Street Parking
Like since forever, when Commentary goes to The Yard for a ballgame, I do street parking. After 6 pm, parking is free on the street. Nowadays, I have the ParkMobile app, see the featured photo, that makes it easy. I no longer have to feed the sidewalk gizmo my credit card, cash, and license plate info.
This could change and see this from the Chron yesterday:
Houston City Council will vote to extend the time residents will have to pay city parking meters on Wednesday.
The current ordinance requires drivers who park in metered spots to pay between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The new ordinance would keep the start time at 7 a.m., but extend the period people will have to pay to 2 a.m.
The new change will not increase parking rates, if passed, but is expected to generate more revenue for the city, said Council Member Edward Pollard, who introduced the agenda item with Council Members Fred Flickinger and Tiffany Thomas.
“This is a way in which we can trickle on small amounts that will add up over time,” Pollard said.
City ordinance requires ParkHouston, which oversees parking meters in Houston, to keep a $2 million fund balance. Any revenue made that exceeds the fund balance goes into the city’s general fund, said Billy Rudolph, chief of staff of the city’s Administrative and Regulatory Affairs Department.
Before the pandemic, the city received approximately $10 million in ParkHouston revenue for the general fund, Rudolph said. Last year, the city received approximately $5 million.
Pollard believes that cash amount could double with the extension.
Here is the entire read: Houston officials may extend parking meter hours until 2 a.m. (houstonchronicle.com).
I hope it does not pass. If it does, it is going to take some time to change all the signs that tell you when parking fees apply. Oh, well.
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Commentary went to Dollar Dog Night last night with my best friend. I had two delicious dollar dogs. Our high paid closer, Josh Hader, gave up a two out, two run dinger in the top of the ninth that ruined the evening and put us at 1-5 for the season. Frustrating, frustrating. We lost 2-1 and we can also thank lousy baserunning by the Astros. Pitiful. Pitiful.
