When Phoenix put an end to free downtown street parking on weeknights, weekends and holidays, they expected to make money.
Now, two years later, we know how much.
Thanks to longer enforcement hours, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and additional meters, Phoenix expects to bring in nearly $2 million more this fiscal year compared to three years ago.
Street Transportation Director Ray Dovalina told a city subcommittee on Wednesday that his department is listening to both business owners who want to see turnover and downtown students.
“It’s a balancing act with regards to what businesses are there and then also providing some level of parking for the duration for the Arizona State University students,” he said. “We’ve been carefully monitoring that and making sure that we’re adding sufficient parking meters for the areas that we have businesses fronting the blocks.”
Dovalina said they adjust some meters around ASU to allow for longer nighttime parking. In the last two years, Phoenix has added 230 meters and converted more than 500 from accepting coins only to taking credit cards.
Source for graphs: Phoenix Street Transportation Department
