plaza. Solve the problem and not reward the bad behavior that comes from it.

  10. Rico @ February 8, 2011 at 3:44 pm
    I have no problem paying for reasonable metered parking. $2.00 for 2 hours wouldn’t affect my Snider Plaza visits at all.

  11. Avid Reader @ February 8, 2011 at 4:25 pm
    Maybe there could be a combination of metered spots in the middle and “slip in” spots in front of the shops that have a short time limit?

  12. JK @ February 8, 2011 at 5:58 pm
    I grew up in Laguna Beach, which seemingly has more parking meters than residents. They’re expensive — I think a quarter only buys 6 minutes — but town residents can buy a very inexpensive sticker (I think it’s $30/year) for their cars and park for up to 3 hours and never feed a meter. The meters generate a lot of revenue due to the huge tourist traffic, but it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the need for meters at Snider Plaza (or Highland Park Village for that matter).

  13. G. @ February 8, 2011 at 6:31 pm
    I wouldn’t pay to park. There should be a time limit and ticketing for those people who violate the rules. Parking meters are for big, ugly cities. Keep Snider Plaza quaint.

  14. jb @ February 8, 2011 at 11:51 pm
    Meter it now. Much less of an annoyance than driving in circles for 20 minutes.

  15. Charles @ February 9, 2011 at 10:29 am
    I would be reluctant to pay to park at Snider Plaza unless that was combined with better parking.

  16. Carol @ February 9, 2011 at 11:22 am
    Of more importance than paying for parking here is the vision of hideous parking meters in Snider Plaza and the change of tone that would create in
    this area. We are lucky to have and should strive to preserve the character of
    this center of our city. Even if there are meters, drivers will still be ‘annoyed’
    in finding themselves driving around looking for spaces. We are a gifted and
    intelligent group of residents, I am sure we can come to a better solution.
    With Warm Regards….

  17. Bill @ February 9, 2011 at 12:50 pm
    Does the city still even have a parking enforcement guy? The guy who drove the little cart around for decades retired last month I think. Does the city have a replacement? I have not seen the little cart cruising around.

  18. Tr @ February 9, 2011 at 1:05 pm
    The lack of parking currently makes me think twice about visiting my favorite Snider Plaza spots. If traffic falls, as many comments above suggest, and if the fee is reasonable ($1/hr) then I would likely visit more often.

  19. Sharpay @ February 9, 2011 at 1:50 pm
    Like Bill, I wonder what happened to the parking enforcement officer. I haven’t seen him for months in Snider Plaza or the miracle mile lots. Without enforcement, the Snider Plaza parking situation will resemble the anarchy of the MIS/HPMS carpool lines.

  20. LEO @ February 9, 2011 at 2:52 pm
    I see the “Cart” making rounds 6:30 to 7:00+ AM daily on a regular basis.

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