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This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

Downtown already ruined

The method of parking meter payment is irrelevant. Through a series of terrible decisions, Spokane built skywalks, instituted one-way streets and allowed parking downtown to be both expensive and inconvenient. Add to that the need to maximize parking revenue to satisfy bond payments to the Cowles Company (owner of The Spokesman-Review) and you have a perfect storm.

Far from being “vibrant,” the downtown core is sterile and dying. Neither Chicago nor New York has used skywalks despite winter weather. One-way streets speed cars through the city center, which is the opposite of what downtown merchants want.

Private parking is dominated by a single company leaving prices too high, and 60 percent of downtown traffic looking for parking. Coeur d’Alene is vibrant and provides visitors easy, inexpensive parking.

Bert Lomax

Spokane

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