Stop giving parking tickets downtown
On Oct. 13, my family had a wonderful evening downtown, dinner and a show at the Saroyan Theatre, then a parking ticket.
This is what started the decline of attendance at the baseball park downtown – two-hour parking meters for a three-hour game. People attending a baseball game would find a parking ticket on their vehicle, and we all know how this affected the financial status for the ballpark.
It is rather short-sighted to collect revenue from parking fines and yet economically depress the downtown, which results in lost potential business tax revenue. With every parking ticket, the wrong message is being sent to citizens who would otherwise support downtown venues and businesses.
Fresno has historically failed to provide adequate parking options for residents who would support downtown, and yet nickel and dime anyone who dares venture downtown with parking tickets. If Fresno is serious about revitalizing downtown, then parking meters and parking tickets should be eliminated.
Daniel Zumkeller, Fresno
This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Stop giving parking tickets downtown."