Starting in January you may need to dig a little deeper in your pocket to pay for parking in Ann Arbor. The Downtown Development Authority is proposing hikes to some parking rates.
Prices for on-street parking meters and attended surface parking lots would increase by ten cents per hour. Most permit parking would cost an additional ten dollars per month, as Ann Arbor parking rates may increase for the first time in two years.
The proposal leaves hourly parking in structures at $1.20 per hour. DDA Executive Director Susan Pollay says this continues efforts to use demand management so the entire parking system gets used. "So that we can encourage the distribution of demand, so that for whom people its price conscious there are options available where it costs less. For people where convenience is more important we have options where that's available," Pollay says.
Pollay says the proposed increase is also designed to meet projected increases in operational costs and funds for future parking maintenance projects. The proposal is projected to increase revenues by about $900,000 with the city receiving about $150,000.
The DDA will present the plan to City Council at a joint meeting Monday night. A public hearing will be held at the October DDA Board meeting with a vote expected in November.
The proposed rate hikes include:
- On street meters go from $1.50/hour to $1.60/hour
- First three hours at attended lots go from $1.40/hour to $1.50/hour
- Attended lots after three hours go from $1.60/hour to $1.70/hour
- Structure permits go from $145/month to $155/month
- Campus area permits go from $155/month to $165/month
- Premium permits go from $180/month to $205/month
- Art Fair goes from $12/entry to $15/entry
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.