This is a great idea. Now we have to figure out how we can eat at one of the downtown West Dearborn restaurants without having to interrupt our dinners to go back out to the parking lot to feed the meters.

It's much easier to go to businesses with free parking. They are all over the area, just not in greedy West Dearborn.

I won't eat at any of the restaurants or shop at any of those stores because of the parking meters. I don't carry money, or change with me. I had to meet someone at Bailey's a couple of weeks ago, but I had to park 6 blocks away at Ford Field! Ridiculous!!

Jessica, Bistro 222 validates up to 2hours for dining with them, if you might add them to list:)

My experience of Dearborn's lack of community support is once again reflected in negativity toward businesses around paid parking. Dearborn residents voted for this on an election ballot. The businesses you are damning and refusing to support are mostly small downtown businesses who employ people in a difficult economy. Those Dearbornites who refuse to support businesses due to paid parking are refusing to support their community. For every problem there is a solution. Stop complaining and remember Dearborn voted for paid parking and have only themselves to blame for allowing it to get on the ballot and voting on favor. SUPPORT LOCAL!

I still want the 1/2 hour free parking back to allow people to pick things up quickly. Even 15 minutes would help somewhat.

I believe it was the Dearborn City Council that voted for paid parking NOT the Dearborn voters! The voters need to remember this at election time!

To settle the debate about how west downtown paid parking came to be: It was approved by voters in 2006. Here's a look at the coverage in the Dearborn Press & Guide: http://www.pressandguide.com/shared-content/search/index.php?search=go&o=0&q=paid+parking&d1=11-05-2002&d2=11-19-2009&s=relevance&r=Subject%2CAuthor%2CContent&l=20

Don't forget! You never have to pay for parking at Campbell's Paint. We own our own lot!

Paid parking in West Dearborn, is not a question of a couple of dollars, it’s a psychological issue with most people. I go there, only if I have to, it’s the “pressure” of knowing that the meter is running. I rather drive somewhere else and don’t have the “pressure”. Look at the Newman area, with Goodwill and all other stores…That area is booming. Would that happen with paid parking? No way..!

I heard a story yesterday about a 90 year old woman who visited Merchant's within the last two weeks. When it came time for her to leave the parking lot, she was unable to find her ticket. She did have her validation slip from Merchant's. The Republic employee made the woman pay $9.00 to get out. This woman is from Dearborn so this very negative experience will probably not stop her from supporting her local retail spots. But do you think somone from outside of Dearborn would come back? With that lousy customer service?

Also, Jessica reported on a November 1st Parking Commission Meeting. This was not a regularly scheduled meeting. They are normally held once a quarter on the third Thursday of the month. At the October meeting, it was decided that another meeting needed to scheduled before the next regularly scheduled meeting in January. Several residents were there in atttendnace and were promised to receive notification of the special meeting via email. Did not happen.

In 2013, meetings will be held bimonthly, on the third Thursday of the month, begining January 17, 2013. The meetings are held at 3 PM at the Bryant Library in the Chamber of Commerce Community Room. Meetings are of course open to residents. Don't forget to bring money for parking. :)

Get rid of paid parking. Encourage people to shop dearborns free parking. Whats wrong with the counsel in this city?

Two things. Did you know that young kids who work in the restaurants have to pay parking? They get a job at minimum wage and then have to pay the city parking. When I wrote an e-mail to the city expressing my outrage at this practice, I was told that if the employees were to get free parking, the owners of the restaurants they work for would have to pay it. How ludicrous is this? My last point. I'm surprised we didn't hear complaining from Mr. Fakhoury on this point. Oh. That's right. He doesn't have any viable businesses in Dearborn.

Let's remember another issue here no one's talking about. There is not enough (very small in fact) number of actual retail businesses in that area to entice people to come and do a lot of their shopping. People are not going to go somewhere, pay for parking, only to go to 1 (MAYBE 2) shops.
The basic reason for this, being a former business owner in the area, and talking with a good number of other former owners, is the huge rent (+ extras) that 'his royal-ness HF' and other landlords charge. Everyone wants cute, unique small businesses there BUT they are not the kind in general that can afford those obnoxious rents.
Until something gets them to change this area will NEVER return to the successful one it once was.

The reason there are so few shops is that they know no one will come shop because of the paid parking.

I know our farmer market could have.lots more customers if parking were free.

I agree with most of the comments here. The hassle of finding change for the meter and having to watch the time while you eat or shop, is more trouble than its worth, so I shop/eat elsewhere. One day I had to go to a business and pulled up to park on Garrison Street at Howard. The sign says $.50 for an hour. I put in 50 cents and received 40 minutes of time....they can't even get the signage correct. Another time I put money in and the parking meter THEN shows "out of order" on the display! So then I had to move my truck! Too much trouble for me to deal with!

I quit going to West Dearborn merchants many years ago when my friends and I met for lunch and one friend went over the two hour parking limit at the time, even though she had fed the meter for over three hours. My friend had to pay about $20.00 for a parking ticket. We appealed to the restaurant and mayor at the time but it was met with silence. The city administration's greediness is what killed the business there and put Dee's Hallmark out of business. You reap what you sow.