Republic file photo Columbus City Hall.
A new set of proposed meter rates for downtown, if approved, would make long-term, on-street parking costly.
Three hours would cost $1 an hour, the fourth and fifth hours would be $5 each, and every hour after would be $10 — meaning that someone who parks for nine hours would accumulate a charge of $53.
The Columbus Parking Commission plans to meet in mid-August and review a draft of parking recommendations for downtown Columbus, which includes proposed parking rates.
The meeting is tentatively scheduled at 2:15 p.m. Aug. 11 in Conference Room 3 of City Hall, but meeting dates are subject to change based on members’ availability. Other agenda items include a review of meter procurement guidance and a discussion of wayfinding.
The commission’s recommendations, once finalized, will be passed on to the Columbus Board of Works and Columbus City Council.
City Engineer/Executive Director of Public Works Dave Hayward, who is part of the parking commission, said that the draft recommendations come from what he heard and interpreted from the last meeting.
“So that was just trying to get a document in front of them that if they do want to make a motion, we’re already looking at the same thing,” he said. “There’s a good chance that I’ve missed the mark on one or two of those items in there and that would not surprise me a bit or disappoint me. But like I said, it was just a way to get everybody focused on ‘What are you really approving here?’”
The draft document recommends that pay stations should be installed in the following areas: Washington Street from Second to Seventh; Third Street from Jackson to Washington; Fourth Street from Jackson to Franklin; Fifth Street from Jackson to Franklin; Seventh Street from Washington to Franklin; Franklin Street from Third to Fourth (west side only); and Jackson Street from Second to Fourth (both sides) and Fourth to Fifth (east side only).
Additionally, the proposed meter rates are $1 per hour for the first three hours, $5 per hour for the fourth and fifth hour, and $10 per hour for hours six through nine. Recommended payment options include cash, credit and digital payment via an app. The suggested enforcement hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When asked how these rates might affect someone who parks for a couple of hours, leaves and then comes back later — whether the price would continue to increase for them or if they would start over at the bottom of the scale — Hayward said he’s not sure if they’ve thought about that yet.
Nelson/Nygaard, which recently conducted an update to its 2013 downtown parking study at the commission’s request, recommended a initial rate of $1 per hour, with this being adjusted over time. Additionally, officials should “ensure that the selected meter vendor can accommodate progressive rates, and increase the hourly rate to $2 after two hours of duration.”
The firm also recommended implementing priced parking from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, with a possible free hour before enforcement kicks in. However, parking commission members settled on 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as a more feasible timeframe during their last meeting. They also indicated a desire to design rates so that it’s not viable to park all day long.
“It prices you out, at some point,” said commission member and library director Jason Hatton.
The higher rates on the draft documents are based off what he heard from the commission, said Hayward. The parking commission will further discuss this as they decide on what recommendations they want to pass on to the city’s board of works and city council.
“We have to balance with the parking garage,” he said. “And I’m not totally convinced that we’re there yet. So it’s a work in progress.”
In the past, commission members have discussed the desire to encourage people — and downtown employees in particular — to take advantage of the Jackson Street parking garage. There have also been concerns about employees taking on-street spots that businesses would prefer to keep available for customers.
For the Jackson Street garage, paid parking is in effect from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The garage rates are as follows:
—Up to 1 hour — Free
—From 1 hour up to 3 — $1
—From 3 hours up to 5— $2
—From 5 hours up to 7 — $3
—From 7 hours up to 9 — $4
—From 9 hours up to 14 — $5
Gary Thompson with REI, which manages the garage, said that each price indicates a flat amount rather than a per-hour rate.
“The maximum you will pay daily on a single visit is $5,” he explained.
According to the Columbus Redevelopment Department’s website, monthly passes for the garage are available at $65 for unreserved parking and $80 for a reserved space.
When asked if the commission plans to keep the city’s current parking ticket policy, Hayward replied, “It’ll require some revisions, but the structure, I think, and the amount is what the commission seem to be comfortable with.”
At present, an individual is not fined for their first overtime parking violation in a calendar year. All subsequent violations come with a fine of $40. If the individual fails to pay a fine within seven business days, they must pay an additional $10 penalty.
“You’ve kind of got to balance the daily rate so someone can’t park there and come up short of $40 and get off easy,” Hayward said at the commission’s July 14 meeting.
