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New Poll on Washington Avenue Parking

July 20, 2005 Parking, Planning & Design, Politics/Policy, Sunday Poll 4 Comments

I think by now it is pretty clear that I am in favor of parking on Washington Avenue. In my efforts to get parking on the street I’ve decided to conduct my own non-scientific poll on the topic to see what others think.

[NOTE: This post first appeared on 7/17 but I have updated it and moved it to today (7/20). If you have not voted yet please read on and vote.]

I personally would like to see on-street parking all the way to the Eads bridge. I would exclude no part of the street such as in front of the convention center or convention hotel. I’d be OK with a few spaces maybe as 15 minute maximum to allow someone to run into Starbucks. Having valet permits such as they do West of Tucker would also be acceptable.

However, for the purposes of this poll I’m limiting the area to the four blocks from 8th to Tucker. The argument in favor of on-street parking is that it provides a buffer between vehicles and pedestrians, it calms traffic, it provides good short-term spaces necessary to support retail businesses, it makes sidewalk dining more pleasant and gives the general impression to visitors that things are happening in the area.

I’ve supplied a wide range of possible answers ranging from no restrictions (my ideal) to a full ban (what we have now). I’ve included the option in the answer to exclude big events. Some answers are for certain times only. You are only allowed to vote once so make it count.

On-street Parking on Washington Avenue East of Tucker should be…


  
Free polls from Pollhost.com


If you feel I should have included another possible answer please let me know in the comments section.

[UPDATED 7/20 @ 10AM. In three days nearly 70 people have voted. Over 90% are in favor of having on-street parking at all times, ignoring rush hour. The only difference being special events like a RAMS game. In retrospect I should have done an option that excluded M-F 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm. Again, if you haven’t voted please do so.]

– Steve

 

Observations and Traffic Counts on St. Louis’ Washington Avenue

July 18, 2005 Downtown, Parking, Planning & Design 11 Comments

Continuing my quest to get parking on Washington Avenue I decided to do a quick count of traffic on three blocks of Washington Avenue during today’s rush hour. My methodology was pretty simple and incomplete.
… Continue Reading

 

Downtown Partnership’s Jim Cloar Takes Action to Keep Parking off Washington Avenue

July 15, 2005 Downtown, Local Business, Parking, Planning & Design, Politics/Policy 15 Comments

Nearly two weeks ago the Mayor’s blog reported that a new central business district traffic study was being performed. The announcement came two days after I posted that we needed parking on Washington Avenue East of Tucker.

Today Downtown St. Louis Partnership President Jim Cloar included the following in his weekly notes to members:

Curb-side parking is prohibited along Washington Avenue east of Tucker. Some “entrepreneurial” motorists realized that “No Parking” signs had not been installed and have been camping out all day, playing havoc with buses, delivery trucks and traffic in general. That has been corrected and tickets will be issued going forward.

The stupidity of his statement is so infuriating. Where does one begin?
… Continue Reading

 

East Washington Avenue: To Park or Not to Park?

July 1, 2005 Downtown, Parking, Planning & Design, Politics/Policy 3 Comments

This evening on the way to the First Friday Gallery and Design Walk downtown I couldn’t help but notice cars parked on Washington Avenue East of Tucker. This is special because the street has neither parking meters or no-parking signs. So is it allowed or not? Back in December I did a post on this streetscape and had this to say about parking:


Someone made the foolish decision to not have parking on Washington Avenue East of Tucker. This decision is going to have a negative impact on the friendliness of the street by having four lanes of fast moving traffic going by you.The street will seem dead – parked cars have an amazing ability to indicate that something is going on. Can you imagine sitting on one of those benches near the curb line knowing cars, SUVs & buses are going to be whizzing by just a few feet away? Not me!

As a result, these blocks will not be as successful as the blocks to the West. Just imagine the Loop without on-street parking and four lanes of traffic. Yes, you could get through during rush hour much easier but that shouldn’t be the goal. Think of Euclid without street parking – it would be boring and lifeless.

So I was excited to see people parking along this stretch of Washington Avenue. It looked and felt so much better. But later what did I spot attached to the lamp posts with string? No-parking signs. At some point after 6:30pm the city came by and attached temporary “no-parking tow away zone signs.” They weren’t ticketing or towing. They were simply trying to keep the area lifeless and sterile.

Everyone I’ve talked to about this points the finger in one place – Carole Moody, President of The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission. The CVC thinks they need four lanes of traffic to support their conventions. I’m not quite sure why they need that much traffic capacity, can they offer anything to support this need? It seems to me visitors come to a city to see an exciting city, not a blank four lane street. Urban street life will not prosper on Washington Avenue without on-street parking. If you agree with me please send CVC President Carole Moody an email via administrative assistant Bonnie Abler.

And look for a post next week on the St. Louis Convention strategy and the convention hotel that is not living up to expectations.

– Steve

 

The Heart of Lafayette Square

November 14, 2004 Parking, Plazas Comments Off on The Heart of Lafayette Square
According to the sign at the new plaza and parking lot at 18th & Park Ave, it is the Heart of Lafayette Square. Silly me, I assumed the heart of Lafayette Square was actually Lafayette Square. Maybe someone voted to move the heart?

 

Yeah, that’s it. Someone voted to move the heart away from the 30 acre park platted in 1836. Come on, that stunningly beautiful park has had 168 years as the heart of the neighborhood so why not give a tiny plaza with fountain designed to conceal a surface parking lot a chance at being the heart?

The picture below is looking East along Park Ave. Keeping with much of LS the street parking is angled parking. I have no objection to this, especially when you have a really wide street as you can get more parking along a street this way verses parallel parking.

But look at that picture again. I’ve got lots of problems with this “plaza.” First, no fucking street trees! People – trees should be along every street between parked cars and the sidewalk. Exceptions to this rule, in my mind, are limited to the entrance to major civic structures such as a courthouse, city hall, school or house of worship. Otherwise, I want to see street trees.

The picture below is of the of the same view but a little closer to the corner. The planting area in the right of the picture is completely lacking trees as well. I guess the designers didn’t want to block the view of the fountain when you parked your car? One of the most disturbing aspects of this design is the lighting. Along the street is the neighborhood standard with its yellow cast. Inside the “plaza” and the parking lot is obnoxiously bright white lighting.

This bright lighting overpowers the entire corner. It is completely inappropriate for anything except a suburban parking lot. Oh wait, that is what this really is. The plaza, fountain and park benches are not about creating a pleasant park space but making a parking lot for suburbanites acceptable to an otherwise strict neighborhood. I believe Squires restaurant wanted visibility from Park Ave. as well as a parking lot for their West County customers.
Ideally Park Ave would have commercial & residential buildings along the South side of the street to balance the buildings on the North. Construction has begun on such a building immediately across the street from this plaza to the North. Park Avenue could have been a wonderfully urban street with trendy restaurants, bars and shops. But, now it is stuck with this bright eyesore.

This plaza will not be used. Why would anyone spend time here reading a book or playing chess with friends? If anyone will use this park it will be folks waiting for a dinner table at Squires. Will the owners of the new condos across the street use the plaza? Doubtful. Will people from other areas say, “Let’s go over to the new heart of Lafayette Square and hang out.” Nope.

The opening paragraph to chapter 5 (The Uses of Neighborhood Parks) of Jane Jacob’s classic book Death & Life of Great American Cities goes like this:

Conventionally, neighborhood parks or parklike open spaces are considered boons conferred on the deprived populations of cities. Let us turn this thought around, and consider parks deprived places that need the boon of life and appreciation conferred on them. This is more nearly in accord with reality, for people do confer use on parks and make them successes — or else withhold use and doom parks to rejection and failure.
Simply building a park or plaza does not mean it is needed, it will be used or successful. This plaza, just two blocks from Lafayette Park, is not a destination of its own. The lack of urban life immediately around the plaza tells me this plaza will remain vacant most of the time except perhaps at dinner rush or during major events when the number of people in Lafayette Square is increased substantially. Day to day and morning to evening this plaza will be lacking the most important thing – people.

This plaza is nothing more than expensive window dressing for a parking lot.

Steve

 

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