Published: October 28, 2009 10:02 pm      

Better downtown parking for employees would make sense

We are writing in regard to the Times-News editorial on Oct. 11 titled “Parking: Downtown employees asked to use outlying areas.”

We can understand why so many people would rather live off the system rather than work a part-time or minimum wage position in our downtown area. The article read that one parking spot not made available to shoppers for one day is equivalent to a $172 loss to main street Community business.

Nonsense, we aren’t inner-city Baltimore or even close in comparison. The downtown parking lot is seldom full other than when events are being held such as the Friday after Five, and so on.

Many businesses aren’t open during the Friday after Five, etc. Many aren’t open during these times making it very unlikely that the employees are occupying customer spaces. most employees pay for parking at one of the two local parking garages.

However, many times trying to get into one can be frustrating when the ticket dispenser becomes “jammed” or “out-of-tickets.” Therefore, we have no other option but to park in outlying areas. It seems that when we find an available spot, there is soon a no parking sign placed nearby.

Most of the business done on the downtown Mall consists of local people and high-rise living residents who like the convenience of walking to our shops, banks, eateries, etc. the other frequent shoppers are our own downtown employees.

So, we have only questions to ask our Cumberland Economic Development coordinator and city officials:

How can employees afford to work part-time or minimum wage jobs downtown?

How can downtown businesses afford to keep their good employees?

And, how much do you pay for parking?

The way we see it is that allowing free or inexpensive parking for downtown employees can “only be good for business.”

Robin Boyer, Connie Twigg, Sue Lewis, Darline McCullough and Jennifer Krogel