|
| Author
|
Post |
 
|
|
omgasmurf
F L I N T O I D
|
from mlive.com
FLINT - The Downtown Development Authority has a warning for people who park downtown: Starting Thursday, the rules for on-street parking will be enforced.
On-street parking will be free for one hour. But stay longer and you risk a $25 ticket.
Larry Ford, the DDA's chief operating officer, said the authority has two employees who will be enforcing the parking rules. They have been putting fliers on windshields of vehicles parked on downtown streets, warning drivers of the impending crackdown.
Ford said they will issue warnings Monday through Wednesday, and ticket-writing starts Thursday.
The DDA has taken on the authority for enforcing parking rules downtown - something the board has wanted for a long time.
The DDA will open a ticket bureau to handle payments and appeals, Ford said.
DDA Director James Rutherford said limiting on-street parking to one hour forces people who work downtown to use parking lots, freeing on-street parking for customers.
He said the DDA's enforcement people also will write tickets for other illegal parking.
Tickets will cost $45 for improper parking or parking in a prohibited zone, $50 for obstructing traffic, $60 for fire lane violation, $70 for parking in a tow-away zone and $135 for illegally parking in a handicap zone.
Ford said enforcement will be from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays. The hours will be expanded if necessary.
Violators can pay tickets by mail, online or at the parking violations office, 412 S. Saginaw St.
Revenue from the parking tickets is expected to pay for the enforcement officers and help generate revenue for a new parking deck to be built off Kearsley and Beach streets.
Bob Kittel, a DDA member and owner of the Mad Hatter store, said the enforcement effort comes at an important time as construction on several projects has taken away parking in some downtown areas, while adding to the number of people trying to park in the central business district.
"The biggest problem is and has been enforcement," Kittel said. "Now it's really starting to matter. We've got to get these people off the street that are working downtown."
Ford said construction is causing some problems.
"People are parking anywhere and everywhere right now," he said.
On Tuesday, the DDA pledged to contribute net revenue from its parking programs and money from a Tax Increment Financing Authority, or TIFA, to pay for the new parking ramp, estimated to cost about $8 million. Construction on the ramp is expected to start next spring.
The TIFA allows the DDA to capture tax revenue from any new improvements in the district and direct that money to specific projects.
The TIFA area includes the former Buick City site, so tax revenue from any new development there can be used to help pay for the new ramp.
DDA attorney Damion Frasier said the TIFA is expected to pay most of the cost of the ramp.
The Flint City Council will be asked to authorize $10 million worth of bonds, which also will pay for repairs to the DDA-owned parking deck at the Character Inn.
The need for more parking has been an ongoing issue with the DDA.
"We've got some fairly significant developments coming downtown, and they've been promised parking," said DDA member Lloyst Fletcher.
Rowe Engineering, Wade Trim and the Community Foundation plan to relocate their headquarters to the 500 block of S. Saginaw Street, and WNEM (Channel 5) has said it will open a new TV studio there.
|
|
|
Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:27 pm |
|
|
last time here
Guest
|
yeah, i got a warning today while at the mayoral swearing in!!!  |
_________________
Guest post |
|
|
Mon Nov 12, 2007 6:04 pm |
|
|
Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
|
Parking tip if you're attending as council meeting..........
After 5pm, the ramp at the county building, directly across from city hall, is free. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
|
|
Mon Nov 12, 2007 6:15 pm |
|
|
Sue Namee
F L I N T O I D
|
| People still go downtown to shop? |
|
|
|
Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:53 pm |
|
|
last time here
Guest
|
| thanks dave..didn't know that!! |
_________________
Guest post |
|
|
Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:11 pm |
|
|
Tegan
F L I N T O I D
|
| unless they changed it, the lot behind the Chase Bank is free too. I think its free all day. |
|
|
|
Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:53 pm |
|
|
00SL2
F L I N T O I D
|
quote:
omgasmurf schreef:
Larry Ford, the DDA's chief operating officer, said the authority has two employees who will be enforcing the parking rules. *** DDA has taken on the authority for enforcing parking rules *** DDA will open a ticket bureau to handle payments and appeals. *** DDA's enforcement people also will write tickets for other illegal parking. *** Violators can pay tickets by mail, online or at the parking violations office, 412 S. Saginaw St.
Revenue from the parking tickets is expected to pay for the enforcement officers and help generate revenue for a new parking deck to be built off Kearsley and Beach streets. ***
How do they get around this City Code:
§ 28-7.1 AUTHORITY TO PERSONS OTHER THAN POLICE OFFICERS TO ISSUE PARKING VIOLATION NOTICES.
(a) The Police Chief of the City of Flint may authorize persons other than police officers of the City of Flint to issue parking violation notices as defined in Section 742(8)(a) of Public Act No. 66 of 1979, being MCLA § 257.742(8)(a), and MSA § 9.2442, for parking violations designated as civil infractions and committed contrary to the provisions of the Flint City Code.
(b) The Police Chief shall obtain a receipt from each nonpolice officer to whom a parking violation notice book has been issued upon a form created for this purpose.
(c) No person shall be authorized to issue parking violation notices unless he or she has received training in the pertinent procedures and ordinances of the City of Flint at the Flint Police Regional Training Academy, and works under the supervision of a person who, even though not regularly employed by the Police Department, has been fully trained as required by the Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Training Council Act.
(Ord. 2755, passed 1-14-80) |
|
|
|
Tue Nov 13, 2007 12:56 am |
|
|
Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
|
quote:
Sue Namee schreef:
People still go downtown to shop?
I go for the Council meetings. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
|
|
Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:11 am |
|
|
Tegan
F L I N T O I D
|
| I go to do research at the county clerks office, UM flint, eat at Churchill's or Halo Burger... |
|
|
|
Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:02 am |
|
|
Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
|
The harder you make it for people to be downtown, the less people will be downtown. Open the parking ramps, and build some new ones. If people are getting ticketed they won't come back.
|
_________________
Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
|
|
Tue Nov 13, 2007 7:15 pm |
|
|
lunchlady
F L I N T O I D
|
| I wonder if they researched another city that might have the same thing. One hour flies by, I think 2 hours makes more sense. I mean what if you have more than 1 errand? You could barely visit the bookstore and have lunch without getting all stressed about getting a ticket. I understand wanting to keep employees from parking in prime spots all day. I just think the time limit is unreasonable. |
|
|
|
Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:32 pm |
|
|
rapunzel11
F L I N T O I D
|
It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find parking downtown!!!
I had some ladies meet me at the lunch studio for a meeting. The NEW automated teller at the central parking lot had an extremely long line to exit. My friends were all late to return to work.
There used to be a person in that booth and it ran much faster. ( i believe this automated system is DDA's idea)
So the next time I ventured downtown..
There is limited free parking behind the Lunch Studio and the Sec. of State office. This lot has deep potholes and I no longer have four wheel drive@!
After almost being hit by a driver that ran a red light as I was circleing the one way blocks to find parking. I had enough time to conduct my business at Sec. of State and make a to-go order at my favorite Lunch Studio!
There was some discussion in the past of making one of these one way streets a free parking area. This was soundly voted down by city planning commission.(note- one on the planning commission owns some of the paid parking lots)
If we must have an ID to Vote then we must have free handicap accessable parking near the Sec. of States office. I witnessed a caregiver stopping in the right lane of Saginaw st. to have a wheel chair bound passenger exit to the Sec. of state office. This was extremely dangerous for both the stopped car, the handicapped person and flowing traffic.
In accordance with the HAVA act we must address this.
I would also love to have had enough time to enjoy the ambience of my favorite downtown resturant. I can also note my sandwiches were made to order quite quickly by the staff at the Lunch Studio and greatly enjoyed..once I got home.
Peace,
RAP |
_________________
The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.
John F. Kennedy, speech at Vanderbilt University, May 18, 1963 |
|
|
Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:10 pm |
|
|
JustinZ
F L I N T O I D
|
The new push on parking is a bit too much.
Now I will adnmit that I don't have all the facts, but if what I've heard is true this whole thing smacks of wrong.
Does the DDA own/operate the pay lots downtown? any of them?
why not just put the meters back up? if they can afford to pay two people to enforce parking, they can afford new meters.
why start this at the onset of winter?
why promise the new developments parking areas we don't have and can't afford?
why should the relative few people who choose to work and live downtown have any more obstacles, or reasons to reconsider their choice to do so? and a city backed one at that? |
|
|
|
Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:46 am |
|
|
FlintConservative
F L I N T O I D
|
quote:
JustinZ schreef:
The new push on parking is a bit too much.
Now I will adnmit that I don't have all the facts, but if what I've heard is true this whole thing smacks of wrong.
Does the DDA own/operate the pay lots downtown? any of them?
why not just put the meters back up? if they can afford to pay two people to enforce parking, they can afford new meters.
why start this at the onset of winter?
why promise the new developments parking areas we don't have and can't afford?
why should the relative few people who choose to work and live downtown have any more obstacles, or reasons to reconsider their choice to do so? and a city backed one at that?
DDA owns several lots downtown.
They can't put the meters back up because they get stolen.
The theory is that more parking is needed due to Wade-Trim and
Rowe Engineering bringing employees downtown. That's the real
reason for the new parking deck. |
|
|
|
Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:59 am |
|
|
JustinZ
F L I N T O I D
|
thanks for the response, but you seem to have missed the point....I read the article, and you repeating that same info is no great help.
if they can affoerd to pay people to enforce these new parking fines, they could just as easily afford to put-up and monitor meters, the rub there is that they would only get a few dollars per person per day as opposed to the possible 25+ they'll get from each fine.
the issue with them owning and opperating pots downtown is that it seems a some-what conflict of interest for them to be making and enforcinf parking "laws" that in reality would require us to use one of thier lots, or still pay them money.
and again, why promise the new big businesses parking that we don't have, and don't have a good plan for.
I know I won't be lucky enough to land one of the 300 jobs rowe is supposed to bring(once they finish/fix their issues) so why should I pay for them to have a nice new parking structure by paying to park in an unsecure pay-flatlot? |
|
|
|
Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:10 pm |
|
|
|
Forum Rules:
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Open chat
