For a long time, Chattanooga — like most other lively cities — has had a parking problem.
The trouble is that there are lots more people wanting and needing to drive into downtown Chattanooga, for jobs, shopping and entertainment, than there are convenient, close-in, economical parking places along downtown streets. (Let us hasten to note that a “much greater problem” would exist if our downtown were not an attractive place for people to work and shop — and “nobody wanted to come downtown anymore.”)
Buses, streetcars and the like handle a lot of the people who need to go to big downtown areas such as Atlanta and New York. And buses help here, too. But our people are “spread out,” and “love their cars.” We need to accommodate them as best we can.
Although we have many suburban shopping centers — such as Hamilton Place and the surrounding area — with fine stores and good jobs that attract drivers with free parking lots, we want to keep our downtown thriving, too. And that means we need additional affordable parking not far from desired destinations.
“Old-timers” remember that if you drove into downtown Chattanooga a few minutes before “store opening time,” you could find free curbside parking beside Miller Bros. (at Seventh and Market), or Loveman’s (Eighth and Market), or Sears (Sixth and Market) or J.C. Penney (across the street).