People visiting bars, restaurants and shops in downtown Tempe will soon see some parking changes. City council members gave the green light Thursday night to change rates and enforcement hours.
The plan calls for expanding enforcement hours to 10 p.m. and increasing meter rates by 50 cents per hour in high demand areas along Mill Avenue. The idea is to increase turnover for businesses and change some minds. Vice Mayor Corey Woods says he often hears people say there’s nowhere to park.
“I think there is a lot of parking in Tempe," he said. " I think it’s just a perception issue that many people have.”
To address that perception, the city plans to post signs promoting free parking in the former U.S. Airways garage near Mill Avenue. Council members also approved a pilot program for motorcycle parking and creating designated locations for people to catch taxi, Uber and Lyft rides.
The city will also lower meter rates along Ash Avenue to 50 cents per hour. It’s unclear when the new rates will kick in.
