We, the undersigned, join the Portland Downtown Neighborhood Association in urging the city to restore the long-standing parking ban along the inner perimeter of the South Park Blocks.

For 25 years, the South Park Blocks were protected by restrictions on parking. However, last year the Portland Department of Transportation [PDoT] rescinded these restrictions, adding 91 metered spaces along the edges of one of Portland's most cherished public places.

A slide presentation explaining the DNA's concerns is available at:
http://www.slideshare.net/guestd7375/park-blocks-parking-presentation

Issues addressed in the slide presentation include:

Adequacy of Public Consultation and Decision-Making Process
Impact on Park Activity and Uses
Impact on Public Safety
Impact on Pedestrian Safety
Aesthetic Impact
Compatibility with Existing Planning and Policy Directives

Parking was originally removed as part of the extensive renovation of the park undertaken in 1983.At that time,public hearingswere held andformal voteswere taken both by the Design Commission and by Council. By contrast, PDoT returned inner-perimeter parking solely by administrative edict. Consultation was limited and no public process comparable to that of the original 1983 decision was undertaken.

As supporters of parks and public spaces in downtown Portland, we join the DNA in asking PDoT to reverse its decision.