Wednesday, June 30, 1999
Downtown parking rates may go up - and down
Council vote likely on report proposals
BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Parking rates could be going up for some downtown parkers, but down for others.
Cincinnati City Council members today are expected to vote on suggestions in a report released last week that call for raising rates for nonmonthly parkers who use the Fountain Square Garages during peak daytime hours and lowering rates for visitors coming downtown on weekends and after 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Under the plan, rates would drop to a $1 maximum for the evening and weekend parkers. But the “First three hours for $1” parking program in downtown city garages would be replaced with a “first two hours for $1” rate. After that, the next three hours would cost $2 each, with additional hours costing $3 each.
The goal of higher prices: Increasing turnover at garages that are usually full by 9:30 a.m. The new rates are expected to provide an additional 150 open spaces for visitors every day at the Fountain Square Garages.
“Visitors are becoming very, very irritated with finding a spot,” Kevin Shepard, Cincinnati's director of general services, told council Tuesday.
Construction on Fort Washington Way and the riverfront, and demolition of a garage at Fifth and Race streets have eliminated more than 2,000 parking spots. And a recent study showed that downtown visitors are more frustrated with finding a spot than with the price they have to pay once they park.
Not everyone thinks raising rates will help free spots in city garages.
“We're making a mistake by raising the rates in the city garages,” said Councilman Todd Portune. “In the short term, I don't believe it will create the turnover. The long-term effect is that it is going to drive employees and jobs out of the city.”
Michelle Vlasis, who works at Palomino Euro Bistro at Fountain Place, parks at a Fountain Square garage “because it's the least expensive parking option downtown.” The Taylor Mill resident and Northern Kentucky University student said increased rates may lead her to start parking in Kentucky and taking the Southbank Shuttle to and from work for 25 cents each way.
Among other suggestions in the report are to:
• Accelerate building garages in the city's central business district. Potential sites could be recommended by December.
• Freeze monthly rates at the Fountain Square Garages for a year.
• Enforce meters for one less hour a day. Enforce them from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. rather than the current 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Use new parking rate structures for parking meters, charging $1 an hour in the central business district. The rate is 50 cents now. The higher rates could help pay for construction of garages.
Unless new money is added to the parking fund, the system won't be able to properly maintain facilities after 2003, the report says.
Even if rates increase at the parking meters and garages, Cincinnati's rates still would not be as high as some cities. For example, visitor parking fees in Cleveland are $8.50 for the first three hours. Columbus, Ohio, and Minneapolis charge as much as $1.50 an hour for meter parking. Councilmen Jim Tarbell and Phil Heimlich on Tuesday said they support the plan.
“The sooner the better,” Mr. Tarbell said. “It sounds like what we're really doing is catching up.”
Enquirer reporter Earnest Winston contributed to this story.
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