Debating the new parking meters downtown - fair or a cash grab?

I walked through downtown Portland last week and noticed they swapped out all the old meters for these new digital ones that charge by the minute... and there's a $2.50 minimum even if you're just running in for a coffee. Some folks say it helps fund local projects, but others think it's just pushing people to park in the suburbs instead. Which side makes more sense to you all?

3 comments

3 Comments

abbyf7910d ago

Yeah honestly running into a place for a coffee and hitting a $2.50 minimum stings. I had this same thing happen near my post office route last year and what worked for me was just looking up which blocks had the free 15 minute spots. There's like 3 or 4 of them tucked away on side streets downtown but nobody knows about them because they never put signs up. @wyattramirez brought up a good point about the hidden costs too - it's not just the meter but the time circling around looking for a spot that burns your lunch break.

flores.mark10d ago

How much are you really paying per hour with that new minimum?

wyattramirez10d ago

Most places here got around that by just cutting everyone down to 29 hours so they don't have to pay benefits on top of the wage bump. You end up making less overall than before when you factor in losing health insurance coverage or having to pick up a second gig. My cousin works at a franchise spot and his actual hourly with all the nickel and diming on uniforms and meal deductions is more like 2 bucks above the old minimum if you do the math on a full shift.