The city of Carmel is considering charging drivers for on-street parking as a way of raising money for city projects, such as renovating Sunset Center. What do locals and tourists think of the idea?

Linda Stillman

Age: 40+

Occupation: Visual Merchandiser

Resides: Carmel

Did you pay to park today? No

Would you pay to park in Carmel? No! Not when we have so few parking spaces anyway. Having to pay for parking will cause a big upheaval in this city.

Would you pay, if it was to help raise money for city projects? I think it should be voted on, and the community should be involved.

Do you prefer parking meters or tickets on the dashboard? Parking meters, definitely. That makes more sense.

Alexei Zoubov

Age: 63

Occupation: Business Owner

Resides: Los Angeles

Did you pay to park today? No.

Would you pay to park in Carmel? I''m used to paying in LA, so I wouldn''t be surprised to pay here. I''d rather pay for the whole day and forget about it, instead of running back to the car every 90 minutes.

How much? It depends on the location. $1-2 an hour.

Is it a reasonable way for a city to raise money for improvements? I wouldn''t have any objections. They charge for parking in Los Angeles, and they don''t do that much to improve the city.

Heidi Geiger

Age: 31

Occupation: Lawyer

Resides: Atlanta, Ga.

Where did you park today? We left the car at our hotel.

Is charging parking fees a reasonable way to raise funds for city improvements? Yes. It''s a beautiful city. It''s worth it to pay to keep it beautiful.

How much would be reasonable? Around $2 to $3 per day.

Glen Fisk

Age: 74

Occupation: Pastor

Resides: Carmel

Should the city of Carmel charge for parking? Yes, I hope they put meters down to Monte Verde, or at least time limits. The tourists park and stay all day.

What would be a reasonable amount? Down at Fishermen''s Wharf, I think they charge 25 cents for a half-hour. I think that''s fair enough.

Doug Garvey

Age: 52

Occupation: Realtor

Resides: Seattle, Wa.

How long did it take you to find parking today? Two and a half minutes.

Should the city put in parking meters? No. If they have meters, the businesses are going to suffer.

Are parking fees a reasonable way to raise funds for the city? They should get their money somewhere else.

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