Raleigh could begin charging parking fees on nights and weekends
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- If you drive your car into downtown Raleigh, you could soon be paying the price for the city's burgeoning nightlife scene. Under a proposal, free parking on nights and weekends would be a thing of the past. Instead, you would pay $5 to leave your car in a city garage.
"Many of our parking decks are used and abused, especially on the weekends. They're dirty and need to be cleaned," said Raleigh City Councilor Mary-Ann Baldwin.
Trash, broken bottles, even human waste have become common in city garages. Raleigh parking officials blame much of the filth on drunk or rowdy revelers using the garages free of charge on nights and weekends.
"People who park there during the day while they work are complaining of the smell, the odor, the trash," Baldwin said.
So, the city's parking staffers want city councilors to approve a $5 fee for garage parking on nights and weekends. The money would go towards scrubbing down the facilities.
However, the days of free parking would be gone forever. It would be a big change for Raleigh. Change can be hard.
"It's nonsense," proclaimed Charles Baise, concerned the fee will hurt downtown businesses.
Rick and Maggie Marting lived in downtown Seattle for years before retiring in Montana. They said parking fees were big turnoffs to downtown life.
"A $5 fee would always discourage anyone from coming downtown. And we lived in downtown Seattle for 35 years and it got more and more expensive. And it was harder and harder to go downtown," the Martings said.
Parking officials argue a $5 flat rate in Raleigh is on par with comparable cities. On nights and weekends in Greensboro, it's a $2 flat fee, and it's $5 to $8 in Richmond.
"I personally think I'll probably continue taking Lyfts or Ubers to avoid parking downtown on weekends," said Raleigh resident Laura Wallenta.
"Honestly, (the $5 fee) is cheaper than a lot of other cities but still I would just take Uber or a taxi. At night, I don't wanna leave my car down here anyways," said Raleigh resident Lindsay Hamilton.
Proposals to pay for parking on nights and weekends have been abandoned many times in Raleigh. There were fears it would discourage residents from driving downtown, but this time seems different.
"I was adamantly opposed six months ago, but I've seen with my own eyes what we're dealing with. I'm warming up to the idea," Baldwin said.
While councilor Baldwin is warming to the idea, she told us she'll wait to hear from the public before deciding how she'll vote.
A public hearing is scheduled for June 2 at Raleigh City Hall.
