Those Pesky Parking Meters

The public's reaction was mixed when the first parking meters in downtown Boise, Idaho, in 1940.

1 minute read

August 19, 2006, 5:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera

"Parking meters were such a novelty when first installed in Downtown Boise in 1940 that the Idaho Statesman ran a feature story titled 'Lesson No. 1: How to Use Parking Meter.' The reporter treated the innovation with humor. When the pipe bases on which the meters were to be mounted were in place, he thought the streets would look like 'an uncompleted dairy farm. The fence posts will be there, but the fence will be missing.'"

"Mayor James Straight was a strong supporter of the innovation, but he would face plenty of opposition over the next few months, and find himself having to sell the notion of paid parking spaces to merchants and shoppers alike. Even before Boise's first 500 meters were officially ready for business on Monday, March 26, 1940, curious people were already dropping pennies and nickels into them to see if they really worked."

Thanks to Jon Cecil, AICP

FULL STORY: Idaho History: Boise's first parking meters created a furor in 1940

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 in The Idaho Statesman

History / Preservation Transportation Urban Development Humor Idaho

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