The latest round of parking conversation ensued yesterday, as Mayor Kincannon presented her proposal for changes to be made to downtown parking. The proposal is the outgrowth of the study commissioned by the city which I distilled from its full 163 pages in this article). Of the many recommendations in the report, it was the reduction or elimination of free nights and weekend parking in city garages that took the most heat. A survey produced by downtown business owners echoed that sentiment.
The current proposal accomplishes two things that will please many — it does not eliminate free night and weekend parking — and another that pleases me — it comes in at a svelte 21 pages. You can read the full set of recommendations here, or you can keep reading for my distilled (shorter than even 21 pages!) version.
Essentially, the study found that downtown has plenty of parking, but that it could be more efficiently managed, and wayfinding signage could be better. It recommended use of newer technology. Between garages, parking lots, and street parking the city owns about 6,700 spaces, the county 1,700, and private companies another 3,300.
Through a range of changes, the city intends to make permitting easier, improve enforcement, and modernize technology to, for example, accept mobile pay. Enforcement of payment of fines (which has been largely non-existent) would “Connect enforcement citations directly to City Court for automatic technology supported follow up and collection.” The plan is to have all the technology live by February of 2025 and parking would be paid through the ParkMobile app.
The changes proposed for on-street parking include:
- Mobile pay via ParkMobile (no cards or coins on-street)
- Rate increase $2/hour (now $1.50), keep 2-hour max.
- Long-term spots Rate increase $1/hour (now $.30), 4-hour max. (now 10-hour max.)
- 30-minutes spots Rate increase $1/30 min. (now $.75)
- Hours for fees: 8 am – 8 pm, Monday-Saturday (Free nights after 8 pm and free Sundays)
The changes aren’t just directed at visitors to downtown. Valet spaces (largely in front of hotels) have been charged to the businesses at a rate of .69 per day or $250 per year. Chattanooga and Nashville in comparison, charge $5000 or more each year per valet space. Knoxville will increase charges for valet spaces to $2,000 per year starting in January and those prices will increase each year to $5,000 by 2027.
As for garages and city-owned lots, the hours for fees remain 7 am – 6 pm, but payment will be required regardless of departure time, meaning if you leave after 6, you will still be charged for the time you were there prior to 6 pm. Market Square Garage will now charge a $3 flat fee on Saturdays, which will cover the entire day. Sundays remain free. Other than that small exception, parking remains free nights and weekends in city-owned garages and parking lots.
The cost of a parking ticket (which presumably will now be enforced) rises from a range (depending on violation) of the current $10 t0 $25, to $25 to $30, with a $9 additional charge if it isn’t paid within the first ten days.