A new 680-space parking garage just opened yesterday at the corner of Fourth & Elm Streets Downtown. The garage was announced two years ago as part of a parking consolidation effort. The Neighborhood Launch residential development located next to the new garage is removing several blocks of surface lots, and the garage is intended to serve area residents, visitors and Downtown workers alike.

The new parking garage rates range from $75-$135 per month. More information can be found at 4thandelmgarage.com.

The previously approved 50% parking rate increase throughout Downtown and The Short North has been halted for six months pending further study and additional recommendations by the parking meter working group assigned to oversee rate adjustments. The resetting of the meters will begin as early as tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who helped to support the online petition and who voiced their concerns with this issue. Please take a moment to contact The Mayor’s Office and the Public Service Department and thank them for addressing this issue.

In November, Columbus’ Director of Public Service imposed a unilateral 50% parking meter rate increase throughout Columbus. The policy was approved by the mayor. Due to the way Columbus’ policies are written, neither city council nor the general populace were invited to weigh in on the final plan, muchless question its validity. Every parking meter in Columbus is now slated to be reprogrammed to be 50% more expensive before the end of the year.

Many voters have expressed great opposition to the initiative, and moreso to the manner in which it was implemented. In response to the move, the Short North Business Association has drafted an open letter to the mayor outlining a variety of requests from the community.

If you would like to read the letter and add your name to the growing petition endorsing the letter, please do so by following this link: Citizens for a Collaborative Columbus Government

Please feel free to pass this link along to other concerned citizens!

Update: 12/15/09 - Our voices have been heard! After accumulating over 1000 signatures in the first 36 hours, the Public Service Department announced that they will be rolling back meter rates for further study. Thank you!

After a massive wave of public outcry regarding the ongoing 50% rate hike to parking meters throughout the urban neighborhoods of Columbus, the city is trying to make amends. 720 new smart meter heads will start to be rolled out in May 2010, which will accept credit cards in addition to coins.

A civic working group considing of community, business, and civic leaders will oversee the implementation locations of these new credit card meters, and will be tasked with monitoring the impact of the meter rate increases.

The meter rate increases, which took effect on November 30th, have been an administrative decision by the Public Service Department, so no vote was required by City Council. Tonight, City Council is expected to vote on the creation of a holding account that will allocate $1.4 million in parking meter revenue for reserve bonds to help finance the new Convention Center Hotel.

Where would you like to see these new credit-card meters initially implemented?

Last month it was announced that parking meters throughout the urban core of Columbus were being considered for a 50% rate hike. Randy Bowman, the Administrator of the city’s Division of Mobility Options within the Department of Public Service gave a surprise presentation to a select group of city officials detailing the meter rate hikes throughout Downtown, The Short North, and German Village. The announcement also included extended meter enforcement hours in the Short North from 6pm to 9pm, and the addition of 1,800 new parking meters to be added to currently meterless areas in the city.

A second private meeting took place on Monday to announce that this plan is moving forward and the meter rate changes should start taking effect on November 30th. City Council is not required to vote on these updates, so no public meetings will be held, and no public input will be gathered during this process. [Read More]

An article in today’s Dispatch showcases the concern that some University District residents have with the growing size of apartment complex parking lots in the area around Oakland Avenue. Residents who have lived in the area for years are complaining that with more students driving, more apartment complexes are expanding their parking lots and contributing additional congestion and blight to the neighborhood.

The full Dispatch article can be found here.

An article in today’s Dispatch is reporting that some city officials are considering a 50% rate hike to parking meters throughout Downtown, the Short North, the Arena District, German Village and other urban neighborhoods. The increase is estimated to bring in an additional $1.5 million in revenue. This news comes just three weeks after parking meter restrictions were lifted in order to make Downtown on-street parking more convenient for businesses.

You can read the full Dispatch article here.

Over 160 Downtown parking meters will soon be losing their rush hour parking restrictions, which means that parking in front of businesses in the 7-9am and 4-6pm time slots just got a whole lot easier. In a statement released this afternoon, city leaders are are stating that the removal of these parking restrictions will make Downtown a friendlier place for businesses, pedestrians, and visitors. “Downtown continues to develop with new restaurants, condos and apartments, parks and businesses, and as the market changes we must fill the need for parking for cars, motorcycles and bikes,” said Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “Lifting these parking restrictions makes sense because Downtown is an active, exciting place to work and live day and night, and we will continue to look for ways to make our Downtown more accessible.” [Read More]

It’s no secret that Columbus is an auto-centric city. Many commuters drive their cars to every destination they visit every single day. Several local organizations are challenging citizens to see if they can try rethinking their commute. On Friday, September 18th, Columbus will take part once again in the national PARK(ing) Day event, that transforms parking spaces for other uses for a day. Also, Tuesday, September 22nd marks the world-wide Car Free Day, which encourages everyone to utilize alternative modes of transportation.

We sat down with Laura Koprowski, the Director of Public & Government Affairs at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) to learn more about these two events. [Read More]

Two more two-wheel motor vehicle parking spots were just added Downtown, allowing more room for scooters and motorcycles to easily find a place to park. These two additions bring the grand total of two-wheeler parking areas up to 25, with room for over 275 vehicles to park. [Read More]