The vast majority of free public parking in downtown Wichita will soon be replaced with metered stalls and other pay-to-park options. Even public parking structures that have traditionally been free, including the Old Town garage, will charge customers beginning on Jan. 1, 2025. The city is also introducing higher meter rates and a fleet of private parking enforcers responsible for ticketing violators. It’s the realization of a plan to turn Wichita’s downtown parking system into a self-sustaining operation that can support its own repairs and upkeep through user fees while encouraging quicker turnover in parking spaces near high-traffic businesses and restaurants. “Having metered parking might help our business. It might hurt it. Mainly, it will cut down on the time that people take when they do park,” said Austin Kitchen, who works at Hatman Jack’s in Delano. “The more we turn over the traffic, it could be better, yeah. I’m not exactly thrilled about the meters going in, but it could improve things.” The city will charge between $0.75 and $2 an hour for metered parking.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
