CHANGE.ORG - "As residents, workers, visitors, patrons, fans, business owners, drivers, cyclists, taxpayers and supporters of Downtown Rochester, we believe that the City of Rochester’s short sighted and under-researched decision to extend parking meter charges from 6pm to 8pm must be reversed immediately. It was a hastily made decision with a lack of notice and zero input from the community. No feedback was solicited from residents prior to making this decision. No businesses or venues were asked about the negative impact this would have.
The City of Rochester has stated this change will generate an additional $214,000 toward a much larger budget deficit. We understand this is not part of a long-term parking improvement project but solely a bandaid approach to covering a small portion of a large financial deficit. This approach has put the expense on small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, sports and entertainment venues, restaurants, residents, etc. and overall economic growth for the City.
We are empathetic to this budget challenge and aim to be part of the solution. We believe there are numerous other options that can provide the necessary funds and we are eager to participate in a transparent, public dialogue with The City of Rochester to identify a better alternative."