Parking in downtown Topeka could get easier after a variety of planned improvements, including upgrades to parking garage systems, on-street meters and wayfinding technology. A reader recently expressed confusion about parking, asking #TopCity What?: “There is a sign at Centre City Garage that says free parking during (business) hours. Why did I have to pay during the listed hours?”
“It would appear the reader misread the signs,” parking manager Brenda Hayes said in a written response, noting that parking is free in the garage after business hours and on weekends.
Hayes said if a user is charged incorrectly, he or she can bring the parking receipt to the parking administration office at 620 S.E. Madison during business hours to dispute a charge.
The city operates seven parking garages with a total of 3,253 parking spaces. The city also maintains 3,293 on-street parking spaces, including 1,700 that are metered. Approximately 6,000 parking spaces in the downtown area are under private, state or other ownership.
“There’s plenty of parking downtown,” said Vince Frye, president and CEO of Downtown Topeka Inc. and senior vice president of the Greater Topeka Partnership. “We just need to do a better job of directing people to the spots that would be most appropriate for them when they come downtown.”
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)