It’s a shame that parking in Saratoga Springs has become an issue once again. Local store owners are spending thousands of dollars to ensure that the “free” parking, that was never free to begin with, never has to be financially fronted by those who are actually using it. This is called a usage fee. With minimal research, we can fully understand that these paved over swathes of land, we feel are owed to us in order to safely and casually store our personal mobility boxes, were never “free” to begin with. They still are not “free.” However, traditionally, the expensive burden required to build and maintain on-street, garage and lot parking has been shared by the area’s tax payers...despite the fact that many taxpayers do not have motorized vehicles. Furthermore, providing parking “free” to the user parking, results in the lack of available parking when customers ACTUALLY need it most. This fiscal failure has caused you and me to most often drive to the heart of the city and usually disregard walking, bicycling and public transportation as feasible transportation options. Additionally, the prevalence of parking in the city swallows up a huge percentage of the most valuable real estate in the area, without providing a direct economic benefit. If folks are demanding “free” motorized vehicles storage in the heart of the city, why should we stop there? How about some free storage containers for the things that don’t fit in our houses?
- Ian Klepetar
