Main Street Assoc suggests more parking ideas for Ann Arbor

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

The Main Street Area Association has a novel idea for helping business in downtown Ann Arbor: Free parking.

Well, that's an over simplification of the debate over reforming downtown's parking policy. Currently, there is a plan to extend the enforcement period from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., similar to what downtowns like Royal Oak have done. The association that represents downtown businesses is advocating for a free first hour of parking in any parking structure along with any extension of the enforcement period. Birmingham has a similar arrangement, offering two free hours but enforcing street fees until 9 p.m..

"It's a great incentive to get people in the parking structures and keep more cars off the street," says Tony Lupo, a board member of the Main Street Area Association. "It keeps the street spots turning over."

Street parking turnover is one of the primary reasons why the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority is proposing the enforcement period extension, along with other smaller reforms. The idea behind turnover is to help make more spaces available to newcomers to downtown so it's easier to do business in the city's center that has evolved to an almost 24-7 commercial center.

Currently the DDA is proposing offering a free hour between 8-9 a.m., but Lupo brushes that off as a policy twist made of empty calories.

"No one is downtown from 8-9 a.m. to begin with," Lupo says. "There is no need for the turnover then."

He adds that the free hour of parking structure parking would add a valuable marketing tool for downtown, which the association wants to be a part of. Lupo argues that Ann Arbor should be creating the perception that it's easier to do business in it downtown, not harder, through little things like parking policy.

"We believe we should be doing everything we can to get people to come to downtown," Lupo says. "We shouldn't be putting up barriers for people to come downtown."

Source: Tony Lupo, board member of the Main Street Area Association
Writer: Jon Zemke