Gainesville City Commission approves changes to downtown parking rates
Press release from City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gainesville City Commission today unanimously approved changes to Downtown Gainesville parking rates after hearing recommendations based on the results of a recent parking study and feedback from downtown stakeholders. The changes would become effective this fall.
“The parking study highlighted a great point about the perceived lack of parking,” said Mike Palmer of Go Downtown, a group of downtown business owners, landlords, and residents. “Many of the complaints we hear about the distances people walk downtown are easily dispelled when you think about how far you actually walk at places like Butler Plaza or The Oaks Mall,” he said.
The parking changes convert free parking spaces in the center of downtown into paid, time-limited spaces on weekdays ($0.50/hour with a 2-hour time limit). Parking spaces outside the downtown core will be reduced to either $0.25/hour – or free – with no time limit on weekdays. Downtown parking remains free on weekends and on City-observed holidays – except for spaces in the SW Parking Garage on SW 3rd Street.
The new rates are designed to stimulate turnover of high-demand spaces in the heart of downtown as well as encourage drivers to find less expensive and long-term parking spaces in the periphery.
“This is creating the infrastructure that allows us to figure out how to price things correctly so there is parking that’s paid where it needs to be and free parking where there needs to be,” said Gainesville City Commissioner Bryan Eastman.
New pay stations that accept both coins and credit cards will be installed throughout downtown in the coming months. The City Commission voted to increase the proposed number of new pay stations from two to as many as five. They also directed staff to reach out to public agencies downtown about opening up their parking lots in the evenings after business hours to further increase the supply of parking spaces.
“We’ll keep building on this so that people are finding the spots that they need open when they want to get there, and we’re helping turn over those spots for those downtown businesses,” Commissioner Eastman said.
SP+, a consulting firm specializing in parking management, developed a parking survey and gathered feedback from downtown stakeholders during a public workshop as well as meetings with downtown business owners and with Alachua County offices. The recommendations align with best practices in parking management.
Results of the survey found the majority of survey respondents expect to find parking readily available – within 5 minutes or less – and were willing to pay more than $0.50/hour for the most convenient parking spaces. When parking is free, the majority of respondents were willing to walk 3-5 minutes or more to their destinations.
There are more than 2,000 parking spaces in Downtown Gainesville. Parking enforcement hours will be adjusted to 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday through Friday, once the changes take effect.
In addition to the few remaining coin-based parking meters downtown, drivers can currently pay for downtown parking via the PassportParking® app, online, or by calling 352-290-3700.
In advance of today’s meeting, City staff posted frequently asked questions online as well as a timeline of past changes to downtown parking.
FUBAR
Wasn’t this a miserable flop the first time around. I refuse to use an app just so I can park somewhere. There are too many other place to go where I don’t have to deal with an app just to park to make it worth the trouble.
Will we need a credit card using hackable software to pay? How much revenue will be spent to install the new meters where none currently are, and money to fix future hacker repairs, ID thefts? Will that all go to Silicon Valley — while sabotaging downtown LOCAL biz?
Just another mail in the coffin for downtown Gainesville, while Celebration Point, Alachua and High Springs are thriving.
Exactly!
Why would anyone want to deal with the parking hassle and the panhandling and increased rush of being a crime victim?
I rarely go downtown, other than to Depot Park or for a government meeting.
Even more reason not to go downtown now …
They need the parking meters shoved up their arses.
Fix the traffic signals.
has anybody really experienced having to walk that far at Butler Plaza or Oaks Mall? I usually avoid Butler Plaza/Celebration point due to the traffic around that area, not really any issues with finding close parking spaces. I wonder how much money they used for this Parking study? there are so many other issues they should have addressed with downtown before trying to make parking worse.
also, it seems the only people who are in favor of this are the out of town people behind the parking study and the City Commissioners(who have their own reserved parking downtown) most downtown Business owners are against it.
Did they even talk about reopening SW 1 Avenue? Who cares about the Loosey’s slime pit and what they want? That place is gross, with gross customers (probably why Ward sucks up to it). Every other business owner downtown wants those parking spaces reopened.
This is stupid and a real business killer for downtown, and keep in mind that unlike the Oaks Mall, there are governmental offices which people often have to visit. The best solution for on-street is a time limit with a parking officer enforcing
I checked the Passport Parking app on the iPhone app store. It was last updated a year ago. Many problem comments are posted since then. And it looks like it tacks on a “convenience fee”. I wouldn’t use it.
Honestly couldn’t name a downtown non-food, non-alcohol for-profit retail business … are there any left? Haven’t been downtown for lunch in years.
Downtown Ocala has a free parking garage and lots of free street parking. Their downtown thrives. Gainesville, on the other hand, is a dysfunctional waste pit. The whole city is a just a sleazy flea bag dormitory for UF.
And you’re still here? Thought you were leaving.
also, deciding to start it up again in August right before football season starts. seems like this could be a double whammy punch to downtown businesses.
Aren’t they admitting Dem city values — seeking free stuff and stealing whenever possible — aren’t conducive to TRUE urban renewal?
The biggest problem with this “plan” is that it is all over the board as to what costs where (.50, .25, free), how long/time limits, weekdays, weekends, “except for”. Are they going to have a hundred signs all over the place telling people the details?