Council Approves Tiered Downtown Parking Plan

The third time proved to be the charm for the City Council which approved a tiered downtown parking plan Monday night that will charge drivers $1.50 per hour on the highest demand downtown streets and $1 per hour elsewhere.

Following several months of sometimes heated debate on how the rate increase would affect downtown businesses, the council approved the third reading without any discussion by a vote of 9-1. Assistant Mayor Robert Lister opposed it. It will go into effect on Jan. 2, 2013.

The tiered parking plan will charge drivers $1.50 per hour on:

• Daniel Street starting at Chapel Street through to Market Square
• Bow Street starting at Chapel Street through to Market Street
• Congress Street, starting at Market Square, through to Chestnut Street
• Pleasant Street, starting at Court Street through to Market Square
• Market Street starting from the Moffatt-Ladd House through to Market Square

The council previously approved a downtown parking rate increase of $1.50 for all metered spaces in August to take effect on Jan. 2, 2013. The High/Hanover Parking Garage rate of 75 cents per hour would stay the same and city residents could park there for free on Sunday's.

The council also approved the first reading of a proposed parking meter violation increase from $10 to $15. A second reading and a public hearing on this proposal will be held at the City Council meeting on Nov. 13.