COLUMBIA, S.C. — The City of Columbia has released additional details about what changes could be coming to its parking system.
The city is set to present the next round of proposed revisions to their parking ordinance next week. While many drivers will pay less for parking across the capitol city, there is a catch.
Henry Simons, Assistant City Manager of Operations for Columbia said the city is looking to improve their existing structures.
“The whole goal is to reinvest in our parking facilities. We have some facilities that are fairly old, specifically about 45 years old, and we have to make sure that we maintain the customer experience,” Simons said.
After surveying the public and working with a consultant, his team came up with some surprising recommendations for the city council.
Those proposed changes include reducing the price of on-street parking from $2.00 an hour to $1.50, making the first hour free in all city parking decks and city-wide street parking enforcement from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
For those heading to Main Street on Saturdays to enjoy the Soda City Market, the city would suspend enforcement on Main Street from 9 to 2 every Saturday morning.
But some rates are going up.
Commercial vehicles applying for a loading zone permit will see the cost of those permits rise from $5.00 to $100.00.
The cost of having your vehicle immobilized, or “booted” is also going up. Under the proposed changes, it would cost drivers $75 to have their parking boot removed.
Parking fines are another charge seeing an increase. Getting caught with the meter expired will now costs drivers at least $25.00, over three times the current amount.
Still, Simons says these changes will allow the city to modernize.
“From an innovation standpoint, from a technology standpoint, whether it be camera surveillance, whether it be structural, infrastructure, those things are needed. As our parking facilities get older, we have to do what we can to ensure we’re reinvesting into those facilities,” he said.
The city is still seeking input about the proposed changes. A public hearing is scheduled during the city council's meeting on Tuesday. That meeting starts at 4:00 p.m. at city hall in downtown Columbia.