Build it and they WON'T come . . . .

I live in a town where a minority of homes have a driveway. The rest is on-the-street parking.

And there have been issues, such as a limited number of parking places on the street b/c some residents use the street instead of their own driveways. Yes, it's legal, but inconsiderate.

So, the town took note and claimed a plot of land that used to be a gas station. They razed the garage and did some construction and turned it into a parking lot. Enough for 30 vehicles.

For the month of August, parking was free. And every one of the 30 spaces had a parked vehicle. And all was well.

But the free parking was temporary. Two days after Labor Day, parking fees were applied. $ 2.40 per hour. You download an app. And fines if you park without using the app.

Well, it's been six days now. Daytime and nighttime parking have demonstrated not a single vehicle in the lot.

Why would you pay $19.20 for eight hours of overnight parking when parking on the street is absolutely free, if not a challenge at times.

And the town didn't see this coming?