{"id":324402,"date":"2025-11-30T08:12:50","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T08:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/alabama\/downtown-birmingham-needs-free-parking-now\/"},"modified":"2025-11-30T08:12:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T08:12:50","slug":"downtown-birmingham-needs-free-parking-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=324402","title":{"rendered":"Downtown Birmingham Needs Free Parking Now"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\"Crestline<\/a>
Crestline Village in Mountain Brook jammed with cars (free and angle parking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By David Sher<\/em><\/p>\n

Sometimes you have to take a chance. Do the unexpected. Be different.<\/p>\n

Birmingham has always been risk-averse. But there comes a time when we have to say enough is enough.<\/p>\n

Those of you who come downtown regularly may have noticed new signs indicating payment for on-street parking will soon be required 24 hours a day. We\u2019re shooting ourselves in the foot.<\/p>\n

The Golden Age We Left Behind<\/strong><\/p>\n

Growing up on Birmingham\u2019s Southside, I witnessed downtown\u2019s glory days. My father owned a retail store there, and I spent countless hours wandering bustling streets filled with families shopping at Loveman\u2019s and Pizitz, catching movies at downtown theaters, and dining at Joy Young\u2019s. The streets were packed, especially during Christmas season, with shoppers enjoying the decorated windows.<\/p>\n

Back then, downtown was our city\u2019s beating heart.<\/p>\n

The Great Abandonment<\/strong><\/p>\n

When shopping centers sprouted in the suburbs, retail fled downtown. Birmingham\u2019s response was puzzling. In the 1970s, we embarked on a beautification campaign that proved to be a well-intentioned disaster. Planters appeared on 2nd and 3rd Avenue North. Green spaces bloomed along 19th Street and 20th Street became \u201cBirmingham Green.\u201d<\/p>\n

While aesthetically pleasing, they came at a devastating cost\u2014parking spaces disappeared. Downtown retailers struggled as customers couldn\u2019t find places to park. Meanwhile, the bus system began its slow decline. Much of that greenery has since been removed, but the damage was done. Parking in downtown Birmingham became a chronic headache that persists today.<\/p>\n

Learning from Our Competition<\/strong><\/p>\n

Walking the Jemison Trail in Mountain Brook recently, a friend told me: \u201cI never go downtown. Parking is a pain in the\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

This sentiment is Birmingham\u2019s biggest obstacle\u2014and our greatest opportunity.<\/p>\n

\"4<\/a>
4 hour free parking sign in Crestline Village (Mountain Brook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every time I visit Mountain Brook or Homewood, I\u2019m reminded of what we\u2019re up against. Mountain Brook offers three to four hours of free parking. Homewood provides free parking too. Both cities offer angle parking, creating more spaces while eliminating parallel parking anxiety.<\/p>\n

These suburban competitors understand something fundamental: eliminating parking stress encourages people to stay longer, shop more, and return frequently<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Chattanooga gets it. They offer free electric shuttle service downtown with the first hour of parking free in their garages.<\/p>\n

The irony? At a recent downtown parking planning meeting in Birmingham, I had to email the organizer to ask where I should park. If people attending a meeting about parking solutions can\u2019t easily figure out where to park, how can we expect casual visitors to navigate the system?<\/p>\n

The Economic Reality<\/strong><\/p>\n

Critics worry that free parking means lost revenue. This thinking misses the bigger picture entirely. A vibrant downtown with thriving retail generates far more tax revenue than parking meters ever could.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When people park easily and affordably, they stay downtown longer, visit multiple businesses, return more frequently, bring friends and family, and attend more events. Each behavior generates sales tax revenue and supports local jobs.<\/p>\n

The math is simple: Would you rather collect $2 per hour from parking meters or generate hundreds of dollars in sales tax from shoppers who actually want to come downtown?<\/p>\n

A Bold Proposal: Two Hours of Free Parking<\/strong><\/p>\n

Birmingham should implement two hours of free on-street parking throughout downtown north of the railroad tracks<\/strong>. There\u2019s ample parking there, but it\u2019s not perceived that way.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not necessary to include Southside around UAB, where traffic now exceeds pre-COVID levels. But let\u2019s give downtown north the boost it needs. While downtown activity is increasing, it hasn\u2019t reached pre-COVID numbers.<\/p>\n

The solution requires coordination between three entities: the City of Birmingham (on-street parking), the Birmingham Parking Authority (public parking decks), and the Birmingham Transit Authority (public transportation). Require long-term parkers like employees to use parking decks, implement free shuttles so visitors can park anywhere and ride to their destination, and strictly enforce time limits.<\/p>\n

The revenue lost from parking fees would be offset by increased economic activity. More importantly, it would signal that Birmingham is serious about making downtown accessible again.<\/p>\n

This Is Birmingham\u2019s Moment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Downtown Birmingham isn\u2019t just competing with other cities\u2014it\u2019s competing with its own suburbs. And the suburbs have one glaring competitive advantage: free parking<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This is our moment to show that sometimes the best way forward isn\u2019t repeating what failed in the past. Other cities charge for parking because that\u2019s what they\u2019ve always done. But Birmingham has a chance to be different, to be the city that prioritizes accessibility over revenue extraction.<\/p>\n

When you face serious competition, you must take chances. When others zig, you must zag.<\/p>\n

Free parking isn\u2019t just about convenience\u2014it\u2019s about removing barriers that keep people away from our downtown businesses, restaurants, and cultural venues. It\u2019s about making downtown Birmingham a destination people choose rather than avoid.<\/p>\n

The suburbs figured this out long ago. It\u2019s time downtown caught up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

David Sher is the founder and publisher of\u00a0ComebackTown<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).<\/em><\/p>\n

Click here to sign up for our newsletter.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com<\/p>\n

(Visited 1,454 times, 1 visits today)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Crestline Village in Mountain Brook jammed with cars (free and angle parking) By David Sher Sometimes you have to take a chance. Do the unexpected. Be different. Birmingham has always been risk-averse. But there comes a time when we have to say enough is enough. 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