Last month, some downtown drivers were surprised when a proposal to increase parking rates came to light.
The finalization of those changes - which would include an increase in hourly rates - was delayed, to give downtown officials time to get some public input. To read some of our stories about it, click here and here.
To see how Lafayette's practices stack up against similar cities, our media partners at The Advocate surveyed other cities in Louisiana and five cities in states along the Gulf Coast to see how they do parking amid the current discussion on what is next for parking in downtown Lafayette.
They found that other cities in Louisiana and similar-sized cities in the region charge similar hourly rates to park as Lafayette but many have a more modern system that makes it more user-friendly. Some cities charged $1 per hour while some others, including three surveyed in Texas, do not have parking meters but have more options for surface parking and parking garages, the paper reports.
Other cities, such as Shreveport, have easier means of payment through technology, including the Parkmobile app, the Advocate reports.
The topic of parking will be the biggest issue in 2021 for the Downtown Development Association, which said last month it would take the lead on the issue. It spilled over into the public discussion when Lafayette Consolidated Government trucked in a plan to double the rates from 50 cents to $1 an hour and increase enforcement to 24 hours a day, the newspaper reports.
To read the story, click here.
