Wichita City Council members will hold a rare evening meeting Tuesday to talk about options for a paid parking system downtown.
The options have been presented at two recent public meetings, and they are being considered as part of a Downtown Parking and Mobility Management Plan that was originally adopted in 2009. A Parking and Multimodal plan was developed in 2017 but the work was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The city began a new effort to develop a plan in 2022 and a plan that was brought forward this year was delayed so more public input could be gathered.
Assistant city manager Troy Anderson has said that the city’s current parking fund is not supporting maintenance needs, and the intent of the parking plan is to generate $500 to $600 per space each year to provide for needed improvements, maintenance, safety and security.
Four of the five options generally call for a parking rate of 75 cents an hour, with one option allowing for the first hour of parking to be free. Another option would not have metered parking or time limits in the Old Town district, but Old Town would have to cover maintenance and operation costs. A fifth option was added recently to introduce higher rates on lots and garages in 2025 to offset some expenses, and then introduce metered spaces in the downtown core in 2026. This option would not have metered parking or time limits in the Delano neighborhood or Old Town. Parking management would be reevaluated after the opening of The Hub multimodal center that is now under construction in Delano.
The Council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
