After a backlash from residents and business owners, Cleveland is amending its recently increased Downtown parking rates.
"Clevelanders can't be forced to pay unaffordable parking fees on roads that they pay taxes to build and maintain," said Councilmember Kevin Bishop at a Thursday committee hearing. "We have very low wealth, low income in this city, and we are turning downtown into a gated community where only the well off can afford to go."
Bishop introduced changes to the increased rates and expanded enforcement hours Mayor Justin Bibb's administration rolled out earlier this year.
Rates currently start at $1.50 — up from $1 per hour before this year — and escalate each hour, topping out at $4.50 for the fourth hour. That means a four hour parking session that used to cost $4 now costs $10.50.
The city also expanded enforcement. Previously, Downtown parking was free after 6 p.m. and on weekends. Now, seven-day-a-week enforcement includes Saturdays and Sundays.
Council is proposing a rollback on some of those costs they say are too steep for residents. If approved, Downtown hourly rates will be lowered, between $1 and $3 an hour, and up to $8 in special event zones. The legislation outlines special event zones in the Gateway District and near the Browns stadium on the lakefront.
The proposal also removes Sunday enforcement except during special events.
"It's going to be a little helter-skelter because we just rolled this thing out. We didn't do it perfect," said Public Works Director John Laird. "We didn't do it right all the way. We understand and that's why, but to be able to have that flexibility to go back."
Though some parking zones have nearby payment machines, many rely exclusively on ParkMobile, an Atlanta-based payment app that requires a 35 cent fee per transaction.
"I had a neighbor of mine — a senior citizen — go downtown ... couldn't find the pay station, had a flip phone, couldn't pay for the meter and got ticketed," said Councilmember Kris Harsh. "And now he's paying the ticket because he just literally did not have the ability to pay for downtown street parking."
Council is also looking to fix that. The legislation would also require that cash and coin payment methods be available within 600 feet of each street parking space.
Harsh also brought up privacy concerns related to the app.
"You can get make and models off of a license plate, but not personal identification, and what ParkMobile does is gets people to volunteer that information into one data set," Harsh said. "So you go to Park Mobile, you're like, 'Here's my name and here's license plate.' You now have that data. You can now sell that data to anybody who wants to buy it, because ParkMobile owns their data. The city of Cleveland doesn't own that data."
City officials say they can use data from the app to alter parking use and needs across the city. For example, Bibb's administration eliminated a time limit on parts of downtown in March based on usage data.
That data shows an average of 80,000 transactions per month in the first quarter of the year. Of those, about 76% of downtown parkers live outside the city.
The city has a three-year contract with ParkMobile with two one-year options to renew. City officials confirmed the company could change their transaction fees without city approval.
The amendments will now move to a full vote from council, which is expected to pass on June 1 ahead of its summer recess. Once passed, council will also be required to approve any future parking zones.
