Downtown Lynchburg parking meters plan face vocal opposition

By Alicia Petska, Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: February 6, 2008

A plan to install parking meters in downtown Lynchburg faced vocal opposition during a forum on Tuesday, as well as some quieter support.

During an hour-and-a-half session - led by the consultant behind the proposal - critics were the clear dominating force, quizzing the analyst on his arguments and challenging why the city wasn’t pursuing stricter enforcement and new garages as a means of alleviating congestion.

Proponents, who remained largely silent in the debate, said afterward they felt there were convincing reasons to bring meters back and expressed faith in the move’s ability to improve business around Main Street.

“He made a lot of sense to me,” said Rocky Ruffin, who along with his wife owns the James River Conference Center. “You need meters as an incentive if you want more off-street parking.”

The relationship between on-street meters and off-street parking was one frequently cited by consultant Lee Bourque of Carl Walker Inc., who named a lack of off-street options for the public as one of the area’s biggest deficiencies.

By putting an end to free on-street parking, the city would create the demand needed to develop more of those lots, argued Bourque, which would in turn encourage longer-term parkers to get out of the coveted curbside spaces. Short-term parkers such as shoppers would then have easier access to the spots, easing frustrations among customers.

“I can’t tell you how much I guarantee that will be the result,” he said. “There aren’t many things that are a certainty, but this is a

certainty.”

Several downtown stakeholders raised serious doubts about that, however, asking if people would really pay to park downtown and if meters were the most efficient solution available.

“What happens when someone says, ‘I can go to the River Ridge mall and pay nothing, but if I go downtown I have to pay 75 cents or something,’” asked Monroe Baldwin, owner of Baby B’s. “That’s the mindset. People want it to be free.”

Gary Case, who owns two office buildings and three parking lots downtown, said what the area really needed was a new garage.

“If you want downtown to grow, you need a parking garage,” he said. “I think that’s what everyone wants to talk about.”

A garage was identified as one of the city’s future needs, but omitted from the final parking recommendations for further study. Meters, meanwhile, were placed among the top two priorities along with the encouragement of new, private parking lots.

A total of nearly 50 people showed up for Tuesday’s forum, which will likely be the last such event until the city is able to hire a full-time parking manager, a new position approved in December. The manager will be responsible for implementing any changes and working with the downtown community.