Link: https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion/tacoma-drivers-parking/4276652

Downtown Tacoma drivers will soon pay a little more to park at the curb, but a lot less to park in city-owned garages.

Starting Oct. 13, Tacoma’s on-street parking rate will rise from $1 to $1.50 per hour. A city study found that roughly one-third of on-street spots were being occupied by cars parked for five hours or longer, clogging up curb space meant for shorter visits. The change is designed to push longer stays off the street and into the lots where the city can control the price.

Gee credited Tacoma’s ownership of its parking infrastructure as the key difference between the two cities. Tacoma controls its own garages. It can set rates that actually make sense for drivers.

He argued that Seattle relies heavily on third-party operators that end up costing you more.

“That’s the difference between Tacoma and Seattle,” Gee said. “Seattle don’t own a lot of these parking lots that are out here, so we got to do third party, and you got to pay the fees and all that stuff. Shout-out to Tacoma.”

He turned his frustration directly on Seattle’s parking landscape.

“It’s outrageous! It’s diabolical, the prices that you have to pay,” Gee said. “If you want to go see somebody real quick in downtown Seattle … I was on Sunday downtown looking at places maybe to live, and I had to pay $12 just for an hour.”

Oh nooooo, the drivers who think they're entitled to encroach on public space are getting slightly less of a subsidy. The horror!

Oh I think you misinterpreted Gee's position - he supports the new Tacoma parking plan of getting cars off of the curb parking.