After many residents expressed frustration with increased parking rates this summer, Iowa City is now discussing rolling back parking meter rates in the downtown area.

As of July 1, rates for parking in metered spots, parking garages, and parking ticket fees have all increased. Parking in ramps increased from $1 to $2 per hour, and parking meter rates downtown increased from $1.50 to $3 per hour.

These rate and fee increases are the first in over a decade and are intended to generate revenue for parking infrastructure improvements and the city’s fare-free transit system.

However, business owners and employees have said the increased meter rates have made visiting and working downtown more expensive and less equitable. Catherine’s Boutique, located at 7 S. Dubuque St., created an online petition asking the city to lower the rates, which gathered nearly 1,400 signatures.

At the Iowa City City Council’s Aug. 20 work session, councilors discussed lowering the hourly meter rate for downtown from $3 to $2.25. The council was somewhat split in their opinion on the rate drop.

At the meeting, Councilor Andrew Dunn said he sympathized with the downtown community’s concerns but wanted to make sure the city weighed the consequences of lowering a revenue source.

“In a case like this, where dollars and cents are few and far between and the alternative might be increasing taxes… I think we need to think long and hard about going back within a month or two of a decision that is going to have major financial implications for everything we just talked about,” Dunn said at the meeting.

Councilor Megan Alter said during the meeting that she was also concerned about the equity of the $3 hourly rate and would like to see if there are other revenue-generating avenues the city could take to supplement lost income if the rates were to decrease.

“I am worried about the optics of how inclusive and inviting downtown Iowa City — the core — is, to say ‘It’s $3 an hour, there is no way to do partial, and if you’re using an app, it’s $3.40,’” Alter said at the meeting. “That actually doesn’t scream ‘equity’ to me.”

In an email to The Daily Iowan, City Manager Geoff Fruin wrote that the city council directed city staff to prepare an ordinance to drop the downtown rate to $2.25. That item is expected to be in front of the council at its Sept. 3 meeting, he wrote.

Student pushback

As University of Iowa students return to campus for the school year, many have expressed disdain for the increased parking rates.

Emma Gullen, a fourth-year student, said she lives in Coralville and drives to class every day. She said taking public transit to Iowa City is difficult with her changing schedule because of work, classes, and inaccurate bus arrival and departure times.

Over the summer, Gullen said she had to quit her job in a downtown business because the increased parking meter rates offset her minimum wage pay.

“It’s like a vicious cycle,” Gullen said. “It just keeps repeating, so there’s no gain.”

RELATED: Downtown employees and owners reeling by new parking rates

Kiley Crivaro, a second-year student, also works downtown and said she experienced the same situation where the profit from her day’s work had been mostly spent on funding parking at her job. Crivaro also commutes to class, which has added to her parking costs.

Crivaro said she feels there needs to be better modes of public transportation or more free street parking near downtown to justify the parking rate increases.

“There’s not enough other resources to be used if you’re going to cut off the main transport, which is people’s own cars,” Crivaro said.

Harry Ginsberg, a second-year student, said he understands the parking rate increases are meant to generate revenue, and he looks forward to seeing the improvements made to Iowa City with that revenue. However, he said parking may not be the best and most fair way to create more funds.

“I feel as though this is a sign that the downtown area, the business district itself, is being revitalized — is being developed — which is good,” Ginsberg said. “But I feel as though the city is getting on the wrong foot by starting off with parking increases first. There’s definitely another way that wouldn’t inconvenience people in terms of funding the development of downtown.”