More Changes to West Dearborn Parking System
Is it just us or has the whole Dearborn paid parking matter just gotten so confusing that it might be next to impossible to keep up on what to pay, when, what day and at what lot?
New $2 flat fee for some metered lots in Dearborn begins Sept. 21.
The newest tweak to Dearborn’s paid parking system becomes effective Monday, Sept. 21.
In metered Lot C and Lot H, patrons will have the option of a flat $2 parking fee daily after 6 p.m. These lots are located between Mason and Monroe on both sides of Michigan Avenue.
This change is the latest move by the Dearborn City Council to help bar owners in the area who have complained that they are losing some of their customers earlier than usual out of fear of getting a parking ticket for an expired meter.
A parking attendant will work collecting the fees, although we are not quite sure where this person will stand as the city removed and sold its parking booth on eBay months ago when the meters were installed at a cost of more than $200,000. Customers saying for a shorter period of time can still use the meters as they normally would.
In addition, council approved changing the hours of parking enforcement to 3 a.m. instead of the present 4 a.m.
The city’s paid parking system will continue to be operated by Park-Rite through June 2010. The city council approved a contract extension with Park-Rite that pays the company $4,200 monthly, plus 8 percent of parking revenues.
September 14th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
It’s not paid parking that will kill west Dearborn it’s the completely idiotic implementation of paid parking that will kill the area. It’s become completely user unfriendly with the constant “if this/then that” tweaks. No one knows what’s going on. This will probably result in more people getting tickets or overpaying because no one visiting will know the latest changes to the system.
They might as well just add something like every third Tuesday and second Wednesday after a half moon parking is 23 cents between 6:13 pm and 9:37 pm in Lots F, B and the East Parking Deck. To get a voucher find someone wandering in Lot A and pay them. Exact change only.
The funniest part of the council meeting was that it took them several minutes to figure out where Lots C and H are located. They can’t even figure it out and they’re making the rules!
The system needs to be made straightforward. Hours should be in line with other cities with meter enforcement ending at 6 or 9 at the latest. There should not be any special prices or rates in specific lots on specific days between specific hours. All meters should be the same all the time and all attended lots should be the same all the time.
September 15th, 2009 at 5:24 am
This has reached the point of no return – what will the next step in this comedy of errors be? Does anyone know why the city built the parking garages BEFORE the hotel/office building was built?
September 15th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Paul, GREAT REMARKS!!!! I was laughing when I heard them talking about where the lots were to – the whole thing just blows my mind. I really wish that you hadn’t made the remarks that you made in your second paragraph – it just might give them ideas.
September 15th, 2009 at 7:15 am
When city residents voted on paid parking, the ballot was worded such as “No” meant “Yes” and vice-versa. People felt duped after the vote came back something like 80% to 20% in favor of paid parking.
I know of no one that likes or approves of the paid parking. I’ll be honest, there are times I will shop elsewhere rather than deal with wondering if the meter has enough money/time in it.
They are going to have a person walking around collecting money?
September 15th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Great comments! Love this line: “…although we are not quite sure where this person will stand as the city removed and sold its parking booth on eBay months ago…”
Also, there is a new poll about paid parking here: http://www.networkdearborn.com/polls.html
September 15th, 2009 at 9:05 am
This new idea is just ridiculous. As a patron of the businesses in West Dearborn, I now have to keep track of the different paid parking schemes? I pay the meter here, but I pay $2.00 there and then pay nothing here provided I am in and out in a half an hour. How absolutely assinine is this? Reluctantly, I may have grown to live with feeding meters but now this new scheme and I mean scheme in it’s most negative connotation, is just nonsense and the adminsitration and city council should be ashamed of themselves. I guess I will have to start seriously looking to shop and live elsewhere as if this is an indication of things to come in Dearborn….then goodbye!
September 15th, 2009 at 9:51 am
I find it hard to believe people are bitching about having to feed a meter. Is it really that difficult? If I’m going to Howell’s for a couple of hours, I feed the meter for three or four. Gimme a break.
Paid parking is a fixture in a number of successful shopping districts, so I find it hard to believe that’s the problem. The lot behind BW3’s and Panera is usually fairly full.
The only gripe I have is having to get change. I noticed in Birmingham, they have a card you can renew at a streetside machine. That would be great.
September 15th, 2009 at 10:11 am
I just sent an email to the mayor and 3 members of the council asking them if they were reading the comments being made here. I don’t thlnk it will make a difference, the mayor has stated many many times that the people voted and paid parking is what they wanted. I know that when I voted there were quite a few people in line with me that had been told if paid parking didn’t pass the property taxes would go sky-high. Council says they know mistakes have been made and they are trying to correct them – hate to tell them but this new system with the new hours sucks.
September 15th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Have these rubes on Council ever left the city? Paid parking is a necessary evil in these days of trying to squeeze revenue out of every source possible (sorry Doug). Perhaps this solution is a bit too simple but we seem to have two vastly under-utilised parking decks and the parking in lots C & H is in short supply. Why not make the decks more attractive and the surface lots less attractive? I know this may sound like blasphemy, but follow the model of Royal Oak and Birmingham. Make the decks free for the first two hours during lunch, resume normal rates during the afternoon and make it a flat fee after 6:00. Leave the meters alone! I never once said I’m not going to Royal Oak or Birmingham because I have to pay for parking and/or walk a block or two to get to my destination. Perhaps the deck’s proximity and increased usage MAY have helped out those businesses that failed (Au Bon Pain, Caribou, Rocky Mountain, et al). Quit genuflecting to the olds and the loudmouths. You’ve got your initial votes, you’re an incumbent now. You’re chances of getting run out of office are minimal at best. MAKE A TOUGH DECISION!
September 15th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
O’Reilley and his followers on the council, are all f ed up. Park Rite will do whatever the City wants as long as they are paid so handsomely. Have someone from another City help you come up with some plan, and go by it, instead of jumping from one plan to another, and making yourselves look like fools. Lord knows we don’t have anyone competent enough to come up with a plan.
September 16th, 2009 at 10:34 am
i am getting really tired of the entire parking system. just make up your minds and let us know, please.
oh, and don’t forget, we do get the chance to vote those morons out. along with our illustrious mayor.
and hey mayor, if you’re reading this… wash your windows on your house. they are dirty.
September 16th, 2009 at 11:13 am
The whole things a big Joke, Dearborn sure makes stupid decisions.The big deal about public service days? my street has not been swept in 4 weeks. Way to go Dearborn.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Robert – wonder if we live in the same area I don’t remember mine being swept either – in fact for the past couple of weeks I haven’t even seen anyone being issued a ticket for parking on PSDays.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
donna – they are issuing tickets still. i got one last time because i lost track of the weeks. don’t worry, they didn’t sweep the street either!
September 16th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Oh my God!! Vote them all out, start with the city and move to Congress. We are sick and tired of these people taking over our governments. And, by the way, what is the point of writing a tax paying citizen a ticket and then not cleaning the street. It’s almost as if Newman is running the parking and public service days. What ever happened to COMMON SENSE!!! We are ALL sick of ALL of you. Oh, and by the way, the school board needs to be looked at too. I received an unprofessional, and inaccurate, reply to an email regarding Federal Funding for teaching a language in our schools. Mary Lange says there is no language being taught while another member admitted that the Government…as in Uncle Sam..has a grant as along as they teach what Uncle Sam tells them to. Here is a great use of tax $$. Teaching Arabic at Iris Becker Elementary School and possibley Saline. Really?
September 30th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Is the city making any real money on paid parking?