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After months of discussion and deliberation, the Parking Meter Advisory Team has assembled the rough draft of their solution to the parking meter rate increase problem imposed by the bond funding scenario for the new Convention Center Hotel.
The proposal includes two main meter adjustments: a standard city-wide rate of 75 cents per hour and city-wide extended meter enforcement hours that would run until 10pm. This new flat rate would raise meter rates in some areas such as The Short North and Discovery District and lower meter rates in other areas such as Gay Street and Long Street.
“The pending recommendations for parking meter changes are going to have positive impacts on retail businesses in Downtown Columbus,” said Jeff Mathes, owner of Due Amici and Barrio and Advisory Team Member. “We will see lower hourly rates in hot spots and longer durations. Most importantly, the results will show the power of the stakeholders working together with our city officials to create new policies that will help the development of our city.”
In November, The City’s Public Service Department originally imposed a 50% across-the-board rate hike to all parking meters in order to raise $1.4 million to fund reserve bonds for the development of the new Convention Center Hotel. The move came with only a one-month advance notice and no public input. Many citizens were outraged by the move and responded accordingly with petitions and outcry at City Council meetings. Shortly afterward, the decision was reversed, meters were reset to their original rates and the Parking Meter Advisory Team was formed to come up with an alternate solution.
“A reasonable, competitive and standard rate throughout the city will allow a fair playing field throughout our retail districts allowing small business to flourish,” said Elizabeth Lessner, owner of the Betty’s Family of Restaurants and Advisory Team Member. “Later enforcement hours means retail can rely on spaces formerly occupied by valets.”
The details of the proposal are still being finalized by the Advisory Team, and ultimately, Public Service Director Mark Kelsey is still in charge of making the final decision.
Columbus City Council will be holding an upcoming public forum on parking meters and parking meter rates. The Advisory Team will present their recommendations, the Department of Public Service will make a presentation, and the public may offer testimony. The date of the meeting is still to be announced.
Wow, that is huge, good news. I don’t mind paying the meter for a little later as long as it isn’t gouging me as I do.
I love that a quarter would cover a quick errand stop anywhere in the city. No more trying to find a meter with readable label to figure out hours of enforcement and how much the time will cost me.
labi, I agree and think THAT might be the biggest win here. A standard policy for every meter in the city means no more guessing game. I’m sure I’ve put money in a meter that shut off at 6 because I wasn’t sure if it was a 6 or 8 meter. And I’ve gotten a ticket at an 8 meter because I thought it shut off at 6.
It saddens me that it took this long (think of the lost potential revenue for the city!!) to get one step closer to a fair policy, but I’m glad the mayor stepped in to force Kelsey to slow down. Now let’s just make sure this recommendation is approved and put in to place.
Personally, I think that a flat-rate will go a long way toward making meters easier for the general public to understand. I also think that 75 cents per hour is a pretty fair rate. The extended hours are long overdue in areas like The Short North and Gay Street where meter usage is extremely high during the currently unenforced post-6pm timeframe. I’m hopeful that it will encourage retail businesses to stay open later by freeing up spaces for customers to use for short-term parking rather than allowing them to be used for free long-term parking as we see right now.
I also agree with Somertime that it’s a shame that it took such a long and roundabout way to come to such a simple solution. Would have been great if public input was sought to begin with. Hopefully we can chalk it up as a lesson learned and the same mistake won’t happen again in the future.
Hopefully we can still address the related issue of rude/aggressive meter enforcement. There are a lot of people complaining about getting tickets within seconds of meters expiring and leaving visitors and customers of Downtown businesses with a bad experience. Hopefully the new meter heads will include the “grace period” option that many other cities use to give meter users a tiny bit of breathing room and a little less anxiety.
It’s a great idea. I just hope if survives the ego of certain city officials.
Flat rate = good idea!
10PM = booooooooo, 8PM seems better……well so does 6PM actually.
Shouldn’t it be more expensive to park somewhere if there’s a higher demand for the space? I agree with Walker that (some) places need to be metered later in the evenings, but I don’t get the flat rate. Want a spot that tons of other folks want? Pay more. Is it too much? then don’t park there.
Makes an awful lot of sense to me… I hope it survives the “process”.
Parking meters either need to be standardized or provide information on rates and hours, too many lack this information Meters should not be enforceable if they lack it.
VERY happy to hear about consistent citywide hours. Too often I’ll park somewhere and most, if not all, meters in the area are lacking the “enforced hours” tag, leaving me wondering if I should even bother parking there at all.
Sounds like a great move.
Standard rate is a good idea – enforced hours until 10pm is a little late and could be a bit of a pain for dinner excursions that last more than 2 hours, prior to 10pm.
As a wanna-be economist, a flat rate city-wide still doesn’t make sense to me unless the parking demand is equal at all meters city-wide. As long as everyone else is happy though…
YUCK!!!!!!!!!!
I’m with johnwirtz. Standard hours might make sense, but I’m not sure how standard prices do. Why should you pay 75 cents for a meter that’s barely used in a slow location, and the same 75 cents for a meter in a busy location that plenty of people would pay $5 for?
I could see tweaking this a little bit this way or a little bit that way… but the big picture is it’s a hell of a lot better than the original proposal. Gets my vote.
I don’t think standard hours make economic sense either, but it is less confusing.
Yeah, the only reason I’d accept standard hours is because those info stickers do fall off a lot. Ideally, we’d have digital meters with dynamic timing AND pricing, each of which were very visible.
I never understood the objection to the original idea. Except that people tend to want a free lunch–or free parking, in this case.
Jefe,
I don’t recall anyone arguing for free parking. I did see a lot of arguments about the possible effect raising rates would have on area businesses that rely on metered parking for their consumers.
The proposal appears sound. Hopefully it will be received with open arms.
Meters Schmeters, just keep the damn things away from the good side of the river! :)