I’m Excited That My City Is Charging More for Parking

Downtown Milwaukee. (Source: Flickr/artistmac.)

A few weeks ago, I read some news that made me excited: my hometown of Milwaukee is going to be charging more for parking! That might sound like a crazy statement but yes, you read it right: My heart is filled with gladness at the news that parking meters in downtown Milwaukee will now operate well into the evening and on the weekends when, previously, on-street parking in much of the central city had been free after 6 p.m. and on Saturdays.

Here’s a common experience in my household: We drive downtown after work to grab a bite to eat and find a parking spot on the street. We glance at the signage and meters to see how much we need to pay for the privilege of parking and—what do you know?—we owe $0. The parking meters will be free for the rest of the night. Cue me simultaneously bemoaning the stupidity of this policy and also, of course, benefitting from it.

In a city with a ton of tasty restaurants, performing arts, and sports venues, and a downtown that’s getting increasingly activated with businesses and residences, it has always seemed absurd to me that parking on the street was free every evening and weekend. This essentially amounts to a massive public subsidy (your tax dollars at work!) to allow people to stick their vehicles in the public right of way and a huge missed opportunity for Milwaukee. 

But all of that is going to change and I’m glad. Now my city can collect what will amount to likely hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of additional dollars over the course of the year in parking meter fees, according to a recent article in Urban Milwaukee. We’re not talking about exorbitant fees—a couple dollars an hour at most meters—but spread across thousands and thousands of downtown visitors, it adds up to something that could help with maintaining the very streets the parking is located on. Which just makes sense.

Another important benefit of increasing parking fees is that it actually makes it easier to park for those that really need parking spots. Previously, if you went downtown in the evening, street parking was first come, first served, and it might be hard to find a space close to your destination. When tempted by a free parking spot, even people who live only blocks away might be induced to drive instead of considering whether they could walk, bike, or take public transit. That small uptick in pricing from $0 to $1 or $2 might help people weigh their options differently, and result in more parking available to those who truly need to drive and don't have other ways of getting downtown.

Parking fees also increase turnover in parking spots, which means more patrons for downtown businesses and more ability to ensure that you’ll find a spot if you need one (because people are less likely to dawdle in parking spots that charge them by the hour).

Previously if there was a big event downtown, like a concert or festival, the city streets would be completely parked up for blocks and blocks with all those concert- or festival-goers gobbling up the free spots. That meant that anyone coming downtown for something else—to eat at a restaurant or shop at a store—would struggle to find a parking spot and complete their business. With meter prices extended, now those event attendees might choose to park in a garage or off-street lot close to their event and leave the on-street spots for others.

At the end of the day, most of us (me included) are used to a good deal of free parking on city streets. But when you get down to it, that is a massive amount of public land being devoted to the free storage of cars. The least we can do is pay a few bucks for using that space and allow that money to go to the upkeep of that very street. 

IT’S TIME TO MEET YOUR MOVEMENT.

Learn more about what your city can do to reform harmful parking mandates at the Strong Towns National Gathering. You’ll hear speakers from the Parking Reform Network, and so much more!

I know my city and so many others are moving in the right direction when it comes to deprioritizing parking and reprioritizing people, businesses, and life. Just look at this map of cities that have gotten rid of parking requirements: it’s growing every day.

A small recent example of parking progress: The Strong Towns team is coming to Milwaukee for a staff retreat next week and when I booked our downtown hotel, I realized it had no parking provided. In fact, there wasn’t even a mention of parking on the hotel’s website. I emailed the owner to ask about parking options, since we’ll have a few colleagues driving in from out of town. He emailed back and mentioned a few nearby garages, but it was clear that parking is not a big concern for his patrons. And again, it might sound weird to say, but that made me happy.

It’s heartening that a local developer can renovate a historic downtown building and turn it into a beautiful space that welcomes guests and generates tax value for the city without having to worry about the enormous cost and space that a parking lot or garage would create. I’d hazard a guess that it might have even made the project infeasible if parking were required as part of the construction of this hotel. Thankfully, Milwaukee, like so many other cities, does not require off-street parking in much of its downtown. Although I wish that freedom extended to the whole city, I can dream.

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