Get Rid of Downtown Charlottesville Parking Meters

We are putting in several hundred meters next year and this article gives me pause for concern. The business loss sounds depressing. Is this group pursuing a citizens initiative ?

craven harvesting of money - is this what the c'ville budget requires ?

I understand the theory behind the meters, but sometimes theories do not translate when put into practice. We used to spontaneously visit downtown much more often to get gelato or ice cream or coffee, or to just walk around and window shop, but we no longer do so. We go downtown if there is a specific thing we want to see but find ourselves at Stonefield more often. It's expensive enough to eat out, and we just had the additional restaurant tax added, so adding the expense to park makes us think twice about where to spend our time and money.

downtown is doomed with these meters.

I am a rocket scientist emeritus and I still have a hard time figuring out how the parking meters work!

The meters are a VERY bad idea. Please do not activate them!

Another City blunder - what are these clowns thinking?

I live and work downtown and consider the parking meter pilot program a complete and utter FAILURE. It discourages patrons such as myself from making a quick trip to shop. The meter program only encourages people to shop out of town and/or online. Wake up, City Council!

Any parking meters around the Downtown Mall are anti-commerce. They might as well surround the mall in a 6 foot fence topped with razor wire. It would cost taxpayers less and serve the same purpose.

I love downtown it is the heart of Charlottesville. Unfortunately not everyone is willing to put the effort in to shop there with the meters. When there were paid meters before the mall was not bricked up, this in itself has limited parking

reduce the thresh hold barrier to visiting the downtown... parking needs to be free.. just like the roads leading to the downtown are free to drive on...

I guess downtown Charlottesville would rather I shopped elsewhere.

Parking should be free..

This is ludicrous

The parking meters are a deterrent to people coming to the Downtown Mall. They send a bad signal. The opposite of "welcome".

Worst pilot program ever. Stopped going to mall many times. Will not pay to park. Meters ugly. Don't want to park in garage.

OK so my husband had to use my Iphone (a different computer) to be able to sign the petition... oh the wonders of technology!

I signed the petition and my husband wished to also sign, but apparently only one person per household computer can sign? Each time I re-open the petition it just welcomes me back, not allowing for a new signature.

The downtown merchants have had a difficult summer, losing business due to the rallies. Asking that patrons pay for parking is a slap in the face, adding insult to injury. If the city wants to "revive downtown" the last thing they need is to have people have to pay for parking. Other major shopping areas (Barracks Road and Fashion Square Mall) offer free parking. Why would someone choose to shop downtown and pay for parking when they can shop with free parking elsewhere?

I am a great supporter of the downtown businesses and want to continue. The parking meters are a major barrier to making this support easy. Makes me wonder what you are thinking in not supporting one of the most important Charlottesville City commercial areas. Please TAKE DOWN the parking meters and make it easy for us to support the downtown area. businesses.