Your story in the Feb. 13 issue about the health of Pearl Street Mall (“Don’t call it a comeback”) seemed accurate. I was sad to read that the financial health of many good restaurants is precarious. It seems to me the city should be trying to get more visitors to the mall.
However, the story did not mention parking. Especially for visitors who drive there, this has not only been hard, but relatively recent changes have made it even harder.
Now, to park at an indoor lot, you have to download an app to your phone, including both payment and car information. I have done this, as I’m in Boulder County.
I really believe that many visitors, especially if they are in a rental car, do NOT feel like adding an app to their phone just for a one-time visit! And having to read through the signs in the parking lots and/or looking up the long information on the website is a turn off.
The old-fashioned way of just taking a ticket and then paying a human being at the end of your stay is so MUCH easier, especially for infrequent tourists. These are the people who support restaurants, especially in summer.
Also, the city indoor lots are still free on weekends (yay!), except the parking app charges you a fee and then removes it. I can easily see this going haywire for some. Why can’t free simply be free???
– Steve Levin, Niwot