A proposal to increase parking prices to help pay for better parking facilities and security was presented Sept. 19 at a city council meeting in downtown Riverside.
The proposal will help reduce the time customers park for free in parking garages by ramping up use of validation for business patrons.
Janice Penner, executive director of Riverside Downtown Partnership, said the price increase is to regulate the supply of parking.
“The study is looking at being fair and setting reasonable prices for parking spots and looking at the customers’ ability to pay,” Penner said. “Also looking at the high demand and high turnover spots that look at how long people are parking for. Spots that are in high demand will cost more.”
The parking spaces currently help generate revenue to help build new parking structures or repair old ones. The study will look at increasing parking prices by the usage of parking spots.
Kaitlyn Slovek, junior liberal studies major, said she has a big car so she would take a big group and use one parking spot to save money.
“It will help regulate the parking spots used for businesses and residents, which I can understand,” Slovek said. “I’m hoping downtown Riverside doesn’t increase the parking too much because it will affect how often I go there.”
