The Miami Parking Authority is implementing meters throughout Wynwood, and the meters are meeting resistance from businesses in the area.
Representatives from the Miami Parking Authority were in attendance at the WynwoodArts District Association meeting Tuesday evening.
The Parking Authority presented its plan, which would shift Wynwood to a primarily Pay-by-Phone meter system. There will be a few machines on the street for cash payments.
With the meters, people who work in the area and have parking decals are being forced to park farther away from Wynwood's epicenter. If they chose to park closer to where they work, they would have to feed the meters.
Businesses also feel that paying for parking will hinder on Wynwood’s rapid growth. Beth Boone is the artistic and executive director of Miami Light Project located at Goldman Warehouse, a 200-seat theater and gallery space in the heart of Wynwood.
“Parking obviously impacts my business a great deal and people do express concerns about not having parking right within immediate walking distance of the theater space,” said Boone.
The Parking Authority feels the area has already reached a significant level of growth. Rolando Tapanes is the agency's director of planning and development.
“Art Basel last year was one of those critical times where people just parked their cars in the middle of the street and walked away. And not only was it inconvenient for visitors, it was a life safety issue,” said Tapanes. “There comes a time when there’s a critical mass where there has to be some kind of management and regulation, and the time has come."
Wynwood’s regulated parking is set to go into effect on October 1.
