Forgive yet one more letter concerning parking in downtown Bowling Green. A piece recently appeared in the commentary section of the BG Daily News concerning the frustrating parking experience in downtown. Essentially, it details the conflict between businesses who strive to provide enough parking for their employees and tenants, and consumers who want to access downtown businesses and events yet struggle to find enough public parking.

As someone not from BG who moved here for school, I believe that there is a larger, infinitely more important point being missed by all parties involved.

Cities are where PEOPLE live, not automobiles. Yet here we are devoting our energy complaining about the struggle for downtown space for our AUTOMOBILES – not the people, and places, who are the lifeblood of a healthy city.

At the same time, we bemoan the deterioration of our downtown buildings and shuttering of beloved businesses, we are endlessly preoccupied with these non-places known as parking lots and structures, which pay no taxes, add no visual appeal to the city, and if anything, are a financial drain to both the municipal and private entities tasked with maintaining and policing them.

Yet, every business must meet the city’s parking minimums, and somehow keep their spaces from being exploited without recompense.

“But if there’s no parking spaces, where will I park?” you may be thinking. I think this is the wrong question to ask. You might ask instead, why are our cities set up in such a way that there is no other way to access our city’s vital business EXCEPT to drive downtown and fight everyone else for parking space? Are there really no alternatives to being dependent on our automobiles to go places, and if not, are we really happy that our city has grown in this manner?

John South

Bowling Green