To the Editor:
I am sure there were a lot of people enjoying all the events that came with the First Night Alexandria event, then there are the residents who have to put up with all the overcrowding of our streets.
I had to leave my home Monday and got back at 5:30 to find no parking anywhere near my home, and we even have a parking lot right next door, but as expected it was overflowing. Once again, there was not enough parking available to handle the crowds. I was hoping the transportation people and City Council members would be out amongst the many. Maybe they would have come down to the Osgood Durant Center on Cameron Street and realize the new Jefferson Houston Elementary School plan should keep the enclosed parking lot closed, leave the Buchanan Street Park and basketball court where they are. Take down the old school building and add those 30-40 more parking spaces that the city so much needs.
Maybe then they would have realized how over crowded our streets are with vehicles during these events, and how people really are not going to give up their private modes of transportation.
What about when the King Street Metro lot is reconfigured, they will be taking away more parking there also, the backflow will run up Cameron Street and the other streets that are as close as one can get to the metro.
My children and I tried to take the trolley to the Parade of Lights, the trolleys were all so full, we even went to the King Street lot to be the first people on, but because King Street was so overcrowded and not moving, we got off and opted to walk/run down King Street through the crowds.
The city needs to realize if they want tourists and residents to live and move around together, they need to take into consideration that we, the residents of our city, pay to park, and we do not get special privileges when we cannot park near our homes, we then have to pay the meters or even use parking garages just to park near our homes. Give us more parking. I and my neighbors with small children should not be stranded because if we move our cars we will lose our parking during these city events.
Bea Porter