This has to rank in your more incoherent posts category. First of all, if you read the first sentence in my post, you'll see that I'm referring to just out of college, which can be 22 - 25 in my book, and in my experience, accounts for many of the renters living in Manayunk, not the kids patronizing the bars.

I never mentioned college kids at all in my post. Way to change the subject.

I have to admit I just can't make out what you're saying in the rest of the post :shock: .

At some point I'll have to have a talk with the MDC about marketing and consumer behavior. I'll guess as to why the businesses are not too keen on a token system.

1) They probably assume that people will come anyway, so, why spend the money to give them subsidized or free parking. This could be a costly venture for businesses (don't have the numbers to validate that assertion though)

2) The administrative costs for managing this system is probably seen as a burden from both the parking authority and the businesses

3) With a token type system, it needs almost universal acceptance without conditions (ie ... only for the daytime shoppers, etc) for it to have an impact on overall choice behavior of consumers. Meaning, the more "conditions" or "restrictions" that are on the system, the more you will confuse the consumer, and the more they will not participate.

So, for example, imagine if you wanted to work out a SWEAT, you could park in that lot across the way on VI, get your token from SWEAT and then parking would be for free. The question is, will SWEAT generate enough extra business to justify the expense of the parking?

How do we know whether the renters are in college or just out of college or perhaps, like many recent grads in this competitive job market, staying on for a fifth or sixth year to get a masters? I know there are Temple, Philadelphia U., St. Joe's and other students ( I know of one house with girls from three different colleges all renting together, for example) living in Manayunk who are still in school. And some stay on in the years just after, but they might still be sharing a place with people who are still in school. How are you going to tell the difference? Go house by house and ask to see proof?

Just doesn't seem logistically possible.

Better to focus on what you *can* control, I think, and look at the parking situation in terms of getting "visitor" cars off the street and into lots. That's the place to *start*, at least.

There is NO talk of permit parking for Main Street. Main Street has meters. Permit Parking can only be implemented on residential streets.

The main problem is MDC makes money off the parking lots. If they got enough funding other ways, they wouldn't have to rely on the parking money.

you just have to read it really fast and it makes sense.