‘I may find some place else’: Paid parking in Queen Anne, West Seattle sparks debate between Gee and Ursula

Plans to add paid street parking in Upper Queen Anne and West Seattle Junction have KIRO hosts Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weighing whether the added cost will send customers to other businesses.

Discussing the changes on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, Gee described parking fees as an increasingly unavoidable expense, while Ursula said they can determine where she spends her money

“If I have to pay parking in addition to it, I may find some place else,” Ursula said.

Paid parking planned for Upper Queen Anne and West Seattle Junction

Ursula outlined the Seattle Department of Transportation’s plans to add two-hour paid parking in upper Queen Anne and the West Seattle Junction, with rates starting at $1 an hour at 8 a.m. and increasing to $4 an hour from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

She said the plans had drawn pushback from community members and asked Gee how much paying for parking influences where he goes.

“It used to affect it a lot, and truth be told, it affects it less because that’s just the price of doing business now,” Gee said.

Gee argued that more cars competing for limited spaces make parking harder to find. He pointed to families taking multiple vehicles to the same dinner as an example of how people contribute to that demand.

“So we are living in a time where we got a massive amount of cars,” Gee said. “So it makes it tough for people who live in the Junction. They want to go and hang out, and they can’t find parking.”

That did not mean he welcomed the expense.

“Nobody likes it,” Gee said. “But it is what it is.”

Ursula says free parking makes a difference for businesses

For Ursula, the proposed changes in Upper Queen Anne and West Seattle Junction raised a broader question about the advantage businesses with free parking have over those without it.

She acknowledged that she is better positioned to afford parking now, but said the expense still shapes her choices.

“It absolutely makes a difference as to how much I go to a place or not,” Ursula said.

She pointed to the free parking outside her nail salon and said having to pay to park for services such as a manicure or massage could lead her to look elsewhere.

“It is such a premium if a business can offer parking, and it is such a disadvantage if you don’t, or if you have to have paid parking,” Ursula said.

Gee recalls a $24 parking bill for a waterfront outing

Despite describing parking fees as part of the cost of going out, Gee offered an example of how much they can add to a restaurant visit.

He recalled paying $24 to park while visiting Elliot Oyster House on Seattle’s waterfront.

“You know how much it costs for parking? $24,” Gee said.

Ursula said customers have to account for that expense, too.

“So you have to build that in,” she said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.