Published in the TimesUnion this week:
The reactions of many of the people quoted are typical and show just how car-brained some people are. I’m particularly amused by the business owners suggesting that this will reduce business.
I avoid Saratoga if at all possible, despite the fact that I love the downtown area and would greatly enjoy shopping or having a quiet drink there. Why? Because finding parking there is a hassle. I have no interest in spending fifteen minutes circling around. (Admittedly, because it doesn’t seem they’ll be charging for on-street parking, this move won’t really make much of an impact in that respect.)
I’ll be interested to see how it works out for them in the longer term. Here’s hoping they’ll charge a bit more for the garage and start charging for on-street parking as well. Maybe they’ll even close a few streets to cars altogether. (Unfortunately, they can’t close Broadway to cars, as it’s NY-9, and I doubt the state would allow it, however good it might be for Saratoga.)