Park free in S.L. for holidays

You can park for FREE downtown!

Yes, Wasatch Front suburbanites, Salt Lake City leaders have heard your complaints, grumbles and mutters about how hard (or expensive) it is to park downtown. Now, people who want to shop downtown — but cringe at paying to park — have no excuse.

Beginning Dec. 5 and running through Jan. 4, all 1,250 parking meters that Salt Lake City owns will be bagged — with special holiday bags — and shoppers will be permitted to park for up to three hours, free of charge. It's a yuletide gift from Mayor Rocky Anderson and the City Council.

"This plan will hopefully debunk the common myth about the lack of parking in the downtown area," said Anderson, who announced the free parking along with Council Chairman Carlton Christensen Tuesday.

Of course, the gift won't come free to city taxpayers.

The free parking will cost the city approximately $90,000 in lost parking-meter revenue for the monthlong holiday period, Christensen said.

But even for a cash-strapped city like Salt Lake City, the lost revenue might be worth it, because the city could recoup some of the revenue in additional sales tax, Christensen said.

If the program is a smashing success, Anderson and Christensen said they would consider making the free parking permanent.

Earlier this year, the City Council revoked several hundred thousand dollars previously allocated to create a festive downtown atmosphere — with street performers, display windows and warming fires — during the holiday season. Christensen said the money is better spent on free parking.

"We don't want to be total Scrooges," he said.

The news spread Christmas joy through the hearts of downtown merchants, who have struggled in recent years to compete with ever-growing suburban shopping centers and big-box retailers.

"You're asking a Scotsman about free parking and you think I would be against it?" said Eric Gilzean, who owns the Scottish-import store Edinburgh Castle on Main Street. "That's one of the best words in the English language — free."

Tony Weller, owner of Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore, has wanted city leaders to create free downtown parking for years.

"Bless them. I wish they would make it permanent," he said.