{"id":247425,"date":"2014-06-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-06-23T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/uptown-parking-district-unveils-new-trolley-design\/"},"modified":"2014-06-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-06-23T07:00:00","slug":"uptown-parking-district-unveils-new-trolley-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/uptown-parking-district-unveils-new-trolley-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Uptown parking district unveils new trolley design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Community celebrates increased parking solutions in Hillcrest<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vince Meehan | Uptown News<\/p>\n

The Uptown Community Parking District (UCPD) held a public ribbon-cutting event on June 6, which included the announcement of its new shared-use agreement with the DMV as well as the unveiling of its new \u201cPark Hillcrest\u201d trolley design. <\/p>\n

In the long sought-after agreement, the DMV will now make its parking lot \u2014 located at 3960 Normal St. and consisting of 158 parking spaces \u2014 available for free when it is closed for business.<\/p>\n

The trolley is an integral part of the Park Hillcrest project, as visitors who now park in the DMV lot after-hours can also climb aboard the free trolley, which will take them to various destinations along University Avenue as it circles Hillcrest every ten minutes, moving from the DMV parking lot to a $5 valet parking lot at the corner of Fifth and University avenues.<\/p>\n

\"(l<\/a>
(l to r) Ian Gladd, Bernadette Gladd, Lily Gladd, John Thurston and Chet Sewell next to Lily’s image on the trolley (Photo by Vince Meehan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among those in attendance at the ribbon cutting were State Senator Marty Block, Council President Todd Gloria and UCPD COO Elizabeth Hannon.<\/p>\n

Block\u2019s local San Diego office worked countless hours to help secure the additional free parking spaces for the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristopher [Ward, Block\u2019s local chief of staff] worked diligently negotiating the terms with the DMV, following up and crafting an agreement that is a win-win for the community, the DMV and the parking district,\u201d Hannon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really happy I could help in making this unique partnership a success,\u201d Block said at the ribbon cutting. \u201cThe way I saw it, this is state property, and I\u2019m a state senator, so who better to see it through?\u201d<\/p>\n

Block added that in today\u2019s economy, the city needs to make the most of its money and shared-use agreements are the way to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as I know, this is the first to be initiated by a community group, so that says a lot about the commitment of the people here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Gloria echoed Block\u2019s statements regarding the commitment of Uptown\u2019s community groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cParking is by far the most controversial issue I deal with on the city council,\u201d Gloria said with a chuckle. \u201cI never would have guessed it, but it\u2019s true. Downtown has the same parking concerns and they only dream of having a trolley like this. That\u2019s because outside of funding, community support is the most important thing you need and they just aren\u2019t as organized.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the Park Hillcrest trolley had already been in operation for several months, with the impending news of the DMV agreement, it was decided it would get a new design. Thanks to the HBA, which holds a seat on the UPCD, the trolley now features a \u201cwrap\u201d similar to those found on Hillcrest\u2019s street-side electrical boxes. This wrap, comprised of a vinyl printing material from 3M called ControlTac, also includes photos taken by John Thurston Photography.<\/p>\n

\""Lily"<\/a>
“Lily” the new Park Hillcrest Trolley (Photo by John Thurston Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe trolley is the talk of the town and is truly a work of art,\u201d Hannon said.<\/p>\n

The new wrap consists of images taken of various people from within the local community, photographed from the knees down and splashed across the sides of the trolley. It also has three full figures on the back end of the trolley.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to represent motion moving forward and also convey our tagline of \u2018get on. get off. everyone is doing it!\u2019\u201d Thurston said, explaining the concept of his design. \u201cPlus, I wanted a variety of people to signify the diversity of Hillcrest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those profiled include Thurston\u2019s partner Chet Sewell, drag queen Glitz Glam, and John Magnatta of SoNo Trading Company, among others.<\/p>\n

The \u201cbelow the knees\u201d concept created some unintended challenges that had to be solved with some creative thinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI shot my dear friend Andrew Spurgin, who is a well known chef in Hillcrest, but the image didn\u2019t make it clear that he was a chef,\u201d Thurston said. \u201cI put a meat cleaver in his hand as a prop, but with his apron and industrial shoes, he looked more like a mass murderer than a chef!\u201d<\/p>\n

Thurston said he solved the problem once he remembered he had a chain of sausage links in his fridge, which he had Spurgin drape past his knees for another photo. That did the trick.<\/p>\n

Gloria said that he hopes the success of the trolley and shared use agreement will serve as an example for other communities to follow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to see the day when communities like Downtown, Golden Hill, and South Park all have trolleys that link up,\u201d he said. \u201cThat way if someone from the East Village wants to go to Little Italy or Hillcrest for diner and drinks, they can hop on the trolley and not have to worry about driving.\u201d<\/p>\n

A special guest attending the event was nine-year-old Lily Gladd.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trolley has a wheelchair ramp in the back and I thought I should feature a disabled person in my design,\u201d Thurston said. \u201cAs it turns out, my partner is a special needs teacher at Gage Elementary School and he told me about one of his students named Lily, saying she\u2019d be a great model for the shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thurston said he later learned that Old Town Trolley, operator of the Park Hillcrest Trolley, name each one using a women\u2019s name like a ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy chance, they had named our trolley Lily and I just about fell over when I heard that,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was just so meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a poignant moment during the ceremony, Lily reached out and touched her image on the side of the trolley with a smile as Thurston beamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just about lost it there,\u201d said Thurston. \u201cI thought for sure I was going to cry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLily\u2019s image will remind everyone that the Park Hillcrest trolley is accessible to all,\u201d Hannon said.\u00a0\u201cWe are most grateful to Lily and her parents, Ian and Bernadette Gladd, for her participation in this community-wide project.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DMV is available for public parking from 6:30 p.m \u2013 3 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and from 7 a.m. \u2013 3 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays. The Free trolley operates from 5 \u2013 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 9 a.m. \u2013 2 p.m on Sundays. For more information, visit parkhillcrest.com.<\/p>\n

\u2014Uptown Assistant Editor Morgan M. Hurley contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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