BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) — The growth of downtown Boise is demanding more parking and the Capitol City Development Corporation (CCDC) has now approved a hike in pricing for public parking.
The rate adjustments will be used to provide needed structural maintenance, system wide improvements and to fund future parking and parking alternatives.
They want to encourage people to ride share or use alternative forms of transportation to get downtown.
The CCDC says this move is necessary because downtown is only growing.
"You know what a great problem to have the only worse problems are empty garages. Now our problem is that the garages are too full so this is a good problem to have," said CCDC Parking and Mobility Director Max Clark. "It's something we've all worked really hard at for the last five years and now what we need to do is try to create viable alternatives, so all the workers can get downtown and all the customers can get downtown and we can accommodate all of those folks in a reasonable manner without building more parking than necessary."
The CCDC owns the public garage parking system promoting revitalization and economic growth in Boise's renewal districts. The new rates will take effect February 1, 2018.
The proposal includes eight garages in the downtown area:
- Capitol & Main
- Capitol & Front
- Capitol & Myrtle
- 9th & Main
- 9th & Front
- 10th & Front
- 5th & Broad
- 11th & Front
Hourly parking will increase from $2.50 to $3 an hour. The daily max is going from $12 to $15.
Monthly rates rising $20 to $40 depending on which garage you use. Pricing is based on a three tier system.
The first tier will cost $175 per month and applies to all of the central structures along with the structure on 5th and Broad.
The second tier will cost $140 per month . The third tier applies to only to the newest structure being built on 11th and Front. It will cost $100 per month.
The new structure is expected to accommodate 600 cars and there are currently more than 400 people on the waiting list.
Two amendments were approved by the council after hearing from those representing Boise's Grove Hotel.
Hotel self park prices were supposed to rise from $5.72 to $10, per card use. It was decided that that rate would only rise to $8.
Similarly, valet parking rates were supposed to go from $2.80 to $10. The new rate will be $5.70.
The Grove Hotel and the Hampton Inn & Suites are the only downtown hotels that utilize self park at this time. The Grove Hotel is the only downtown hotel using valet parking. There is an additional charge from the hotel for valet for things like insurance and employee pay.
One small business owner says he pays for his employees parking and an increase is going to negatively impact their budget.
"It's going to increase our operating costs and our ability to keep the company downtown which is one of the key distinguishers we have when we try to bring talent from outside cities is to come to downtown because it's vibrant and it's a place where our workers want to be," says owner Dale Reese.
Others argue for the hike to keep downtown vibrant, saying the CCDC council is looking long range.
"I park downtown so I'm going to get hit by the pay increase too but I'm willing to pay that," says Chase Erkins. "I have to be close to my office and it's something that I think is going to be helpful for the city so I'm willing to do that."
The CCDC says they plan to do yearly evaluations of the price hikes. This will help them monitor and record data as part of budget process and make sure the hikes are actually benefiting the downtown area.
ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmpaeTlrlwvNGop6irlZl6sb7InJxmoJmgsm6yzqtkqa2Sobakec%2BaqaShnpx6qK3Rmp6eZaOuwLWxzA%3D%3D