One of the latest gimmicks in the Central Corridor Project plan is to generate revenue by installing parking meters in the surrounding neighborhoods. The gimmick is called “Parking Benefit Districts (PBDs).”
According to a story in the Twin Cities Daily Planet: https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/05/25/light-rail-construction-poses-parking-challenges
A PBD is a system of (usually) more than 100 parking meters charging fees that vary throughout the day in accordance with parking demand. The funds generated by these meters are distributed by a governing body comprised of business and property owners. One possible solution is to place meters on residential streets. Each St. Paul residence is currently allocated 1.5 on-street parking spots, reducing that number to 1, or possibly one half,would allow room for PBD meters to be placed along residential streets like Sherburne Ave., which is located one block north of University Ave. Funds generated by PBD won’t increase the overall number of parking spots. It may cause an uproar among residents who already park there for free.
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Ya don’t say.
Rather than installing the meters in front of people’s homes on Sherburne Avenue, I would suggest installing them around the KSTP-megamotel-Emerald Gardens complex. If the project planners are really interested in generating revenue to mitigate the negative impacts of the project on local businesses and neighborhoods, that’s where the fruit is ripe for the parking meter picking.
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