Santa Cruz City Council to decide on proposed parking rate increases

The Santa Cruz City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday on proposed increases to downtown parking rates.

In July, city officials said they needed to raise parking rates to help pay for repairs, maintenance and other costs that have been hampered by an eight-year budget deficit.

The recommended changes include:

Converting all meters on Pacific Avenue and side streets for one block to a rate of $1 per hour for the first two hours and $2 for each additional hour.
Convert all other two-hour variable rate meters to a rate of 75 cents per hour for the first two hours and $1.50 per hour for each additional hour.
Convert all twelve-hour meters from 25 cents per hour to 50 cents per hour
Install paid parking at Lots 8 (Pearl Alley) and Lot 9 (Elm/Cedar)
Standardize all parking permit rates downtown and increase monthly rates from the existing $20, $25 and $31 to $35

The Downtown Parking District, managed by the city’s Public Works Department, operates four parking garages, 16 parking lots and 823 parking meters. It also maintains and operates the 100 bike lockers downtown, the public garage restrooms, evening garbage and recycling services and sidewalk scrubbing services, among others.

The Downtown Commission previously gave the changes the green light. The proposal will now go to the City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

To read the report submitted to the council by the public works department, click here.