Ahead of its final parking rate increase and transition to using ParkMobile’s services, the City of Delaware has established four no-limit, paid parking zones in the downtown area.
During Monday’s meeting of the Delaware City Council, a resolution was approved to establish city parking lots located off Franklin, William, and Winter streets as zones that will carry no time limits if paid. The lots include the spaces located behind William Street United Methodist Church and just off Franklin Street, spaces located between J. Gumbo’s and the BP gas station on William Street, spaces located behind Gallery 22, and spaces located behind 1808 American Bistro.
In addition to those lots, street parking along West Central Avenue from North Franklin Street to North Sandusky Street, West William Street from Washington Street to Franklin Street, North Union Street from East William Street to East Central Avenue, Spring Street, and South Sandusky Street from Spring Street to Wilmer Street will also be unlimited, paid parking.
Two free parking lots with no time limits are located on Spring Street. All time-enforced, free parking zones will remain free.
“This is the first step of trying to drive behavior and trying to drive long-term parkers away from the premier parking on Sandusky Street, directly in front of businesses, but also understanding that we have a variety of folks utilizing downtown,” Police Chief Adam Moore told the council. “We have folks who are residents of downtown, we have folks who are employees of downtown, and we have folks who may want to come and stay all day downtown. This would allow these zones further out to have no time limit as long as it’s been paid parking.”
Moore noted it will also allow for permit parking in some zones so that individuals may secure parking in those zones for entire months.
Last year, the council voted to approve a fee increase for parking in the downtown area that began with an increase from 25 to 50 cents an hour in July. The rate was set to increase to $1 per hour on Jan. 1 before the council voted in December to delay the final increase until April 1, allowing for more time to continue its parking program update, including phasing out older meters and more online options as the city moves to ParkMobile for its parking solutions.
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.
