Salt Lake City leaders consider shortening free holiday parking

SALT LAKE CITY — City leaders' traditional holiday gift of free parking to downtown shoppers may not last as long this year.

The Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday will consider limiting the number of days shoppers can park for free in metered spots from Thanksgiving to Dec. 26. Previously, the two hours of free holiday parking continued through New Year's Day.

The reasons for the proposed change are financial. City officials estimate Salt Lake City loses $150,000 a year — $100,000 in meter revenue and $50,000 in fines for parking violations — by allowing holiday parking from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.

Ending the program after Dec. 26 would trim that loss by an estimated $30,000, city officials said.

"We're looking at every way we can to save money," said JT Martin, Salt Lake City Council chairman.

Declining sales-tax revenues have forced the city to cut back wherever possible, and the longtime free-parking program is no exception. Since 2003, city leaders have authorized two hours of free parking as an incentive to shop and dine downtown during the holiday season.

But the city also partners with the Downtown Alliance on a year-round parking token program — essentially a collaborative parking validation system designed to assist downtown merchants. And that program, too, needs the city's financial support.

Under the program, local merchants are able to purchase discounted tokens that can be used in parking meters, Utah Transit Authority buses and some garages in the downtown area.

The Downtown Alliance has been supplementing the program by about $30,000 annually for the past several years, said Jason Mathis, the organization's executive director.

Salt Lake City has helped by reimbursing the Downtown Alliance for some of the program costs. This year, the alliance is asking for $45,000 — $30,000 for tokens already purchased and a $15,000 subsidy to keep the program running.

Rather than discontinue the token program, the Downtown Alliance is suggesting that city leaders offset the costs by reducing the number of days of free holiday parking.

"Basically, we're trying to keep the (token) program going in a way that's cost-neutral to Salt Lake City," Mathis said. "We've surveyed downtown businesses, and they've told us (the token program) is helpful to them and important to them."