Your Opinion: An honest parking analysis

Dear Editor:

I read the March 2 front page story from Nicole Roberts in the News Tribune concerning "Parking time near post office extended" due do complaints from Hawthorn and Central banks and how they would lose business.

I would like to bring to everyone's attention that those six 15-minute spaces across from the U.S. Postal Service are reserved for the postal customers only.

Just for the record, the extension would cause a conflict with postal customers who have post office boxes; front desk packages mailing; U.S. passport applications; and city, county and state employees who are on official business.

Don't forget the extra burden on our elderly and special-needs citizenry. Currently there is only one handicap space in front of the post office.

Since parking is limited downtown, I suggest the two banks open their doors on holidays and work full eight-hour days on Saturdays.

The City Council must understand the Old Munichburg does not have adequate parking, because some of the older houses were turned into apartment buildings and barber shops with no off-street parking or driveways. And most of the off-street parking has either two-hour parking or parking meters. Interesting enough, the city has an ordinance banning people from refeeding parking meters, parking on the same block on the same day and using the police to crack down on lawn parking in Old Munichberg was only confirming we have more pressing problems to solve than to be quarreling over lawn parking.

To add further insult to injury, on Dec. 3, 1996, I received two parking violations within a span of two hours and 15 minutes from an officer of the Jefferson City Parking Division for parking my vehicle in the 600 block of South Broadway Street in front of my residence. I rented an apartment in a turn-of-the-century house with no driveway. The 600 block of Broadway has two-hour parking on the left side of the street Monday through Friday. The municipal judge told me I can't park in front of my residence and suggested I rent a parking space elsewhere in Jefferson City.