News
January 7, 2009
Council Approves Additional Parking Meters
The Raleigh City Council voted 7-0 today to endorse installing more parking meters in downtown and surrounding areas.
Expansion of the City’s parking meter program is one of the recommendations in the Downtown Master Parking Plan presented to the City Council on Nov. 18. The plan calls for installing metered parking in phases beginning with the Downtown Overlay District followed by Glenwood South and Hillsborough Street and other areas within the general limits of the Downtown Overlay District. New Pay-by-Space pay stations will be used in most of these areas. These new pay stations will allow customers to use multiple payment modes, including debit and credit cards as well as coins. Pay-by-Space pay stations are already being used in the 200 block of West Hargett Street and in the 2200 block of Hillsborough Street.
Downtown Raleigh Alliance President/CEO David Diaz told council members before they voted that downtown business owners support installing additional parking meters. He said the business owners also recommend the City work with DRA on installation of the new meters. “Advance notice and a transition period for patrons will be important,” Mr. Diaz said, adding that 20 downtown business owners met on Dec. 8 to discuss the Downtown Master Parking Plan.
City Manager Russell Allen said the City will conduct a public education campaign about the additional parking meters.
The council also endorsed the two other recommendations in the Downtown Master Parking Plan. They are:
- Implement a new parking rate structure. On-street parking rates would be increased to $1 for 1-hour spaces and $2 for two-hour spaces.
- Hourly rates in City parking decks would not be increased, and a uniform hourly rate would be established for all City parking decks except the underground Convention Center Deck; and,
- Hire additional staff for ParkLink to effect service improvements, and begin planning for a downtown business office that could be operational by June 2010.
The purpose of the plan is to discourage long-term parking in on-street spaces so there is more turnover. The plan also seeks to provide a higher level of efficiency and customer service at ParkLink, the City’s on-street parking program. The Downtown Master Parking Plan was drafted by the City’s consultant, Carl Walker Inc., in collaboration with the City’s Downtown Parking Task Force and City staff.
Prepared by:
John Boyette
Public Affairs Specialist
Public Affairs Department
For More Information Contact:
Gordon Dash
Parking Administrator
Public Works Department
222 West Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-996-4041
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