City Newspaper Archives - 1/2008
DEVELOPMENT: Pay up for parking
Published by Christine Carrie Fien on Jan 08, 2008
You could soon be paying more for short-term parking in the city's garages. | Beginning February 1, it could cost $2 to park from 31 to 60 minutes at all seven garages and 50 cents for each additional half-hour. The daily maximum at most garages is $6.35. The first half-hour would be free. Currently, you pay 40 cents a half-hour at the High Falls and Midtown garages, and 45 cents at Court Street, Genesee Crossroads, Sister Cities, South Avenue, and Washington Square. | The price increase would net the city about $200,000 annually. | City Council members say the garages are supposed to be self-sustaining, but the parking fund lost about $1.4 million last year. | The free half-hour is also billed as a customer-friendly move, although new Councilmember Elaine Spaull questioned at a meeting last week whether that's disingenuous, considering there's very little that can be accomplished downtown in 30 minutes. | City Council will likely vote on the price increase at its January 15 meeting. The new rates will be evaluated after six months.
