Park here to help end homelessness
Seattleites are constantl
y complaining about the city’s frustrating parking situation, and with good reason. Not only is the closest available parking for Pioneer Square somewhere in Pullman, but the cost of parking downtown even for just a few hours ranges between mildly outrageous to “I wonder how much they want for the down payment?”
Unfortunately I don’t have the cure for Seattle’s parking woes, but I did stumble on something a few cities around the country are doing that makes parking your car a slightly less painful experience by transforming it into a novel way to raise money for people experiencing homelessness.
First conceived in Baltimore, the idea entails putting in place “optional” parking meters where motorists and passersby can donate spare change to service providers and other organizations assisting the most vulnerable among us. As you can see in the picture above, the meters are innovatively painted and labeled to attract potential donors, and carry the added the benefit of a welcome aesthetic change to the drab coin meters we’re used to.
In Denver, 86 meters have generated roughly $100,000 , proving especially popular among empathetic downtowners searching for an alternative to giving money to panhandlers. Although there is wide variation in the amount of money the meters have raised from region to region, cities from Las Vegas to Montreal have expressed interest in the program, and many downtown businesses have sponsored or adopted individual meters as a unique and visible form of local philanthropy.
Now parking with a social conscience has made its first inroads to the Northwest, with the city of Springfield, Oregon adding some bright red parking meters under its “Change for Change” program. A 50-cent donation to one of the meters buys a homeless person a shower, $1 provides a hot meal, $3 means a bus pass and a $5 donation pays for a sleeping bag.
So what do you think? Is this something Seattleites would respond favorably to, or simply a gimmick that might be popular now but will inevitably fade?
I’m biased- I’m a huge fan of Seattleites. I’ve lived in both Seattle and Atlanta in my short lifetime.
A few years ago, Atlanta set up these meters around the city. Everyone who was a part of creating it was as optimistic as could be- there’s nothing more annoying than a panhandler. This seems like a perfect and sensible solution.
However, Atlantans don’t seem to care. The meters only made about $500 dollars, which does not even come close to covering the cost of getting them set up. It such a shame that such an excellent idea failed so miserably- especially in a city that truly needs all the financial help it can get.
I wish Seattleites the best of luck, because I want this to succeed. It’s an awesome idea!
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