COLUMBIA, S.C. — Parking in Columbia may soon be more expensive as the city considers a proposed rate increase.
The adjustment, which would be the first since parking meters were established, is designed to address the growing needs of the downtown area.
“To be honest and just blunt, since the establishment of paid parking in Columbia, so we're talking over 20-25 years ago ... there's never been an adjustment of rates,” said Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson.
The proposed change would raise on-street parking rates from 75 cents to $2 per hour.
Without the increase, parking revenue would only amount to $261,000 over the next five years. With the rate change, the city estimates it could bring in $17 million over the same period.
“It’s really past time we address rates for the purpose of reinvesting back into our city,” Wilson added.
The money would be used to improve infrastructure and maintain and repair parking decks over the coming years.
“It’s no longer that the 14 surface lots and 11 parking decks without some reinvestment into them is adequate any longer for what our citizens, customers, and visitors deserve," Wilson said.
“It’s a push and pull because you want them to better the city, so I agree with it to an extent," said Alyssa Trussell, who works downtown.
“If it goes back towards the city and makes it more beautiful, we’re definitely for that because we want to create a very nice environment for people and a safe environment for people to come downtown to be able to park, so that would be great,” said Chance Kitchens, who works downtown.
In addition to the rate increase, the city is considering adjustments to parking enforcement hours, which they say will bring more consistency across the city. However, no changes are being proposed for current residential area enforcement hours.
The city will host an open house on Oct. 15 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at City Hall, followed by a public hearing and the first reading of the proposed changes at 4 p.m.
If it passes the first and second reading, it will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.