The rates of downtown parking meters will now be decreased to $2.25 per hour after final approval from the Iowa City City Council Tuesday night.
In July, parking meter rates in the downtown area were raised from a $1.50 hourly rate to $3 per hour. Parking ticket fees and ramp parking costs were also increased to generate more revenue for parking infrastructure improvements and the city’s fare-free transit program.
This increase was met with backlash from business owners and employees downtown, with many saying the increased parking meter rates meant less business or more money taken from their paychecks. These increases were the first time parking rates were made more expensive in over a decade.
The council voted 6-1 in favor of the rate decrease, with Councilor Andrew Dunn being the sole dissenter. There was no council discussion or public comment over the rate decrease item at Tuesday’s meeting.
As previously reported by The Daily Iowan, several councilors said they supported the decrease to make downtown more affordable and equitable. While Dunn said he agreed with this sentiment and empathized with those who had concerns with the rate, he said he was concerned about the financial impacts of decreasing a revenue generator for the city.
New parking permits established
Along with decreasing downtown parking rates, the city council also established new weekend and evening parking permits. The permit program is targeted toward downtown businesses and employees to help with parking costs, according to meeting documents.
Currently, the city offers parking ramp permits for $90 per month and parking lot permits for $70 per month. After the go-ahead from the city council on Tuesday, weekend and evening parking permits for ramps will also be an option for residents for $67.50 per month, and weekend and evening parking lot permits will cost $52.50 each month.
Holders of the new permits can park in designated parking ramps or lots on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
These new parking permits are anticipated to generate as much as $15,750 in parking revenue each year, according to meeting documents.