Los Banos Rotary Club History
Parking Meters Are Explained By Company Man

Bradley Spencer, the man who sold a majority of the city council on the advisability of installing parking meters in Los Banos, did a pretty complete job of “selling” the idea to members of the Rotary Club Tuesday noon, as he outlined the benefits that might be derived from the installation and explained the workings of the “Mark time” meter that will be installed here.

Spencer explained that parking meters are simply an evolution of the time-worn practice of restricted parking. In the old days a police officer would place chalk marks on the tires of parked cars and periodically check to see if allowed parking time had been violated. Today, parking meters do the job with much greater efficiency and at the same time are a source of important money for operation of municipal government.

Speaking of the parking situation in Los Banos, Spencer told of a series of surveys made here by his company during the month of June. On a Monday morning, considered a low point in traffic congestion, a survey at 9:00 a.m. showed only 75 available parking places along the four blocks that are to be included in the metered area. At the same time on the following Saturday there were only 24 available parking spaces.

Stationing himself near the H street intersection on Sixth street at 11:00 a.m., Spencer saw 100 motorists move in and out of parking spaces along the two blocks of Sixth between H and J. During the same period he saw 33 motorists drive down Sixth street and make a U turn at H because they were unable to find parking space on the east side of Sixth.

A more recent survey, conducted Tuesday morning at 11:30, showed 50 available spaces in the four blocks, most of which were on I street, between Fifth and Sixth. Of 93 possible parking spaces along the two blocks of Sixth street between H and J, only eight empty spaces were counted.

Parking meters, Spencer pointed out, are not the answer to an overly congested parking problem. Off street parking is the only solution and stated that large stores in the larger cities have recognized this fact by providing free parking space for their customers.

However, parking meters do permit faster turn-over of available space and benefits the merchant in that more customers may find parking facilities adjacent to their store. Housewives, farmers and tradesmen who have shopping to do or business to transact in metered areas generally like the convenience afforded and are more than willing to pay for same, Spencer declared.

Parking meters also eliminate the “sleeper” or all-day parker, Spencer explained. He cited observations made here in Los Banos, wherein license numbers were taken of all cars at 9:00 a.m. Five cars found parked at that time were still in the same place at noon; while in the afternoon 23 cars were found permanently parked. On H. street, he said, there are at least 80 possible parking places where free all-day parking could be found.
Spencer said that the Mark Time meter manufactured by his company was remarkably simple in construction and required a minimum of upkeep. Repairs for the city of Denver over the past five years have averaged less than 40c a year for each meter. Each meter has a foolproof collection box that cannot be opened without breaking a small metal seal that is attached by the city treasurer. The box is identical in construction to the one used on public telephones throughout the United States.

As a source of revenue, Spencer stated that in California parking meters have averaged approximately $81 per meter per year. The original cost is $58 per meter, installed. The manufacturer retains 50 per cent of the income of the machines each month until they are paid for, and the city gets the other 50 per cent. When entirely paid for, estimated to be about 16 months, they become the property of the city and all subsequent revenue goes to the city to be used for street maintenance, traffic control, etc.

The speaker was introduced by Councilman Frank Peluso.

August 13, 1946

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