Downtown Parking Meter Rates Set to Rise on May 1

As of May 1, rates for downtown parking meters will rise from $1 to $1.50 per hour and meter enforcement will be extended to 11 p.m., including Sundays. Currently, parking meters are not enforced on Sundays.

The decision to extend meter enforcement was based on data collected as part of the Walker Parking Study. The study stated, “Occupancy of on-street parking meters is very high on Sundays, exceeding 95% for much of the day.”

The aim behind the rate increase is not just to generate additional income for the city, but also to help alleviate traffic congestion in the area. The City believes that by raising the parking meter rates to 50 cents per hour above the highest hourly rates in downtown parking structures, motorists will choose to park in the parking structures instead.

The council also approved funding for two parking enforcement officers and two community service officers. However, it could not come to a consensus on the elimination of free parking at downtown parking structures.

City staff recommended the council and Parking Authority Board adopt the following Walker Parking Study resolutions:

• Eliminate two hour free parking at the Watseka and Cardiff parking structures and impose a $1 per hour parking free up to the current $8 maximum.
• Eliminate two hour free parking at the Ince parking structure; impose a one-hour free parking period, followed by $0.50 per hour thereafter up to the $8 maximum.
• Eliminate “additional two hour free” parking with a Pacific 12 Theater validation and substitute with a maximum charge of $2.50; and
• Increase the monthly employee parking at the Canfield parking lot and the Cardiff and Watseka parking structures by $10.

The City hopes that by creating these new fee rates, drivers will choose to park in the currently underutilized Ince structure over the Cardiff and Watseka structures, which are usually full to capacity.

Councilmember Andrew Weissman said he was concerned that there was no analysis or evaluation as to what these proposed changes might mean from an economic standpoint. He suggested phasing in the implementation of the parking structure changes.

“I’d be concerned about the impacts that are going to be felt on the customer level,” Weissman said of the potential changes, noting that while downtown appears to be doing well, it’s unclear how local businesses might be affected if two hour free parking is eliminated. 

Councilmember Jeffrey Cooper said he too was “stuck on eliminating the two free hours [of parking].” He suggested that perhaps the Watseka and Cardiff lots also be reduced to one hour free parking, in line with the recommendations for the Ince lot.

Weissman added that there could still be an incentive for people to park in the Ince lot if the Ince lot was given two hours free parking or if the rates after the first free hour at Cardiff and Watseka were higher than that at Ince.

The council eventually agreed to continue discussions on the parking structures before making any final decisions.

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