Pay to park debacle

[bulldognation]

Appears Starkville business owners weren’t really behind the new pay to park initiative. And the city doesn’t care to properly notify drivers… preferring that citation money instead. It does nothing to improve the quality of business or life for anyone, and only fuels frustration.
This, along with the sign ordinance, makes me seriously question why City officials are so anti business.

 

[Col. Forbin]

Had a friend park yesterday downtown for lunch. She had to download the app and was in the process of doing that when a cop came up and was starting to write her a ticket. She said I’m downloading the app and he said “you have 3 minutes”. She asked the cop if he had any idea how the app worked and he said he had no clue.
Sounds like a cluster 17 and a nice warm welcome to downtown.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I’ve seen some social media posts by Starkvillains about how the city hasn’t properly communicated about the paid parking and especially the process about getting the needed app for it.

And those folks aren’t planning on going back downtown to support Starkville businesses.

The city and/or that outfit in charge need to have visible signs everywhere— at entrances and exits of parking lots as well as every few parking spaces within those lots.

 

[Cooterpoot]

City leadership is led by an idiot

 

[MStateU]

I’m not going in there and fighting that. I’m not doing an app. Hell with it.


Also there is no sense in certain people that are heavily involved in this coming being such a *****.

No offense.

 

[natchezdawg]

Pay for parking with the only method of payment being is an app?

That sounds ****** up.

 

[Smoked Toag]

I’m not going in there and fighting that. I’m not doing an app. Hell with it.


Also there is no sense in certain people that are heavily involved in this coming being such a *****.

No offense.

Agree, 17 an app

 

[Misfit]

Oh my God. You 17ing self-righteous, hypocritical ******** are just too much. You are constantly bitching that Starkville doesn't provide enough amenities on those rare occasions when you come to town. The city needs money to provide said amenities, so they start charging for parking downtown. How many of you live in towns where downtown parking is free? To avoid the several thousand dollars in cost it would take to install parking meters downtown and to allow you 17s to not have to worry about having a pocket full of quarters to pay for parking every time you come downtown, the city asks you to download an app that will allow you to pay for parking with a card. But that is too much to ask. How many apps do you folks have on your phone. I'd wager that most, if not all of you, have at least half a dozen just for watching sports. It is truly sad how many people on this board seem to be unable to get through a single day if they haven't found something to ***** and moan about.

 

[57stratdawg]

Didn’t Strangebrew have 10+ years to comply with the sign ordinance?

 

[MStateU]

Bitching about people bitching.

 

[Col. Forbin]

I’m not concerned about the app and more so about how big of an ******* the cop was about it. That’s enough to make someone say 17it and leave. Especially when they were attempting to pay said fee.

 

[Cooterpoot]

Oh my God. You 17ing self-righteous, hypocritical ******** are just too much. You are constantly bitching that Starkville doesn't provide enough amenities on those rare occasions when you come to town. The city needs money to provide said amenities, so they start charging for parking downtown. How many of you live in towns where downtown parking is free? To avoid the several thousand dollars in cost it would take to install parking meters downtown and to allow you 17s to not have to worry about having a pocket full of quarters to pay for parking every time you come downtown, the city asks you to download an app that will allow you to pay for parking with a card. But that is too much to ask. How many apps do you folks have on your phone. I'd wager that most, if not all of you, have at least half a dozen just for watching sports. It is truly sad how many people on this board seem to be unable to get through a single day if they haven't found something to ***** and moan about.

Thanks Lynn. You still suck!

 

[mcdawg22]

Agree, 17 an app

That is the way it is in Pensacola. You don’t have to download an app, you can use the browser or a QR code. That being said the aggressiveness that it seems they are issuing tickets with is bad for business and bad for the city.

 

[57stratdawg]

I’d rather use an app. You just point your phone at the QR code and click a button.

It’s easier than looking for coins.

 

[Cooterpoot]

No business owner should be happy with people going somewhere else in town to get the same service without a parking charge. It's a stupid 17ing idea! I'm going where parking is free. 17 you people that want me to pay when I can go somewhere else.

 

[HotMop]

Oh my God. You 17ing self-righteous, hypocritical ******** are just too much. You are constantly bitching that Starkville doesn't provide enough amenities on those rare occasions when you come to town. The city needs money to provide said amenities, so they start charging for parking downtown. How many of you live in towns where downtown parking is free? To avoid the several thousand dollars in cost it would take to install parking meters downtown and to allow you 17s to not have to worry about having a pocket full of quarters to pay for parking every time you come downtown, the city asks you to download an app that will allow you to pay for parking with a card. But that is too much to ask. How many apps do you folks have on your phone. I'd wager that most, if not all of you, have at least half a dozen just for watching sports. It is truly sad how many people on this board seem to be unable to get through a single day if they haven't found something to ***** and moan about.

Damn Lynn, you having a bad day?

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Truth.

I’d rather use an app too and have done so in Durham & Nashville.

That said, based on what I’ve perceived, the communication by the city and company has been terrible.

 

[Cooterpoot]

Some college towns in MS eliminated parking charges because they want to give downtown areas a business boost.........

 

[dickiedawg]

The idea of pay to park down there is a good one. People will park and leave their cars there all day, leaving no spaces for people who want to patronize the businesses.
The implementation could probably have been better. Maybe they could have issued warnings for the first offense during a 60-day rollout period. Maybe they could have ensured there was clearer signage.
Was this a decision voted on by the board, with the usual notice and comment period? I don’t recall a ton of backlash beforehand, which you would expect if the business owners were against it from the start.
Lynn Spruill keeps saying the business owners “asked for” this- the only owner I’ve seen say one way or another is Strange Brew, who says “well I know we didn’t ask for it.”
My guess is owners were asking for “something to be done” about parking, and now that the “something” is so unpopular, well, no I didn’t ask for this (specifically).

 

[atomic dawg]

Had a friend park yesterday downtown for lunch. She had to download the app and was in the process of doing that when a cop came up and was starting to write her a ticket. She said I’m downloading the app and he said “you have 3 minutes”. She asked the cop if he had any idea how the app worked and he said he had no clue.
Sounds like a cluster 17 and a nice warm welcome to downtown.

it’s been a few weeks since I parked down there but I believe the first 15 min is free, so if the cop told her that, something doesn’t check out.

 

[MStateU]

1 hour time limit

Chalk the tires

That’s someone job to make the rounds and write the tickets. Worse thing that happens is you have constant police presence on university as they walk and make the rounds every hour or so.

It’s free parking and can’t be abused. Been working for dang near a century. No apps. No lying and blaming the business owners because you wanting a new parking tax revenue.

You need to find the “be a better citizen” post and read it. I don’t have Facebook but my wife showed it to me. Penned by Dr. Shana Lee. Ridiculous.

 

[atomic dawg]

I’ve used the app a couple of times over the last few weeks and the app was easy to use. That being said the city did a terrible job of getting the word out and what little message they did spread was making it sound as if business owners asked for this. From the people I’ve heard from though, most businesses were not on board with this, so that’s a problem. I think something needed to be done. The parking situation in the cotton district had gotten ridiculous with all the additional apartments built in the past few years but it does seem to impact business so this may not be the way to go.

 

[Quincy A. Wagstaff]

I parked in a spot last weekend that used to be free. It wasn’t until the next day when I went back to park in the same area that I realized I was supposed to pay the day before. Fortunately, I didn’t get a ticket. The second day I scanned a QR code (chose not to download the app) and “paid” but the first 7 hours were free. So I paid $0.00.

 

[Yeti]

I have a flip phone what am I supposed to do?

 

[The Fatboy]

Quit being a luddite and join the 21st century

 

[Penndaddy]

Not sure if you’re serious, but those parking fees aren’t gonna pay for a thing. The ticket revenue, however…..I moved to Starkville a few years ago, so the family could be here for midweek games, and we wouldn’t have a long drive every weekend. Not once have I complained about the lack of amenities or opined for any. Even if I did though, that’s not the reasoning city officials gave for installing the meters.

 

[dog12]

I have a flip phone what am I supposed to do?

Exactly.

For people that don't own a phone, how are they suppose to pay?

 

[Maroonthirteen]

Well said Misfit.

It would be so golden triangle for people to not do something they enjoy because it cost a couple of bucks.

LT knew exactly who he was dealing with. Hahahaha.

 

[Nunya.sixpack]

1 hour time limit

Chalk the tires

That’s someone job to make the rounds and write the tickets. Worse thing that happens is you have constant police presence on university as they walk and make the rounds every hour or so.

Nah...thats not the worst thing, it would be accompanied by a post gasping in horror that they got a ticket for parking downtown....(the horror!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

[Cooterpoot]

Well said Misfit.

It would be so golden triangle for people to not do something they enjoy because it cost a couple of bucks.

LT knew exactly who he was dealing with. Hahahaha.

Or, the city shouldn't be hassling broke *** college kids for an extra dollar.

 

[Arthur2478]

I parked in a spot last weekend that used to be free. It wasn’t until the next day when I went back to park in the same area that I realized I was supposed to pay the day before. Fortunately, I didn’t get a ticket. The second day I scanned a QR code (chose not to download the app) and “paid” but the first 7 hours were free. So I paid $0.00.

The new pay to park is only 8am to 8pm, Monday thru Friday. Thus you didnt get a ticket or charged because it was the weekend.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

How would you feel if your business was in the paid parking area, but a similar business is one block over and has free parking? But just wait, if they keep this they will expand it to more and more of the city. Once they find a way to squeeze an extra dollar out of the populace they then try to figure out how to squeeze two.

 

[Quincy A. Wagstaff]

The new pay to park is only 8am to 8pm, Monday thru Friday. Thus you didnt get a ticket or charged because it was the weekend.

I said weekend because I was there for baseball. This was actually Thursday and Friday. I think I got lucky Thursday because I wasn’t parked for very long. I think Friday it was free because of the holiday, so I left my car there during the game.

 

[WilCoDawg]

Oh my God. You 17ing self-righteous, hypocritical ******** are just too much. You are constantly bitching that Starkville doesn't provide enough amenities on those rare occasions when you come to town. The city needs money to provide said amenities, so they start charging for parking downtown. How many of you live in towns where downtown parking is free? To avoid the several thousand dollars in cost it would take to install parking meters downtown and to allow you 17s to not have to worry about having a pocket full of quarters to pay for parking every time you come downtown, the city asks you to download an app that will allow you to pay for parking with a card. But that is too much to ask. How many apps do you folks have on your phone. I'd wager that most, if not all of you, have at least half a dozen just for watching sports. It is truly sad how many people on this board seem to be unable to get through a single day if they haven't found something to ***** and moan about.

 

[WilCoDawg]

Seems the city prefers to keep certain people out of downtown. There are those demographics who don’t engage in technology like that just like there’s apparently people who can’t obtain government-issued identification. Seems like discrimination enacted by the city.

 

[WilCoDawg]

Boom! Because gubmint don’t stop taking money once they start.

 

[peewee.sixpack]

Oh my God. You 17ing self-righteous, hypocritical ******** are just too much. You are constantly bitching that Starkville doesn't provide enough amenities on those rare occasions when you come to town. The city needs money to provide said amenities, so they start charging for parking downtown. How many of you live in towns where downtown parking is free? To avoid the several thousand dollars in cost it would take to install parking meters downtown and to allow you 17s to not have to worry about having a pocket full of quarters to pay for parking every time you come downtown, the city asks you to download an app that will allow you to pay for parking with a card. But that is too much to ask. How many apps do you folks have on your phone. I'd wager that most, if not all of you, have at least half a dozen just for watching sports. It is truly sad how many people on this board seem to be unable to get through a single day if they haven't found something to ***** and moan about.

I live in Clinton, work in Vicksburg and patronize in Madison and Rigeland every week. Guess how many of these cities charge for parking, NONE of them.

 

[johnson86-1]

No business owner should be happy with people going somewhere else in town to get the same service without a parking charge. It's a stupid 17ing idea! I'm going where parking is free. 17 you people that want me to pay when I can go somewhere else.

There is no such thing as free parking. It uses resources, so somebody is paying for it. Not having a way to pay other than by phone is not great, but neither is spending a bunch of money on parking meters that mostly won't be used. But, it is almost an inarguably good idea to have some cost on parking so it is available to people that actually value it.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Starkville keeps voting her in, so I guess they are getting what they voted for.

 

[kired]

How many towns in MS have paid parking? Starkville, Jackson, Oxford?

Seems like one of those things you really only see in larger cities, where it would be impossible to find a parking spot if they were all free. Is parking really that bad in Starkville?