Parking meter enforcement hours could be extended in St. Augustine

Parking meter enforcement hours could be extended in St. Augustine
Posted: November 15, 2014 - 11:09am
By SHELDON GARDNER
sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com
People might soon have fewer opportunities for free parking in downtown St. Augustine.

St. Augustine Parking and Traffic Committee members are expected to discuss a proposal to extend enforcement hours for on-street parking, which currently is free after 5 p.m. most days.

A proposal to increase fines for parking violations could also move forward soon.

The point of extending meter enforcement hours is to ease congestion and encourage use of the city’s Historic Downtown Parking Facility on West Castillo Drive, said Martha Graham, public works director in St. Augustine.

“It’s a congestion management tool,” she said.

At this point the effort is just a discussion. But committee members could decide to vote on a recommendation when they meet Thursday.

That could expedite the process of getting the idea before the St. Augustine City Commission for approval.

The parking garage operates between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. seven days a week with a flat rate of $12, according to a memo from Graham to the Parking and Traffic Committee. On-street parking operates between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. six days a week except for the Plaza de la Constitucion, where enforcement begins at 10 a.m.

“With the garage price at a $12 flat rate, all hours, the on-street parking ‘free’ after 5 p.m. pushes additional congestion seeking free on-street parking in the evenings and on Sundays,” according to the memo.

Recommendations for adjusting on-street parking hours include from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week. Committee members will also consider adding Sunday parking enforcement after 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Graham said that it would take months to get the necessary equipment and approvals in place to start the program, even if committee members are in favor of the idea.

The recommendation is one part of a larger effort to improve traffic conditions in downtown St. Augustine — and increase rates in some cases.

The commission already approved raising the parking garage rate from $10 to $12.

Mark Litzinger, city comptroller, said he plans propose to the City Commission to increase fines for meter violations and illegal parking. He will suggest increasing meter violation fines from $15 to $25 and illegal parking fines from $25 to $35.

That discussion could come as soon as the next commission meeting on Dec. 8.

People have expressed concerns about congestion and parking shortages in the city, and officials have been working on ways to address those concerns.

Funding for a new parking garage is not available, so the first place to start is with better parking management, Graham said.

“What can we do in the short term that we know will be more efficient?” she said.

If you go

What: Parking and Traffic Committee meeting

Where: Financial Services Center conference room at 50 Bridge St.

When: 8:30 a.m. Thursday

Comment
Comments (2) Add comment
Emmy Light 11/15/14 - 01:20 pm 21Terrible idea. Who are these
Terrible idea. Who are these greedy grinches?

Thomas Dyer 11/15/14 - 05:48 pm 11The greed is overwhelming
Business owners downtown are begging for business so the city decides "let's charge more for parking!! And charge more hours". Do you really wonder why locals avoid downtown like the plague? As one of the few people left who grew up here I am disgusted by the gimme, gimme, gimme attitude shown by our supposed "leaders".