Yule shoppers can park free

Utah, you're welcome in downtown Salt Lake City.

In the spirit of holiday giving, Salt Lake City is again offering free parking at all city meters during the Christmas shopping season — from Thanksgiving to the day after the New Year.

"We, the administration, the City Council, would like people to come downtown and enjoy Salt Lake City," council vice chairman Dale Lambert said at a news conference Wednesday. "The capital city belongs to everyone in the state."

There was no mention of a list or checking it twice, but the gift contained an admonishment to downtown employees and residents to be good and leave the parking open for visitors.

"We do encourage all downtown employees and residents not to take up these stalls," Mayor Rocky Anderson said. "If the employees downtown are taking up these stalls, that really undermines this program."

Officials figure the gesture costs the city about $180,000, but Lambert said the cost is offset in assuring noncity dwellers they're welcome downtown.

This year's free parking program is a bit different from last year's. In 2003, people could park for free for three hours at a time. This year the parking is free for only two hours at any stall on the same block face.

City leaders reduced the time so that downtown employees would be less inclined to hog the parking spaces.

Last year downtown retailers had a good Christmas, and some credited the inaugural free parking program as a primary reason why.

Data from the state Tax Commission showed retail sales in Salt Lake City during December 2003, when compared with December 2002, were up 10.6 percent, from $304 million in 2002 to $336 million in 2003.

The 2003 numbers were very encouraging, especially considering the National League of Cities and Towns held a large convention in Salt Lake City the year before.

This year, green bags with red bows will adorn the city's parking meters to let shoppers know the parking is free. The red bags used last year confused some shoppers because some thought they were the covers placed on meters to temporarily prohibit parking.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com