Durham could give drivers 1 hour of free parking. Is that enough?
_fitted.png "Durham’s Transportation Department is seeking to establish a pilot program for one-hour free parking in the downtown area.")
Everyone loves free stuff, and parking in a busy downtown is no exception.
The Durham City Council is considering a proposal to let drivers park an hour at no charge in two downtown garages to support the city’s retail, dining and entertainment sectors.
The proposal involves two garages: the Morgan-Rigsbee Garage (105 W. Morgan St.) and Church Street Garage (109 S. Mangum St.).
The Morgan-Rigsbee garage serves destinations like the Carolina Theatre and Durham Convention Center, while the Church Street garage serves the Durham Performing Arts Center and different government services.
What to know about the program
The city garages offer free parking Saturdays and Sundays, except for some special events, and are free every day after 7 p.m.
The hourly parking rate is $2.25 with a maximum of $24.75 for a full day. Under the pilot program, the normal hourly rates would begin after the first free hour.
If implemented, Durham would follow Raleigh and other municipalities that have implemented free, short-term parking to help businesses, particularly those that have lost customers since the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the City Council approves the program during its June 1 meeting, the program would launch by July 1, with a review of how it’s working three to six months after.
Will one-free hour be enough?
The city will partner with Downtown Durham Inc. (DDI), the nonprofit behind efforts to revitalize the downtown area.
While the program looks promising for drivers, the plan will cost money in a tight budget year, about $74,000 annually. That’s why the city would start with two garages.
“Limiting the program to the Morgan-Rigsbee and Church Street garages allows the City to support downtown visitation while containing financial impacts during a constrained budget year,” Sean Egan, the city’s transportation director, wrote in a memo.
DDI President Nicole Thompson wrote a letter to Egan supporting the pilot program but questioning whether one-hour would be enough to entice visitors to come downtown. The city Raleigh is currently offering two free hours in some of its garages.
She also said, “we are concerned that limiting the program to only certain downtown parking decks could create confusion for customers.”
The City Council will discuss and vote on the program June 1, after a public hearing.