Apparently the city of austin is approving a plan to get into the parking business. From what I heard, there's just not enough surfice area parking anymore which has created a parking shortage. I'll google around, but I just thought you'd like to hear that. Because the city is entering the parking business, guess what the word is on where they'll spend the money made from parking? You guessed correct if you said parks, paths, bike trails and the like.
I was reading Austin currently has a 5 minute grace period. Would that help in Jacksonville?
City leaders are taking action to move more cars into parking garages in an effort to make downtown more accessible.
The Austin City Council will look at a plan Thursday to pay for and build parking garages around the town with some private help.
The city doesn't want to build garages that serve the single purpose of putting cars on top of each other. Instead, leaders are looking to save space by partnering with private developers and using their spaces to make money.
Parking attendant Raul Moreno has ticketed more cars than he can count.
"The lack of parking, you know, they come here, and we tell them that we're full," Moreno said.
Moreno said he sees more opportunity for the city, though. His solution: stack.
"If you put a garage, you'd fit way more cars in there," he said.
"We really think this is a good way for the city to plan for the future and how the city's growing," said Council Member Brewster McCracken, who came up with the idea for an Austin parking enterprise.
The councilman said the idea came because developers are squeezing cars out.
"When that new building goes in, there's no more parking available to the public," McCracken said.
The new plan would, in part, let the city pay developers for their parking spaces. The city could then charge money for cars to park there.
"That's a much lower risk way to provide a lot more public parking," McCracken said.
The city could also build garages like the one at City Hall, first by financing, and then hoping to make money. It would also provide quicker ways to move cars in and out. The city will also look at ways drivers can use their TxTAGs in a parking garage.
According to the plan, all that revenue would go toward building more hike-and-bike trails.
"It's kind of putting up concrete to save some green," said walker Amanda Hutchison. "Where are these parking garages going to be, yet again. I don't see where we have space for that."
Ironic, the walker said, because the space is always full.
The city said flat lots are slowly giving way to private developers, yielding the potential for a lot of money to be made in parking and an opportunity for the city to cash in.
"The parking enterprise wouldn't just be limited to downtown," McCracken said.
The councilman said it would let the city build garages anywhere in Austin.
The item is on the council agenda for Thursday, and all indications show the council will pass it.