Chattanooga Is Home

Today was the first day that the new parking meters on the North Shore (Frazier Avenue, Coolidge Park, and the Theater Center) were activated and ready to accept your money (cash or credit) so you can park (up to two hours).

It is being reported that the money from the meters will be used for a parking garage on Frazier and to expand the free shuttle service to the North Shore area.

There have been complaints about paying for parking on the North Shore, but I don’t see it affecting me one way or the other. When I go downtown, I am usually on the South side, and I have to pay for parking there. Paying for parking on the North Shore is going to become just a fact of life.

I appreciate the fact that the money will be used for expanding the free shuttle service, so that might actually get me (and others) across the river more. After I pay to park on the south side, of course.

When I lived in Europe you always had to pay to park on the street or the parking lots. The kiosks were very similar to the ones installed on Frazier and Coolidge Park, and it cost a bit more than 50 cents.

We just got back from a trip to Atlanta where we had to pay for parking at our hotel (8.50 per day, self parking) and then at any attraction we wanted to visit ($10 at the aquarium and the Georgia Dome). We paid to take the MARTA from our hotel to the Georgia Dome (1.75 one way, $16 for a three day unlimited rides pass). (There was a free shuttle for the Georgia Dome from their parking lots, if you know how to work the system.)

Paying for parking is becoming a fact of life, a fact that I am willing to accept and pay 50 cents.

News Channel 9 is reporting that the rates and times are:

For parking in the theatre lot, it will cost 50 cents an hour. $4 is the maximum charge for one day.
Theatre lot parking will be enforced daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
For parking along River Street and Frazier Avenue, it will cost 50 cents for hour. Maximum parking time is two hours in one location.
Street parking will be enforced daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

CARTA is in charge of maintaining the parking meters. You can visit their site for instructions on how to operate the meters. (Apparently there were some problems with the machines today.) And if you have questions, then call them at 648-6627.

[tags]Chattanooga, Chattanooga Parking, CARTA, parking meters, North Shore[/tags]