Fayetteville Plans to Increase Downtown Parking Rates to Fill Budget Gap

Parking in downtown Fayetteville could soon get pricier. The city is looking to increase hourly rates from $1 to $1.50 to fix a big budget shortfall in its parking operations.

In addition to an hourly rate increase, the proposed changes would kick in at 8 a.m., starting an hour earlier than current paid parking hours. For spots near Segra Stadium, daily parking fees at the Hay Street deck could jump to $10 during special events, twice the current rate.

The Downtown Alliance has put out a survey to check what people think. Local business owners are worried higher prices might drive away shoppers and cut into their business.

"We need a win-win solution that balances revenue generation with the needs of downtown businesses and visitors," said Councilmember Malik Davis to CityView NC.

The city spent $1.3 million running parking operations last year but only made $731,000. This cash covered trash pickup and fixing broken equipment to cleaning graffiti and keeping elevators maintained and working.

The Downtown Alliance sat down with city officials to talk through solutions. Brian McGill from parking services joined discussions about ways to bridge the money gap.

As time runs out, city leaders need to balance what the community wants against budget realities. The Downtown Alliance is still gathering opinions through their online survey.