[MissoulaGov] North Higgins Parking Options - Summary

[Scott Sproull]

Part Two – What are the Amazing Benefits associated with replacing a few
Antiquated Parking Meters in one small corridor of our Downtown with
(Customer-Attracting, Customer-Convenient & Business Enhancing)
‘Two-Hour-FREE’ Parking spaces?



This is the  ‘Rest of the Story’ on why I made the ‘seemingly’ crazy
suggestion that the ELIMINATION of a small (token) number of Parking Meters
(only 42 out of 1,100… or less than 4%)… and their replacement with
‘Two-Hour-Free-Parking’ spaces, on Higgins Avenue (specifically NORTH OF
BROADWAY), has a HUGE number of potential benefits that would greatly
improve the economic and cultural vitality of that part of our Downtown
(North of Broadway, on Higgins, but also on streets adjacent to North
Higgins) that is in so much need of some critical, ASAP Business & Economic
Development help (which would also benefit much of the ‘Core’ and ‘Heart’ of
our Downtown in the long-term as well!).



* Please note:  This ‘how to provide new customer-friendly parking
management concepts and technology’ discussion amongst dozens of readers of
the missoulagov blog has been specifically focused on the North Higgins
Project, which is located on Higgins Avenue, NORTH of Broadway, and all the
way North to the old train depot.  We all continue to repeat this location
information because in the past, and again just yesterday, I and others are
too-often horribly misquoted in the media (see an independent newspaper
nearest you) where it says that, Scott Sproull… “ believes two-hour free
parking IN FRONT OF HIS HIGGINS AVENUE STOREFRONT [my emphasis] would make
an immediate impact on his business.”  If the reader doesn’t know, my 37
year old business (Hide & Sole)… (1) has NEVER been North of Broadway, where
the North Higgins Improvements Project is taking place… (2) has had very
steady, healthy, organic, above-average growth for dozens of years,
including the last two years… (3)  does not need the extra economic stimulus
that other businesses might need in our Downtown… (4) and I have no idea why
this obviously unsaid and untrue statement about wanting ‘two-hour-free’
parking spaces in front of my store was written into the misguided article,
since the reporter and I were talking about how “Businesses North of
Broadway” could really use some Economic Development help (which new parking
management concepts can play a helpful and positive role).



============



The quote below from Missoula’s Master Plan Consultant and Parking Guru
(Dennis Burns) sums up why Downtown Associations, Downtown Businesses,
Downtown Stakeholders and Parking Commissions don’t always have the same
Big-Picture Economic Development Ideas and Visions as each other.



*"Downtown associations are driven by efforts to revitalize downtown areas
and see parking costs as one element that places them at a competitive
disadvantage (compared to the perception of "free parking" at the
malls/suburbs).  Parking system managers are being pushed, usually by
municipal governments, to generate revenues.  The bottom line is they lack a
shared vision and therefore are pulling in opposite directions."*


The Question Begs:  Are the proposed parking controls within the North
Higgins Improvement District going to be a real benefit to the economic
vitality of the (many suffering and blighted) businesses in that area, or is
the parking commission’s need for revenue and efficiency enhancements going
to get top priority???  I think THAT should be the real question for
‘evaluating’ and ‘modifying’ the parking controls in the North Higgins
Improvement District – Yes?


No doubt, to financially justify a limited number of ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking
Spaces in the Improvement District, some of the other ‘hopefully
non-customer-related’ parking revenue (like employer & employee lease rates)
can and should be ‘enhanced’ to pay for the customers increased support of
our Downtown.





Now on to some ‘Alternative & Crazy Parking Options” for the Economic
Enhancement of the Businesses - North of Broadway (and including those
Businesses on and adjacent to Higgins)!



*Problem*: Some people reading this blog find it very inconvenient and a
pain when they don’t always have their ‘meter coins’ with them to pay the
‘antiquated’ mechanical parking meters that are definitely not as convenient
as the more-modern, electronic, single-space meters (or multi-space machines
which conveniently take coins, credit cards or debit cards).



*Alternative Solutions:* ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking does not require coins,
credit cards or payments.  In fact, the Parking is FREE, to the customer and
visitor, but for a limited time of two-hours or less (which is plenty of
time for a lunch, shopping or stroll through the Downtown.  Parking
Enforcement Officers (PEO’s) aka ‘Meter Maids,’ are just as essential to the
success of ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking Programs as with Meters, so that Business
Owners and Downtown Workers do not attempt to hog parking spaces for long
periods of time (or compete for vital parking with their own and Business
neighbors customers).



Missoula currently has short-term FREE Parking in high-demand locations like
City Hall and the Post Office, but few have thought about the Economic
Development Potential of changing a few meters in the N. Higgins Improvement
District to ‘Two-Hour-Free,’ Customer-Friendly, Business-Enhancing, Parking.



With ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking… Customers & Visitors do not have to deal with
broken mechanical and/or electronic meters, and they do not have to search
up and down the block for a multi-space, electronic, (sometimes broken)
machine… that actually might be in the opposite direction of where they want
to go (these were serious concerns mentioned by some on the blog).



BUT MORE SO… from a Business Development & Downtown Enhancing point of view,
setting aside a few (token) short-term parking spaces, that are (very
important here) FREE to customers and visitors (and paid for by owners and
workers), would do a couple of other really positive and important things:



A)    Create Customer Demand [Economic Driver], and no doubt customer
competition for parking spaces that are FREE, but purposely placed on
Higgins (North of Broadway), where there is a specific district where many
of the under-developed Businesses would really appreciate some extra
customers and economic incentives.



B)     Create a FANTASTIC Customer BUZZ & Extra Customer Referrals to the
Downtown!!!  This would be a Marketers Dream, since for the first time in
decades, there really WOULD BE (just a few, but at least some) Free Parking
Spaces for Customers in a very specific part of our Downtown.  In reality,
you might only stumble across an open Free Parking Space on Higgins every
once in a Blue Moon (rarely), but I suspect many Downtown Supporters would
find themselves driving further up into the North Higgins Improvement
District to see if they can WIN a Free Parking Space (like a Free Lottery).




C)    Most business-people know that the best, cheapest, most effective
Advertising is hard-earned ‘Word-of-Mouth’ excitement from customers who are
super-happy about a product or service they received and want to tell their
friends, (internet friends) and families about.  FREE-TWO-HOUR Parking is
just the ticket to create a Downtown Economic Buzz that would quickly spread
throughout the Missoula and regional community, and very much benefit the
entire Downtown.


D)    If we are going to test a new, revolutionary (small-scale &
experimental) way to improve the parking controls and customer service in
the North Higgins Improvements District, let’s put up a few, very simple,
low maintenance, non-mechanical, non-electric ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking Signs
and see what happens.  It can always be modified a little, or a lot later
on.

Test the Idea!

Scott Sproull
Hide & Sole
Downtown Since 1972
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