Pedestrian mall is no traffic solution
Regarding the editorial, "Increasing Downtown parking is not the
answer." (Coastline Pilot, Aug. 16) You clearly have no idea of what
you are writing. You don't know what you are talking about.
I have owned a business on Forest Avenue for more than 13 years.
Myself, my business partner and all of my employees are able to
find parking daily at all times during the day right behind us on
Ocean Avenue.
There are four lots there and there is usually parking. I would be
shocked if anyone spent more than five minutes finding parking in
town anywhere.
Also, all of the employees and business owners park on or around
Forest Avenue. There is no extra place for these employees and
perhaps additional parking in other areas would be beneficial.
There are not hordes and hordes of people flocking to shop on
Forest Avenue and many of those businesses will tell you (or they
won't) that their businesses are down because of the economy and more
so perhaps from lack of tourism.
You might also notice, that the trams that you speak so kindly of
are usually empty -- or have very few riders at all.
One complaint I have from my customers is that there is no shuttle
comfortable for them from the hotels -- mainly, the Ritz Carlton.
They think there will be taxi service like New York, and they are
quite surprised there is very little of that.
Blocking off Forest Avenue is a stupid idea. The most traffic in
Laguna is for the very few short weeks during the festival season. I
am not sure, but I think the festivals only run maybe six weeks? The
rest of the year and during most of the days, Laguna is very quiet.
Visit our lovely Forest Avenue during October, November,
December, January, February, March and April -- there are not hordes
of people flocking to park. Traffic congestion that you mention
etc., it simply isn't true. The town in fact is very quiet all over
during most of the year.
You block off Forest Avenue and you will kill even more of the
businesses. But fortunately, there are many business owners and
business investors who have tons of money and they will laugh and
never let you close off Forest Avenue. All I would have to do is walk
to each and every merchant on Forest Avenue and I could have
signatures from all of them within one hour petitioning or boycotting
any such action of closing off Forest Avenue. This would include
surrounding business on peripheral side streets, Ocean, Beach etc.
and onto Coast Highway.
