If you haven’t seen the countless social media posts yet, allow me to convey the awful news to you. You know how free parking is one of the most appealing aspects of visiting Downtown Wichita Falls?
Okay, you can kiss that goodbye. In a decision that has downtown business owners scratching their heads, the owner of two of downtown’s most popular parking lots has decided that now is the time to treat the area as if it were DFW and charge for parking.
At a time when many people are struggling to afford groceries and expenses, you can now look forward to spending money to attend all of the free, family-friendly events downtown.
Wichita Falls residents slam paid parking.
Did you appreciate the free concerts held in Bud Daniels Park by the Parks and Recreation Department? How about the art walks? It will cost you money immediately. By the way, check out this video showing the state of the parking lot adjacent to The Broken Tap.
Much of the outrage online was directed at how inadequately these parking lots have been maintained over the years. If you’ve ever parked in one of these lots, you understand what I’m talking about.
Many have expressed concern that these parking lots may not even be ADA compliant. I’m not sure if that’s true, but it’d be really difficult to maneuver all those potholes in a wheelchair.
As someone points out in the photo above, this is private land, so the owner can charge for parking if they want, and they evidently started busy early this morning working on repairing up the lots, as shown in the video below.
Wichita Falls is not Dallas or Fort Worth, and it should not engage in actions that may push people away from its modest but expanding downtown core. Many people believe that paying for parking is a step backward in terms of fostering a friendly environment.
