The city of Wichita’s decision to eliminate free downtown parking, originally planned to begin in January 2025, is a troubling development for a community already grappling with vacant buildings, struggling businesses and homelessness.
The Wichita City Council voted to approve a new parking plan for the downtown area. New meters will be purchased from an out-of-state entity, The Car Park. Meter rates will range from 75 cents to $2 an hour.
Wichita’s announcement on Facebook has garnered over 800 comments, the vast majority of which are negative — an early indication of the public’s discontent.
Amidst the news, Wichitans voiced their concerns about the new plan. Mayor Lily Wu has officially announced that the parking paying plan will not begin on January 1, and is on pause as the community expresses their opinions on it.
In last year’s Wichita Resident Survey, residents, elected officials and city staff were given the opportunity to voice their opinions on the issues most important to them.
The most prevalent matters citizens wanted to be addressed were fire services, drinking water and crime prevention. Of all the topics on the graphic, the only one that relates to parking is “street repair.”
The only street repair these expensive parking meters will bring according to the City of Wichita’s website is “safety features such as lighting and increased security patrol can be added.”
Many of the lots and garages that will soon require payment were funded by Wichita taxpayers. Charging citizens for parking is not the outcome they were hoping for. Why should Wichitans now be forced to pay for something that was previously free?
The city’s decision to charge for parking is seen by many in the Facebook comments as a symptom of mismanagement.
City Hall will pay The Car Park — an outside company that will enforce paid parking — between $2.1 million and $2.32 million per year over five years. This includes $460,000 a year for the shiny new meters.
The Car Park says it offers “simple solutions for parkers,” when the real simple solution would be not charging Wichitans at all.
When looking up “Downtown Wichita” via The Car Park app, a few locations pop up — none of which have hourly options, only monthly.
151 N. Waco Ave. is $20 per month. Prices for a few parking lots range from $20 to $50 monthly.
In the terms and conditions, before paying, the website states, “An additional monthly fee may be added depending on vehicle type (SUVs/Vans/Trucks/Electric Vehicles/Etc.)”
Will these potential fees be tacked on to Wichitans already forced to pay for their parking?
The city’s promise of hourly and monthly parking options, with rates based on location and occupancy, is hardly reassuring.
Residents who do not have private parking are being told to purchase monthly passes, yet there is no guarantee of a parking spot near their homes. This uncertainty only adds to the burden on those who live and work downtown, forcing them to pay for the mere possibility of convenient parking space.
Having a subscription for parking to allow me to transport myself to work is costly overtime and ridiculous.
Wichita’s downtown is not Chicago, New York City or Boston. It doesn’t have the attractions, events or amenities to justify paid parking. Downtown has plenty of employees, small businesses and a few town buildings.
Imposing fees on residents and visitors will only further deter people from going downtown, exacerbating the very issue that the city claims it’s trying to solve.
As a broke college student who can barely afford her monthly bills, I am upset and disappointed that of all the problems they could have addressed and possible solutions they could have come up with, this is what the city is focusing on.
Local businesses, already facing numerous challenges, now have to worry about whether their customers will be willing to pay for parking just to visit their stores. This could affect businesses’ revenue, signaling the beginning of the end for their open doors.
This could be the final nail in the coffin for other students who can barely afford to get themselves a cup of coffee downtown as a reward while they do their homework.
Perhaps the city should focus on the overwhelmingly increasing homelessness or crime.
The city argues parking fees are necessary to fund downtown parking maintenance, security and improvements.
This explanation falls flat when we consider the broader context. Meter rates will push people away from visiting, which will lead to a decline in foot traffic and further economic stagnation.
On the topic of the “necessary to fund downtown parking maintenance” explanation: After six years under The Car Park’s management, the $2 to $2.32 million fee will drop to the low, practically Dollar Store-worthy price of $958,000.
Wichita’s leadership needs to reconsider this decision.
Instead of imposing fees that will drive people away, the city should focus on developing a downtown area that attracts visitors, supports local businesses and provides accessible, affordable amenities for all residents.
Maybe next Wichita can try cleaning downtown of garbage and needles. On that note, it will at least make downtown smell a little less like garbage.
Caring for Wichita citizens is also an important step before charging anyone. Get people off the streets and into a shelter with food in their stomachs.
Charging for parking in a struggling downtown is not the solution — it’s a turn down the wrong road entirely.
Matthew • Sep 8, 2024 at 3:20 pm
Doesn’t WSU charge students for parking passes? They did when I was a student there 25 years ago.
Anyway, I don’t feel too bad about applying a little bit of market forces to parking. It might make people consider alternatives to driving, like biking, walking, or even just carpooling to avoid the fees. That said, I see your point about making downtown a desirable destination in the first place. Vast parking lot wastelands aren’t a very compelling destination, so I’d love to see some of those redeveloped into something more inviting.