Salt Lake City to offer free on-street parking again for holidays

The Salt Lake City Council delivered an early Christmas present to holiday shoppers Tuesday night, unanimously voting to continue the tradition of free on-street parking between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

All of the city's 2,100-plus parking meters will be covered with red-and-green bags and bows during the upcoming holiday season, allowing shoppers to park for free for up to two hours.

Salt Lake City has been offering free metered parking during the holiday-shopping season since 2003. Mayor Ralph Becker's office recommended continuing the practice.

"We've been doing this for a number of years, and it's been very effective," said Councilman Van Turner. "We need to do this for the business owners and the shoppers downtown, especially when so much of downtown is being rebuilt."

The former downtown ZCMI Center and Crossroads Plaza shopping hub has been torn down in preparation for City Creek Center, an estimated $1.5 billion retail, residential and office development set to open in 2012.

By offering the free parking, the city will be missing out on an estimated $150,000 in potential revenue — $100,000 in coins paid into the meters and $50,000 in fines for parking-meter violations.

City officials say that loss of revenue was anticipated when the current fiscal year's budget was prepared.

Most of the meters are located in the city's central business district, though two-hour free parking also will be offered at metered stalls along 200 East, 1300 East near 100 South and at Trolley Square.

The Downtown Alliance's board of trustees and the Downtown Merchants Association both sent letters to city leaders requesting that metered parking be free during the holiday season again this year.

"The ongoing program to provide free on-street parking during the holiday season has helped increase traffic, cultivating a lively shopping district and improving perception about parking issues in the city," wrote Amy Coady, president of the Downtown Merchants Association.

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