Downtown Salinas parking rates to increase
The Salinas City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to increase parking costs in downtown Salinas.
They moved forward with a proposal that would increase the hourly rate at the Monterey Street garage from $0.50 to $1.00, an hour. Rates for monthly permits in garages and lots will largely also rise between $15 to $30 a month, over the next three years. Additionally, the city will stop subsidizing the parking costs for business who provide free parking for customers.
This comes after a report from the Salinas Public Works Director, which states that the Downtown Parking District operated at a loss of $395,593, at the end of the 2017-18 Fiscal Year. They report that the general fund can no longer cover this cost.
Councilman Steve McShane, District 3, spoke with KION, Wednesday, and said that the city has been offering the low cost parking as an incentive for people to visit downtown, open businesses, and move to the area. However, now he says it’s time for people to “pay their fair share.”
“The fruits of our labor are beginning to happen. People living in downtown, construction, development, jobs downtown, ultimately we need to look towards the future and consider future parking resources and maintain the management of the current resources we have,” McShane said.
McShane says all of the money generated by parking will be put back into city parking – things like maintenence, staff, cleaning, and future new parking sites. The report from Public Works states that the changes will get the Downtown Parking District out from their operating decifict in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
