Spokesman-Review Letter to the Editor
Diamond choking downtown
Diamond choking downtown
While the Downtown Spokane Partnership laments retailer moves to the Valley (April 28), many city dwellers avoid downtown for a simple reason: Diamond Parking. This operation has cornered most of the private parking space downtown and squeezes hard, especially at evening events.
It might cost $15 to attend an event but Diamond, with no other parking available, will double its rates to $10 for a parking space. With no bus service downtown at night and early closure of a large, and reasonable, major parking garage – what a coincidence! – a monopolistic and predatory parking situation has developed, and it’s choking downtown.
Art McGinn
Spokane
What’s your thoughts on the topic of parking downtown?
Parking is expensive downtown, but in the evenings they stop collecting at the parking meters, so paying for a parking lot is wasting money.
You may have to drive around the block a couple times or park a block away, but I've never had a problem getting a spot at a meter after 5 p.m. I avoid those large lots every time I can.
Diamond is a PITA and I avoid them at all cost by walking many blocks. I'm fortunate that enough people in Spokane don't feel this way and park there during events so its not a problem. I'm not convinced that parking is the limiting issue with events/shopping downtown.
Agreed, parking isn't the one huge problem that is keeping our downtown from flourishing, but I do believe it's a contributing factor that needs to be addressed. I've been told that the new Planning Director at the City of Spokane is already recognizing some of these issues and will be making some big changes.