AMHERST – Shoppers and diners will be able to park for free at all municipal parking spaces in downtown Amherst on Saturdays during the holiday season.
But even though the Select Board last week approved a request from the Amherst Business Improvement District and the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce for this free parking, board members said they were reluctant to extend the free parking to Fridays.
Though the request for Fridays was withdrawn, Amherst BID Executive Director Sarah la Cour said ensuring free parking on both Fridays and Saturdays would make shops, restaurants and other attractions more welcoming to visitors.
“What we’re trying to compete with is people who can go to malls to park for free,” la Cour said.
La Cour said the request was also made as part of an enhanced holiday campaign aimed at getting people to downtown between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
But Select Board members said they weren’t sure this would be worthwhile.
James Wald asked if la Cour had any studies that free parking works, observing that for 50 cents, a person can park a vehicle for an hour, and that this price is unlikely to discourage anyone.
La Cour argued that there is a “psychological piece” to providing free parking.
“Yes, parking is not expensive, but there’s the risk of tickets, and then it does get pricey,” la Cour said.
In the early 2000s, the Select Board voted to have free parking at meters during the peak holiday shopping between Dec. 10 and Dec. 24. But since 2006, the chamber had requested only two days of free metered spaces and two days of free spaces in the lots.
Treasurer/Collector Claire McGinnis, who oversees the town’s parking system, said the new plan will cost the transportation enterprise fund $4,950 in lost meter revenue, which would have increased to a $12,600 loss in revenue if the Friday hours were added. That doesn’t take into account lost revenue from parking tickets.
“I think this is a significant change,” said Select Board member Constance Kruiger.
La Cour said the BID is making an investment in downtown through the Merry Maple, which costs $4,000 to light.
“We did not make this request lightly,” la Cour said.
The BID’s enhanced holiday campaign includes the Pack the Sack Day Dec. 3, which replaces the long-running Greeting Card Day promotion on the day after the Merry Maple celebration, a caroling flash mob Dec. 10, and a student shopping day Dec. 15.
Meanwhile, the Select Board approved several street closings on the afternoon of Dec. 2 for the Merry Maple event. The Main Street parking lot, Boltwood Avenue between Spring and Main streets and Spring Street between Churchill Street and Boltwood Avenue will be closed 2 to 6:30 p.m. that day, while the Spring Street parking lot will be closed 1 to 6:30 p.m.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
