Free downtown parking returns to Salt Lake City, but just through Christmas

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City is beginning to offer free parking downtown through Christmas.

The city's more than 2,100 parking meters are being adorned with red, yellow and green bags and bows for the season. People will be able to park for free for two hours.

The city has offered the free-parking benefit since 2003. The city loses about $150,000 through the program — $100,000 in meter payments and $50,000 in meter violation fines.

To stem those losses by about $30,000, the City Council voted in October to shorten the free parking period to Dec. 26 instead of through New Year's Day.

This year, the Downtown Alliance suggested shortening the free metered parking in hopes the council will continue to support the year-round parking token program — a parking validation system designed to assist downtown merchants.