Last night marked the first time the new Columbia City Council members met, and saying they aren’t off to a good start is being generous.
Several measures were discussed, including a proposal to increase parking rates and a new “no-taxi pickup” pilot program. Both of which, we find outrageous and highly detrimental to students.
First, the parking proposal would increase street parking rates from 50 cents per hour to 60 cents and would extend ticketing hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The point? Construction for the twin parking garage (we’ll call it the Garagasaurus) for the new Fifth and Walnut Parking Structure (we’ll call it Garage Majal) needs financing, and what better way to raise funds than to squeeze money from students who, for the most part, won’t even be parking in the garage.
To use the garages in the first place, residents have to pay regular parking rates. It’s ludicrous that the city is considering building another massive garage when the first one is barely used as is.
At the meeting, the proposal was tabled for 45 days, and will be discussed again this summer. Also, because the proposal was tabled, there will not be an official opportunity for public comments before the final vote.
What’s more troublesome is the mayor alluded to the idea that parking rates would be increased on MU’s campus from 50 to 75 cents per hour instead of increasing garage parking fares. If this clause is put in the ordinance, it will be voted on conveniently when most students are not on campus to oppose it, as the measure was tabled until the summer.
It seems grossly unfair the city would make the students foot the new megalith’s bill when they wouldn’t be the people using it on a daily basis. Students generally park on campus during the week, not downtown.
The city should not be concerned about building the Garagasaurus when, again, the first one isn’t even used to its full potential. City Council should be more focused on controlling spending and finding new, logical sources of revenue.
Speaking of illogical sources of revenue, another proposal discussed at the meeting institutes a pilot program this summer designed to eliminate double parking by making an informal agreement with taxi services that would keep taxis from being able to pick people up off several streets, including Broadway, downtown between 9 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. There would only be five designated pick-up locations in downtown Columbia. Justification for the programs comes from an ‘apparent’ need to make commutes easier for local residents.
What?
At first, because the proposal is so incredibly misguided, we thought City Council could have accidentally switched “a.m.” and “p.m.” and had been attempting to ease traffic downtown during lunch hours. Alas, we were wrong.
They’re serious. We can understand the need to eliminate double parking when traffic is heavy during times of high commute, say, midday or rush hour. But in the middle of the night? After shops have closed and, for the most part, the only establishments open are serving alcohol? That’s when they want to make it more difficult for people downtown to find a safe ride home?
You’d think City Council members would want more people who have been drinking to find safe rides home and not drive. This initiative seems counterintuitive to that goal.
Yes, there are the four locations for taxi pickup. But, again, less taxi availability will likely lead to more instances of driving under the influence. And even if individuals choose to walk to one of the four locations, it means there are denser congregations of those belligerent drunks about which the Columbia Police Department seems to be so worried.
While voluntary now, if enacted, taxis would be ticketed if they stop in the street to pick up a fare, and CPD says that enforcement would increase dramatically. It seems odd that taxi companies would agree to the initiative, since they’d be losing revenue.
