The challenge of moving people into and through a “downtown” is symbolized in Maine by hurdles like railroad crossings at major intersections and sharp corners along narrow roads dating from the original layout of communities.

In more populated areas like Lewiston, Auburn and Portland, it’s more difficult to handle, not only traffic through the communities but the thousands of cars that need parking for residents, work or visiting local businesses.

Major reasons downtowns shuttered in the last 30 years have been heavy reliance on cars, abundant free parking at malls and shopping centers and the challenge of building enough parking in downtowns to allow them to compete.

Parking strategy and how it relates to transportation planning and economic development is not something that excites most people. Certain things about parking does excite, though: taxes, fees and the costs of parking.

Only a couple of years ago, residents in Auburn rose in protest to the costs and public funding of a parking garage. In Lewiston, the city remains on the hook to fund parking spaces in support of the Bates Mill redevelopment. Hey, at the end of the day, we all know downtown will need some level of parking, both on the street and in parking garages.

But tens of millions of dollars in public investment needed in the form of parking should raise a few basic questions:

Who should pay for parking needed in a downtown; developers, users, or the public?

And lastly, how should pricing for parking be set?

The topic should be of strong interest in Auburn because of the recent city council workshop on the possibility of putting parking meters into the community. Those who travel to Lewiston know meters have long been on that side of the river and perhaps in the spirit of maintaining an unique identity, there is not a meter to be found in Auburn.

Auburn’s Police Department led the discussion last week of what parking meter system could be used, where the meters would go, how much it costs to buy and operate them and expected revenue. An immediate concern is that police, not city planners or economic development staff, led the discussion on parking strategies and management.

In areas where Auburn already limits the length of parking to one or two hours, or less, it’s unclear how the city determined which streets would be metered and why downtown New Auburn was excluded from discussion.

There was discussion on pricing for parking per half-hour, but rates were neither based on comparison with other communities nor did it vary depending on proxmity to areas reliant on parking, like stores, restaurants or offices.

And with a large parking garage providing free multi-hour parking, would the city also pursue putting meters in the garage, or keep it free, even though the garage would cost millions of dollars to build?

The idea of charging for parking is logical, and it is an obligation for policymakers to spread costs of infrastructure to users whenever possible.

To roll out a plan for parking based on the expenses of meter installation and staff to check them, and the revenues it could create, without a connection to the city’s plan for downtown and transportation needs is shortsighted.

Let’s hope the city council keeps this idea on the drawing board until there is a real plan for downtown parking.

Jonathan LaBonte, of New Auburn, is a columnist for the Sun Journal. E-mail: [email protected].