Posted on 01/26/2007 8:10:36 AM PST by SmithL
With tough questions being asked at City Hall over why San Francisco's parking meters aren't generating more revenue, one possible explanation beginning to emerge is the astonishingly high number of handicap placards that have been handed out in the city.
San Francisco has about 23,000 coin-fed parking meters, while city residents hold about 90,000 permanent and temporary handicap parking placards, issued by the state Department of Motor Vehicles, allowing them to park for free, said Judson True, spokesman for the city's Municipal Transportation Agency.
That's about four placards for every meter.
"While the MTA supports the legitimate use of disability placards, there's no doubt that they have an effect on our parking meter revenue," True said.
Tim Hornbeck is the executive director of the Arc of San Francisco, a nonprofit group that helps and advocates for people with disabilities. He agreed that better enforcement of handicap placards by the state DMV perhaps is needed. But so is parking meter enforcement, he said.
"I just walked outside of our building," Hornbeck said. "Out of 27 meters, nine were expired with no tickets, five had disability placards, and one was a city vehicle. Only 12 of those meters were getting revenue."
To obtain a handicap placard, California residents must have certain medical conditions -- such as heart disease, vision problems or impaired walking -- and have them certified by a doctor or other medical professional.
The uproar over a report revealing that the city's meters are capturing an average citywide of just 22 percent of their potential revenue showed no signs of abating Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I would agree that most if not all residents of the fine city by the Bay are handicapped. The thing is that only 90.000 or them will admit it. From a city that gives us Sen Feinstein and Speaker Pelosi, should we be at all surprised?
I'd say major cities should make a choice about what they want out of their parking spaces.
Do they want to generate funds for the city, OR, do they want to provide spots for handicapped individuals?
If the argument for having meters is to provide handicapped persons parking, and without such control the handicapped would have to walk many blocks to park their car, then it sounds like to me that the city should convert all street parking to handicapped parking. What if some non-handicapped person is parking in a spot that yet another handicapped person could use? If there is even just ONE, paid spot, even in a huge city, that's still one LESS spot for a handicapped person.
If the argument for having meters is to generate funds for the city, then even handicapped people should have to pay. After all, if the spot they parked in was close enough to walk from, to work, then they can obviously walk from work TO the meter when it expires, feed it, and then walk back. I mean, they make that journey FROM work TO the meter after work right? If anyone is so handicapped that they can only make that journey once in a work day, I honestly don't see how they can work at all!
It's either that, or San Fran and other cities should just shut up about not getting all the money they wanted, because there are no other options.
Yes. Malls have seats, and don't have cars to dodge.
Or the person may just be going into a store that is close to the handicap spot. Or the person driving the car may be perfectly heathy, but is going to pick up someone who is disabled. Don't assume.
-Yossarian
(Who was sported a handicap placard on his car on a number of occassions....)
Not surprising. California handicap placards are a farce. As many no doubt have posted, the majority of drivers with them are in no way handicapped. Get one for you senile parent who never drives, and hey! I can park anywhere I want!
I have a daughter, who is 8, with a seizure disorder, has a handicap sticker. (she cannot walk and is in a wheelchair). I make it a point to ask the perfectly healthy people who park in the space what there handicap is, or if they are just mentally handicaped. I think in the years I have done this I have seen 2 people really needing the spot. Be fearless, don't be afraid to ask but you'll be shocked by the reaction.
Your guess may be closer to right than wrong.
Consider the facts:
1) SFs total population is 730,000
2) All of them cannot be drivers (under 18, non-drivers, etc.)
3) Many of the criminals and illegal aliens among them don't bother with drivers licenses.
I've seen metered handicap parking spaces here in MI. To be honest I *like* the fact that they're treating those with disabilities just like everyone else. Parking is parking, and distance to the door has little to do with who pays and who doesn't.
I have a permanent tag myself, and lack of parking is an issue. I have good days and bad days, and if a regular space is just as close an available I'll use it. I try not to park in van accessable spots but at times I don't have a choice.
That's true, but when my hanging tag expires in four years, all I have to do is take it to the Secretary of State's office and they'll issue me a new one, no doctor's cert required.
Perhaps the cause of that is they weren't willing to do any walkin in the first place.
Don't mean to be insensitive but there is abuse of the handicap parking system.
Wow, I didn't know we had a cardiologist here on FR! Someone who is ready based on years of study and clinical experience to put down those with heart disease as lazy bums who deserve what they got!
I mean surely, it couldn't be that you're just some dumb arrogant fluster cluck of a human being that just sits behind a keyboard most of the day on some message board insulting people, could it? Nah....
Same problem here in PA.
No oversight. Doctors hand them out to keep their fat, lazy cash cows happy.
"Wow, I didn't know we had a cardiologist here on FR! Someone who is ready based on years of study and clinical experience to put down those with heart disease as lazy bums who deserve what they got!"
I'm sure there are numerous MD's on FR.
"I mean surely, it couldn't be that you're just some dumb arrogant fluster cluck of a human being that just sits behind a keyboard most of the day on some message board insulting people, could it?"
Good example that we also have plenty of those. There are treatment options for those with anger management issues.
I didn't insult anyone. Its common knowledge that lack of exercise impacts a persons heart health. Your not accepting that fact doesn't change it.
"Hmmm - but they are healthy enough to go shopping at the mall? All that walking between stores?"
They have electric scooters in many stores. I guess you don't get out too much.
No - I would have noticed that when they got out of the car. The original argument was that very normal and healthy looking people may be very sick and need to park so close to the mall.
As long as legislation feeeeeeeels good, it must be good!
I know better than that! "I HAVE seen tags".
Agreed.
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