Paying for parking just freakin’ sucks. You are already just trying to go somewhere to spend your money – but first, some greedy jerk demands you fork over even more money just for the privilege of leaving your car somewhere nearby. But, what if the money didn’t go to a greedy jerk and instead went to helping the homeless? Would you do it? The City of Palm Springs seems to think you will.
The plan under consideration by the city of Palm Springs would not require, rather ask people to pay for parking with the money going to charity. Via KESQ:
Instead of paying for parking, residents and visitors alike would be donating to local charities. Officials said the plan is for the money to go towards local non-profits like Well in the Desert for cooling centers, Path of Life for housing or other crisis response and behavioral health programs the city funds.
“Giving money to organizations as opposed to people on the street, that way we know the money is going to the best use,” said Palm Springs council member Christy Holstege.
The city is in the early stages on the plan and will need to hear public feedback before going forward. It appears the program would begin with two meters on Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs.
Note: Not sure if the meters would accept cards or Apple Pay, but they might want to consider that since I haven’t had any change in my pocket since 2015.
The idea is not a new one. Pasadena began installing charity meters in 2014. In the first three weeks, two meters raised $270. Other cities have followed suit including Annapolis, Maryland in 2016 and Los Angeles earlier this year.
So, would you throw down some coin for parking if it helped out local charities? Let’s discuss in the comments.
