“I wonder if we should really, really jack up the price of street parking.”
Street parking in Grand Rapids costs between a dollar and two twenty-five an hour. Mayor David LaGrand thinks it should be a lot higher.
“Our street parking is too cheap. If street parking cost is high enough you can use it for its best use; really rapid turnaround. Jump out of my car and do something a minute.”
At a downtown Grand Rapids commission meeting consultant Arielle Leipham Ellis said raising street parking rates could also push drivers into sometimes underutilized city parking decks.
“Those parking decks are major public investment and they do come with ongoing obligations. Debt, operations, maintenance. Those costs exist whether your decks are full or empty.”
Mayor LaGrand thinks people might not resist higher street parking rates if some of the money goes to charitable organizations, schools or public safety.
“If we could get people to see the dollars they are spending on more expensive street parking was really spent in areas they could see the direct benefit I think you would get rid of a lot of the resistance.”
A parking incentive program is still being developed. The mayor says the price of parking is a priority for many people.
“The number one thing I hear, I don’t want to go downtown. Downtown parking is so expensive blah blah blah.”
