A comprehensive downtown parking proposal presented by Iowa City officials, bringing sweeping changes to meter use, ramps, and on-street parking fees and a one-hour free parking service, has been endorsed by the Downtown District.

In a recent letter sent to Geoff Fruin, the assistant to the  city manager, Downtown District Executive Director Nancy Bird and Board President Karen Kubby said the proposal would help address current parking challenges in the area, a top priority.

“We feel that this parking proposal is a solid step in the right direction, and most businesses are very enthused about the idea of one hour of free parking in the three parking garages in the downtown core,” Bird and Kubby said in the letter.

Kubby said downtown Iowa City has had a history of visitors wanting to park in front of downtown storefronts and called the new proposal a big step in relieving the parking concerns that are synonymous with the area.

“We have urban people coming in and interacting with the parking system, and we have more rural individuals coming in, and we want to make sure the different users are able to understand the system and access it,” she said.

The parking proposal has a planned implementation of July 1.