'$20 is too much,' cry drivers surprised by new charge on free parking spots – but law could block the increase | 92I449I | 2024-04-29 12:08:01
BEHIND the idle hum of their engines, drivers are crying in protest over ballooning parking costs near a popular tourist attraction.
A privately owned parking lot near scenic waterfalls is the subject of legal review after its owners raised prices to pay for an accessible shuttle bus.
Parking at the foot of Multnomah Falls in Oregon used to be free.
But the park attracts between 2 and 3 million visitors each year, owners of a nearby parking lot said.
The popularity has fomented traffic issues.
The parking lot owners said they're trying to reduce traffic congestion with the introduction of new $5 to $20 parking lot fees and a nearby shuttle bus option.
The parking rate fluctuates based on the visitor's time.
Drivers expressed a range of views about the new fees.
"I just think it should be free," Bailey St. Aubin, a visitor from Utah, told local NBC affiliate KGW-8.
"There [are] so many things that we have to pay for in the world."
Another visitor, Karen Duncan, said the parking raise was "sad."
"I understand the reasons that it might curb congestion, but I doubt it," Duncan said.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> However, out-of-town visitors from Seattle said they wanted the park to be more accessible.
"If the shuttle service means that more people get to enjoy and experience, I think that's pretty fair," Seattle-based Johnny Le told the publication.
"But the fact that it's an all-day parking fee, it feels a little weird. It would be better if it were by hour."
The parking lot is owned and operated by Sasquatch Shuttle, a company with several parking lots and shuttle services in the region.
Alan Dayley, the company's owner, told the outlet meters for the lot are now online.
</div> </div> He also said visitors have a free shuttle option that helps alleviate traffic congestion concerns.
Shuttles take a seven-minute drive from a nearby lot in Bridal Veil.
The shuttle services run every 30 minutes.
"We came here to this parking lot last season and were monitoring it and helping with the traffic flow," Dayley said.
"We saw an opportunity to be able to utilize this as a premier parking area and be able to provide a less expensive option and more accessible option at the Bridal Veil.
"We are really hoping that that price might be a deterrent for people to park here and to go find more affordable options because they are there."
The parking fees are currently under review by the US Forest Service and Multnomah County.
However, attorneys for the private company said they believe the surcharge will pass legal muster.
"We believe our payment machines don't require a permit," an attorney for the company told the news outlet.
More >> https://ift.tt/MadAfGF Source: MAG NEWS
