New parking meter policy (St. Louis: credit card, cost, vehicles)

[Dreadnought]

I guess they are going to start enforcing meters on Saturdays (Until 7PM). You would think the world just ended based on some of the responses I have seen around the web.

Downtown St. Louis to begin enforcing meters on Saturdays | ksdk.com

[Dawn10am]

It's hardly as big a deal as some of those people are making it out to be, but I still think it's a bad idea. If they're going to make people pay on Saturdays then they should at least introduce some kind of credit card option that also allows you to do more than 2 hours like in Maryland Plaza. On the flip side, maybe this will encourage more people to use public transit (though I doubt it).

[STLCityMike]

They are going to have to increase the payroll to have a meter maid check this. I would hope a cost benefit analysis was completed.

[Provelkative]

The part that irritates me concerning parking meters is that they're coin based. Who carries coins? I don't even carry cash most of the time. Parking is a big enough of a hassle downtown, the last thing we need is another excuse for people to say, "Nah, it's not worth the trip."

[marigolds6]

This is bad for residents, but good for visitors. Most of those vehicles you see at meters on Saturday were parked there on Friday.

[Dawn10am]

Originally Posted by marigolds6

This is bad for residents, but good for visitors. Most of those vehicles you see at meters on Saturday were parked there on Friday.

Actually, from what I've been reading there's an argument out there that this is going to be good for business. I think a lot of people go downtown on Saturdays and park in front of a business all day and that uses up the spots that could be made available for other people who want to go to said business. Making people pay will encourage a steady stream of available spots. Or so the argument goes.