After a controversial trial period, the city will eliminate parking fees in some areas, including the River Market, according to city officials.
The Kansas City Council approved the new parking program earlier this summer, which allows public paid parking spaces downtown and at the Crossroads and River Market to charge up to $40 during special events. Under the new program, event prices varied by location and time, according to Kansas City municipal codes.
The price increases affected drivers even if they did not attend the events associated with the higher fees.
But after opposition from some business owners and residents, the prize program will be phased out in the River Market by the end of the week, Kansas City press secretary Sherae Honeycutt said Monday.
To compensate, base rates for on-street parking have increased in the Crossroads, River Market and Power & Light Districts, Honeycutt said.
“The team is exploring additional metering areas in downtown business districts where parking remains a challenge,” Honeycutt wrote in a statement to The Star on Monday.
Officials hope the new base fee, which has the biggest impact on all-day parking, will provide an alternative way to offset the loss of revenue from one parking spot being used all day.
“Cars parked on the street in front of businesses for hours or even days at a time limit customers’ ability to get close to businesses,” Honeycutt said.
Surge parking for events was first proposed at the city level during a Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations meeting in late June. The measure passed on a 12-7 vote at a June 27 City Council meeting, with no discussion and no vote from Council Member Andrea Bough.
After the vote, city officials declined to answer The Star’s questions about how the public would be informed about the change. Where this was indeed the case, the price increase was reflected on virtual or personal parking meters, but signage was limited.
The upcoming change to the River Market came about after conversations with business owners and residents of the vibrant shopping district, Honeycutt said. When the pricing for the event was introduced, Arthur Leduc, owner of KC Taco Company at 528 Walnut Street, circulated a petition calling for its removal.
Leduc felt that revenue and foot traffic were declining at his business and across the River Market area as residents tried to avoid being caught in an event parking lot, he told The Star on Monday.
Discussions with City Manager Brian Platt made Leduc “cautiously optimistic” for a return to more modest on-street parking rates, he said.
“This constant feedback and conversations with stakeholders helps us make everything we do a little better every day,” Platt said Monday.
The city is also working on an employee discount program that will allow employees to park in River Market garages at a reduced rate, making more on-street parking available to visitors, Honeycutt said.
Robert A. Cronkleton of The Star contributed reporting.
