I have had it.
Have you noticed that in Springfield and for that matter a lot of other places, driving regulations are merely suggestions, rather than the law?
Have you been in downtown? Have you seen the guy make a U-Turn in the middle of the street, in the middle of traffic just because they see a parking space on the other side that they must have?
Have you seen the cars and trucks double and triple parked doing whatever they need to do, effectively making Main Street a one lane road?
How about the lady I encountered going home the other day. She stops at the light at the corner of State and Main in the middle of rush hour and does nothing. Doesnāt turn on a flasher, a brake light, wave anyone passed or anything else. Just stop there. What she was doing God only knows.
The philosophical point is that consideration in anything in life seldom exists now. Itās all about the moment and the person.
But pragmatically, is there another way we can go?
What if we could find a city councilor in every city to make the daring idea.
What if we were to just ban parking from the North end of Springfield to the South end of Springfield? It sounds weird and wacky and probably is. Better yet how about banning cars on Main Street?
What would that do? It would take cars off the streets and funnel them to parking garages. It would make the city more walkable. It would open up the possibility of more downtown business that is not casino related. It would offer the opportunity for more people to see more people, maybe smile. Maybe have a conversation rather than deal with the rat race of life.
Taking that on street parking off the streets would be weird. It would mean we would have to work with businesses in the south and in the north. But, by that one instance, would we find a way to jumpstart more than just a casino.
Would cities and towns with their own Main Street issues learn from that as well?Is more walking and less parking the answer.
Just an idea.
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