Downtown parking may cost more

Abstract

"If we don't raise the (parking) rates, we couldn't do the maintenance work," he said, adding that the last time rates went up was about five years ago. Because of miscellaneous costs such as labor, O'Brien said he couldn't determine how much raising parking rates would pay for the proposed $2.2 million project.

Council will consider raising rates

by Hieu Pham

Iowa City Press-Citizen

Parking rates may soon go up in Iowa City.

A citywide increase in rates for parking meters, garages, lots and permits will begin July 1 if the Iowa City Council approves the plan, transit director Joe Fowler said.

The proposal will result in a 25 percent increase in hourly rates for three of the city's five parking garages. The Dubuque Street Garage, Capitol Street Garage and Tower Place & Parking would go from 60 cents to 75 cents an hour.

Also, parking rates at Chauncey Swan Garage and the Court Street Transportation Center would go up 10 cents, increasing to 60 cents an hour.

In addition, parking meters throughout the city also would go up. Hourly rates will be 75 cents in the central business district and 50 cent in the "peripheral" area of town, which includes meters around Van Buren Street.

Parking manager Chris O'Brien said money from the parking rate increases will help pay for a five year $2.2 million parking maintenance project that will be spread out over two years.

The first phase, which will cost $697,000, is scheduled to begin in May and finish in August. The estimated cost for 2007 is $841,000 and $652,500 for 2009.

Repair work will be done to concrete parking decks and columns, as well as waterproofing of the exposed concrete.

"Some of the facilities are 25 years old. It's more of a go in and make repairs to make it viable for the next 25 years," said Fowler, adding that the Capitol Street and Dubuque Street garages will undergo the majority of the repairs this year.

O'Brien said parking garages ideally should be repaired every two years to keep the concrete from wearing and becoming corrosive. He said the city's last parking maintenance was in 2003.

"If we don't raise the (parking) rates, we couldn't do the maintenance work," he said, adding that the last time rates went up was about five years ago.

Because of miscellaneous costs such as labor, O'Brien said he couldn't determine how much raising parking rates would pay for the proposed $2.2 million project. However, he said the city would have to take out a loan if parking rates weren't increased.

The maintenance project will go before the council for approval Feb. 28, and final approval on contractor bids will be sometime in April.

Hieu Pham can be reached at 339-7360 or [email protected].