Columbus could halt plans for paid parking downtown. Again. Here’s why
Almost a year after initial public meetings, Columbus officials could again halt plans to install paid parking meters downtown.
Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin told the Ledger-Enquirer that public feedback regarding meters for on-street parking has been negative.
The city held its first public parking meeting of 2022 on Wednesday, and a second meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at 1234 Events on Broadway.
“We still have one more public meeting, and I may have 100 people there who may want it,” Goodwin said. “But I think it’s clear that they don’t think this is the right time.”
Four people spoke at Wednesday’s meeting. Three were against installing the parking meters. Cesar Bautista, owner of the Bodega 1205 restaurant and 1234 Events on Broadway, called for a new parking assessment. City officials provided event attendees with a copy of a 2013 parking assessment. Bautista said the information was too old to help the city make the right decision.
“I truly feel that we may get ... where we would need the assistance of a meter or even paid garages again,” said Jason Gamache, a developer and business owner. “We’re not there today still because of COVID. We’re still having shortfalls on sales.”
City officials shelved the plans in 2021 after strong public opposition and told residents they would bring the plans back in early 2022, Goodwin said. The city previously discussed using mid-block pay stations where drivers would enter information about their parking spot and place a ticket on their dashboard as proof of purchase.
The downtown parking area is managed by METRA’s parking management division. It starts at Bay Avenue near the Chattahoochee River and stretches east to Third Avenue. It covers the area from Ninth Street north to 14th Street.
An audit published by the city’s internal auditor John Redmond in 2019 recommended that meters be installed. The current system “causes harm to uptown businesses and their patrons,” the audit read. City staff previously said employees are the cause of conflict because they often park in front of their place of work rather than in one of the city’s free garages.
The city solicited bids for the paid parking system, but members of the parking committee have not reviewed those bids. Goodwin said the city has no estimate for how much the meters would cost.
“(Paid parking) absolutely could come back later,” Goodwin said.
