Andrew Bossi

A meter on U Street NW

How apposite, to discuss parking on Car Free Day. Here’s TBD on Jack Evans’ quest for parking meter “sanity”, or, lower meter rates:

Evans, the influential chairman of the Council’s Finance & Revenue Committee, tells TBD, “People are angry about the meters. … I’m going to introduce legislation at our next meeting that brings us all back to sanity.”

Currently, motorists pay two dollars an hour to park in “premium demand zones” such as Adams Morgan, Georgetown, the U Street corridor, along Wisconsin Avenue, and in the downtown commercial core.

There’s a lot of discussion about Evans’ proposal on Twitter; TBD rounded up a collection of opinions stated in 140-character-or-less. The reactions are predictable: phrases like “supply and demand”, “discourage driving” and “cheaper than garages”. A few others mention that it would be easier to pay $0.25 for 7.5 minutes of parking if there were other ways to pay that fee.

I think that is the real issue; it is onerous to procure and carry several rolls of coins. Ask a cashier for quarters and you’re probably going to be denied. Going to the bank requires finding the time to run such an errand before 5pm. If it costs two dollars per hour of parking, and you leave your car at an average meter, you’re going to burn through almost half-a-roll of quarters. I go out of my way to grab rolls from the bank…and other would-be parkers go out of their way to approach me, as I dutifully peel back paper and feed coins. “Sweet! You’ve got quarters. I’ll give you cash for them.” Yeah, that’s annoying. Machines that accept other, more plastic forms of payment are easier in that regard, but not others.

Obviously, there’s the issue of access; not everyone has a credit or a debit card. Beyond that, a solid 50% of the time I attempt to use those cursed green boxes, they don’t work. It’s funny; the unreliable, poorly-located credit card meter “boxes” have done more to deter me from driving than old-fashioned coin meters have. By the time I shlep down the street, have my credit card rejected twice, have a debit card rejected once and then cross the street to use a different machine, I’m swearing at my car keys and late for wherever I’m going. Bottom line: neither method for paying for street parking is ideal, no matter what it costs.

Wayan Vota

Pedestrians wait to cross in D.C.

One of my favorite things about the city is how easy it is to live here without a car; unfortunately, the constant tension and worry caused by bad behavior from drivers, walkers and bicyclists mean that while it may be possible, it often is not pleasant. Greater Greater Washington has a sobering, somewhat depressing post up about how dangerous it is to be a pedestrian in D.C.

Sharon, a pedestrian who lives in Cleveland Park, recorded her negative experiences with drivers for a week. You can read her log, here. This was her conclusion:

It really does seem that once I strap on my backpack and hit the streets, I become either invisible or a target. Must we double or triple fines for moving violations and use the funds to hire a sufficient number of police to actually enforce the traffic laws? I’m definitely not your classic “law and order” person but that’s the only answer I’ve come up with, since right now drivers clearly think the risks of suffering any consequences for driving recklessly are minimal.

And, finally, while I’m on my soapbox, one last request to all you drivers: Please come to a stop when I have the right of way and am walking in a crosswalk. Rolling, coasting, or inching your way past me is just plain intimidating, and makes me feel like you’re trying to see just how close you can come to scraping my kneecaps without actually doing so.

I don’t bike (yet), but I do walk every day and I drive about twice a week. Being behind the wheel of a powerful car influences how I approach the city when I walk; I make sure I’m not dashing across the street when there’s one second left on the “Walk” signal and that if it’s 10 pm, I’m not dressed in head-to-toe black and jaywalking. Conversely, walking through crosswalks and almost getting hit by SUVs with out-of-state plates (which are being piloted by inattentive drivers who flip me off) has made me obstinately protective of pedestrians who are tentatively inching their way across a signal-free intersection. It’s dangerous out there. I wish there was more enforcement of existing laws, especially about cell phone use behind the wheel. It’s not worth taking someone’s life, but I see someone with a mobile glued to their ear, babbling away, every hour that I’m outside. Ugh. Enough.