Raleigh Council Proposes Parking Rate Hikes

0:00I'm Corey, and this is your Pulse of the City, Durham News Today. Raleigh City Council is looking at big changes to parking rates to help close a budget shortfall. They want to raise on-street parking from $1.25 an hour up to $2.50 an hour. City garages would also see higher fees. Meanwhile, the Council is debating cuts to the two-hour free parking program that started last year. Other ideas include ending free parking for employees of small businesses and boosting monthly parking passes. Downtown business owners are pushing back hard. They worry higher rates will scare away customers and hurt foot traffic, especially as shoppers head to spots like Raleigh Ironworks, North Hills, and Finton. The budget issues stem from maintenance costs, growing faster than parking revenue brings in. City staff have dipped into the general fund in recent years just to cover the gap. These changes, if approved, won't kick in until 2027. Staff knows that Raleigh's rates would still lag behind other cities of similar size.

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