The City of Champaign is considering raising parking rates for downtown:
But city officials say the meter increases are needed both to help pay for an estimated $12 million, 600-space parking garage set to go up at the southwest corner of Randolph and Hill Streets and to better distribute parking in the downtown area in general.
The city council will consider the rate increases and downtown parking policies at a Nov. 20 study session, with a final vote likely Dec. 18.
The city's proposed parking plan would leave parking at 25 cents an hour on the fringe of downtown, increase it to 50 cents in an outer ring and raise rates to 75 cents in the core of downtown, where demand is the greatest.
"I don't expect everybody to be happy about an increase in parking rates," said Elizabeth Hannan, the city's administrative services manager. "But parking rates have an impact on people's behavior. Hopefully, people will adjust their behavior accordingly versus everybody parking in the core of downtown."
The rate increases are expected to generate $370,000 annually to help pay off bonds for the parking garage, with hours of enforcement from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Under the city's expected proposal, the hours of enforcement will be extended to 7 p.m. starting Jan. 1, 2009, and then to 9 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2010. The extra hours of enforcement are expected to generate an additional $70,000 a year for the city.
Discuss.
I'd rather see them put in a tram system than a parking garage. Still, I suppose it will be a good place for kids to skate, especially once filling up gas tanks becomes prohibitively expensive.
It was interesting to see the opposition to this in the N-G. But the plan, from the city's perspective, is working. Downtown must be densely populated, and must be be premium real estate. Small cheap diners and social service agencies will have to move out if cheap parking and cheap rent is their concern. I don't know why anyone would be surprised at this action.
I have never understood why city governments wish to discourage people from shopping in the downtowns. It doesn't have to be that way. Perhaps someone could understand the rationale.
The strategy is certainly working as far as we are concerned. We rarely set foot in either Champaign or Urbana. And, since we are out of patience with the poor selection in the cookie-cutter chains beyond I74, we do the majority of our shopping online.