Since moving to the Grand Traverse region in 1996, I have witnessed an incredible amount of growth in the area. Obviously the Traverse City Visitors Center, in conjunction with the Pure Michigan campaign, is doing its job. The Traverse City area has gone from a tourist destination to a tourist mecca.
The region is now known nationally as a foodie, wine and beer center.
Growth, however, does not come without its problems.
With more and more people visiting our area and some moving here- the demand for service employees is at an all time high. So, where do these workers live in the region? Where do they park while they are working?
Clearly, the everyday service worker can’t afford to live within the city limits without being in a roommate situation. Even still, that can be a huge financial burden to overcome. The reality of the situation is that most service workers must drive into Traverse City and park their cars.
Where do they park?
Most park on the streets and play the feed the meter game. A game that is usually lost to a very aggressive parking enforcement department.
So what are the options?
The quick answer is to buy a parking pass to a city surface lot or the Hardy parking deck. However, money and logistics become a problem. First off, to purchase an annual parking permit (the cheapest of the options) upfront money can be anywhere form 390 to 520 dollars. Not many service workers in the area have that kind of cash lying around.
Secondly, the Hardy parking deck closes well before most restaurants and bars close.
So what are the options? There are not many.
One logical option, however, is for Traverse City to offer a punch card system where vehicle owners can buy a set amount of visits without buying an entire year’s worth of passes. A second option is for the city to allow for a monthly payment plan that would deduct a payment from a users bank account. Thirdly, businesses in the downtown area could front the cost of a yearly pass and deduct the cost of the pass from an employees’s check at each pay period.
No matter the solution, the problem is clear: Traverse City has become a huge attraction for visitors across the state and the nation and we can no longer ignore the working class who make all of this possible.
