[Jdawgboy]

You do not need validation from shops on 2nd Street to park at city Hall. It is free the first 30 min and 5 dollars after. I have no problems parking downtown whether it be street parking or parking garage. You must be parking at the wrong garages cause the one I park at is only 5 bucks. There is also street parking if you know where to look just about any time though it is a bit harder to find during big events downtown, it's still possible.

As far as the HEB at Slaughter and Congress, that area has horrible traffic. I find the farther away your from the core, the worse the traffic gets. The traffic is not the cause of the urban residents and people that live within 5 to 7 miles from Downtown, it's all the people that live beyond that. With fewer mass transit options the farther you go the more people have to rely on their cars to get around. I can't stand driving Slaughter or any of the major streets on the edge of the city.