The City of Knoxville releases its report from a group hired to evaluate downtown parking who recommends, among other things, limiting free parking and increasing pricing.
They recommend beginning free parking at 10 p.m. and charging for parking on weekends and increasing the cost of street parking. Also, parking lots underneath I-40 and James White Parkway, owned by TDOT, are free but the group suggests charging in those lots as well.
Currently, most city-owned downtown parking garages offer free parking after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. Walker recommended changing that, instead beginning free parking at 10 p.m. Walker also suggested charging for parking on weekends, both Saturday and Sunday. This would apply to every garage except the Langley Garage, which has free parking built-in to its deed.
The recommendations come just a day after the Downtown Merchants Group released their own results from a public survey which showed most people want free parking.
The group also suggested raising charges for parking citations by at least 90%.
Walker also suggested raising the price of parking in “high demand” areas of parking, especially for street spots. In raising the price of street parking, however, Walker also suggested removing time limits for street spots, keeping the spaces in use. This, the group claimed, would encourage people to park in garages or in cheaper “low demand” areas and walk to their destination. As for garages, Walker was relatively satisfied with Knoxville’s current pricing, only recommending that the city raise Market Square Garage’s rates.
Parking in the wrong spot would also cost more under Walker’s suggestions. The group suggested raising charges for parking citations. As of now, tickets can cost downtown parkers anywhere from $11 to $50, depending on the infraction. Walker suggested raising those fines to $21 to $200.
In the same vein as moving people from street spaces to garage spaces, Walker also suggested investing in more pedestrian-friendly spaces on popular downtown streets, like Gay Street. Walker appeared pleased with the city’s experiments closing Gay Street to cars and making it a pedestrian-only area temporarily.
The group also suggested the city allow businesses, like restaurants, to rent out spaces for more real estate, like outdoor seating. Other suggestions included restructuring how the city organizes parking responsibilities on the administrative level, improving parking branding and implementing more modern infrastructure, like investing in mobile payment systems.
At this point, city representatives said there are no concrete plans to implement any of the changes the group suggested.
