I just got the following email today:

“I’m rather appalled by the plans for a 500 car parking garage next to the library. Wouldn’t $40 million be better spent supporting alternate forms of transportation? I wonder where the public outcry is. Have you guys got a stance on this?”

It occured to be that others of you out there might be wondering the same thing or might want to comment on the Library Lot parking structure.

Well here’s my response to the person above and to others:

At this time, getDowntown has not taken a stance on the Library Lot.  Most of the businesses I have talked to have expressed a strong need to have more parking downtown and they think that putting that parking underground would both allow there to be more parking and also not be as intrusive as an above ground parking structure.

Personally, I would love to see that kind of money invested in sustainable transportation rather than parking, but at this point, businesses feel there is a great need to have more parking for fear that if they don’t build this parking they are going to lose both customers and employers.

And at the same time the DDA is working with getDowntown and the AATA to provide more transit options to the downtown.  I wish this was more widely publicized because while there is parking going in downtown there are also initiatives to create evening transit service for employees, putting some Zip Cars in the downtown and more.

But I do think your concern is a valid one and I would encourage you to write a letter to the editor about this.  I would also encourage you to ask others to write letters and spread the message that we need to continue to think about sustainable transportation in addition to thinking about parking.

These are my present thoughts on the subject.  I would love to hear from others.