Higher-priced meters planned in city garages

Monday, Sept. 30, 2002 | 11:08 a.m.

The city of Las Vegas may raise the top price for metered parking by 50 percent, as part of a plan to install meters in its new garages.

The Las Vegas City Council will consider Wednesday a resolution to raise the maximum city parking meter fee from $1 an hour to $1.50 per hour.

But officials say that, for now, the city's current and future parking garages will be the only metered sites to have the more expensive rates.

If approved, it will mark the first time the city has installed parking meters in any of its parking garages, officials said.

The resolution proposes to raise an additional $80,000 a year to repay the bonds issued to build the $7 million, 600-space parking garage across from City Hall on Stewart Avenue. Slated to open Oct. 14, the seven-story structure will feature 250 metered public parking spots on the first through fourth floors.

The property used to be the site of a 170-space city-owned metered parking lot, which allowed the public to park for a maximum two hours at $1 an hour while they conducted business with the city, Metro Police, Municipal Court or other agencies at City Hall.

"In addition to getting a covered parking space, the limit will be extended to four hours," Deputy City Manager Steve Houchens said. "We used to get a lot of complaints about the two-hour limit, especially on City Council days."

Houchens said the city will realize further savings because it will not have to install or maintain automatic gates, similar to those in other garages where motorists are issued a timed ticket allowing them entrance. And, he said, the city will save money by not having to hire people to collect those tickets along with hourly parking fees when visitors leave.

City spokeswoman Diana Sahagun said the resolution also could affect a small parking garage the city owns on Fourth Street and the Neonopolis parking garage. The three garages feature 1,800 parking spaces, 900 of which are available to the public. Sahagun said the resolution also would be applied to the city parking garage being built adjacent to the Regional Justice Center.

Sahagun and Houchens said the city currently has no plans to raise the individual street meter fees or uncovered metered parking lot fees from $1 an hour to $1.50. However, the resolution does open the door for such a future rate hike.

The resolution reads in part that the city, "operates for the benefit of the public parking meters on city streets and within parking lots owned or operated by the city. ... Parking structures will include metered parking spaces that will allow the city to recover a portion of its costs in providing parking spaces throughout the city. ...

"The fees for parking at the various parking meters on city streets and within parking lots and parking structures owned and operated by the city are fixed at a maximum of $1.50 per hour."

Houchens said change machines will be available in the parking garages. He noted that frequent visitors might want to consider joining a program in which they are issued a key that is inserted into the parking meter to register a desired amount of prepaid parking time.

Meter keys are available at the third floor cashier at City Hall or at the parking enforcement office across from City Hall on Las Vegas Boulevard.

City staff has recommended that the council adopt the resolution.