ParkColumbus Mobile App and Streamlined Rates Coming to Downtown Parking Meters in February
Implementation of Downtown parking meter rate
recommendations to improve management of on-street parking access and
availability will begin Feb. 24, the Columbus Division of Parking Services has
announced.
The ParkColumbus mobile payment app will launch Downtown for
use at all metered parking spots. The app, already available in neighborhoods
including the Short North and Brewery District, allows users to extend their
parking time from their smartphone.
In addition, Parking Services will implement a simplified three-tiered
rate adjustment and time limit structure at more than 2,800 Downtown parking
meters to include:
- Value meters at 50 cents per hour with no time
limit
- In-demand meters at $1 per hour with a 3-hour
time limit
- High turnover meters at $1.50 per hour with a
30-minute time limit (75 cents for 30 minutes)
Implementation of the mobile pay app and rate changes
Downtown may take a few weeks to complete after the Feb. 24 start date.
“The City of Columbus is excited to implement the Downtown
Strategic Parking Plan and to modernize how we provide accessible and equitable
parking and mobility options to Downtown residents, workers and visitors during
this time of tremendous growth,” said Jennifer L. Gallagher, Director of the
Department of Public Services.
The Downtown Strategic Parking
Plan provides a system-wide approach to bring on-street parking rates in line
with off-street rates, streamline time limits and decrease confusion.
“We are providing a strategic approach to parking and
transportation demand management Downtown that creates parking availability and
turnover, manages congestion and distributes parking demand,” said Robert
Ferrin, Assistant Director of Parking Services.
The meter rate adjustments and ParkColumbus app addition are
among recommendations made in the Downtown parking plan. Other recommendations
include use of demand-based pricing and creation of a Parking Benefit District
to reinvest some meter revenue into improving parking and mobility Downtown.
Parking Services will monitor
and evaluate how the new rate structure is performing in the first six months
of implementation and, if needed, consider adjustments to be responsive to the
community and parking demand. The division’s parking rules and regulations have
been updated to allow for an hourly meter rate increase of 50 cents in
locations where on-street occupancy is at 90% or higher. The regulations also
allow for an hourly decrease of 50 cents if the average parking occupancy in
the area is less than 30%.
Throughout the Downtown plan study and development, extensive
community engagement occurred with stakeholders including Downtown residents,
businesses, employees, the hospitality industry, government and higher
education.
The comprehensive study looked at data and factors such as
existing parking conditions, parking behaviors including occupancy and turnover,
curb inventory, land use and mobility.
The Downtown plan was developed
in Parking Services’ comprehensive Strategic Parking Plan initiative that also
studied Franklinton, the University District and South of Downtown
neighborhoods German Village, the Brewery District and South Side.
Recommendations for those study areas are forthcoming.