The window for free parking in downtown Phoenix has increased, but city officials are still trying to get the word out more than a week later.
Two message boards on Washington Street currently advertise the news to the public.
“We are currently working on putting the hours on more electronic message boards around the downtown Phoenix area,” said Sina Matthes, a spokeswoman for the City of Phoenix. She said the Phoenix City Council is also advertising the new hours on its website, sending newsletters to local residents and businesses and using social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
The City Council voted unanimously Feb. 1 to cut the downtown parking meter hours and install them with credit card readers. Drivers are now only required to pay for metered parking Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours were completely cut on Saturday, letting people park all day without paying the meter.
Although the adjusted parking-meter hours are currently in effect, many people remain unaware of the change.
Lee Wendeborn, economist with the Arizona Public Service Committee, said he did not know that the hours were changed, but he was aware the meter hours were an issue and that the city council was looking into it.
“There are always two sides,” Wendeborn said. “I know the city is having trouble gaining revenue and wants drivers to pay to park, but businesses say that they can bring in more revenue if people don’t pay to park.”
Wendeborn said the issue should be put on the news, in the newspaper and perhaps on the Metro light rail so that the Phoenix community will be aware of the change of the meter hours.
The 2,400 parking meters in Phoenix will have the adjusted hours and rates posted on the meter within the next few weeks, Matthes said.
Councilwoman Thelda Williams said the change in hours was in response to downtown businesses’ complaints that they were losing customers because people did not want to pay to park.
“We want them to be successful,” she said.
Williams said the decision to adjust the parking meter times was an easy one to make.
“There were no arguments between the City Council members when discussing the new hours,” she said, adding that new meters will let drivers use credit cards or smart phones to pay. These will be installed in a few weeks.
Matthes said the city’s annual revenue from parking will drop to somewhere around $3,000 and $5,000.
“The budgets have been planned out,” Williams said.
Part of the new plans include charging different prices depending on the location of the parking spot. The farther the spot is, the cheaper it will cost. People with better parking will have to pay more than those parking farther away, Williams said.
Contact the reporter at kristy.letterly@asu.edu
