Parking

On Tuesday, March 10, 2009, at 6:00 PM, in Room 260 of the Madison Municipal Building, 215 Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard, the Madison Transit and Parking Commission will hold a public hearing on a proposal to modify parking rates at Parking Utility-operated lots, ramps and on-street meters.

The last system-wide rate increase was made in June 2006. If approved, rate changes are proposed to take effect June 1, 2009. (For detailed information on the rate modification proposal, see flyers available at parking structures or visit the Parking Utility website: www.cityofmadison.com/parking, beginning the week of 3/2/09. You may also call the DOT office at 266-4761 and have a flyer mailed to you.)

The proposed parking rate increases would serve several purposes; the primary one being to retain sufficient cash reserves needed for parking garage replacements. In addition to providing new facilities, the proposed rate increases are needed to replace the on-street meters and provide necessary funds for repair and maintenance on the current facilities. Additional rate increases will be necessary in the next ten years to accomplish all of these items.

The proposed rates for monthly parking continue our policy of charging lower rates for residents than non-residents. This discounted rate for residents is seen as a means to assess non-residents for a portion of the costs of the City's transportation infrastructure. Note that eligible carpoolers also qualify for the discounted Resident rate and are entitled to immediate occupancy in select ramps.

Parkers parking at our most popular facilities, especially those that fill up frequently like Government East and Brayton Lot are scheduled to receive the largest increase. Facilities that are substantially underutilized like Overture and Capital Square North garages will receive little or no increase. Hopefully some of the parkers at overused facilities will move their parking use to these less expensive garages.

You are welcome to address the Transit and Parking Commission at the March 10, 2009 meeting (each speaker is allowed a maximum of five minutes to present comments). If you cannot attend the March 10, 2009, public hearing and wish to submit written comments, send them to the Madison Parking Utility, P. O. Box 2986, Madison WI 53701-2986, before 4:30 PM on Friday, March 6, 2009. Alternatively, our email address is: Parking@cityofmadison.com