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San Luis Obispo plans to double parking rates, increase fines

June 2, 2022

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo wants to double its downtown parking rates to make up for money the city did not collect during the pandemic lockdown, concerning business owners who are struggling to make ends meet.

With plans to build a fourth parking structure, the city had saved approximately $13.9 million from parking fees and expected to save more, but COVID restrictions led to fewer people parking downtown. As a result, the city fell $4 million short in expected parking revenue.

The SLO City Council will consider the proposed rate increases on June 7 as part of budget discussions. City staff is proposing downtown parking rate increases for 2023 and 2025.

If the City Council approves staff’s proposal, parking rates will increase in July 2023:

  • Two-hour street parking in the main downtown core will increase from $2 an hour to $4 per hour.
  • Ten-hour street parking in the outer downtown area will increase from $1.50 an hour to $3 per hour.
  • Parking structure rates will increase from $1.50 an hour or $6 maximum daily to $3 per hour or a maximum rate of $12.

In 2025, city staff is proposing parking rates increase by another $1 per hour for all types of parking, which will raise downtown street parking to $5 an hour.

According to Gaven Hussey, the city’s parking program manager, the city is aware raising rates will be a challenge for many, but believes the increase is key to improving the downtown.

“If we don’t increase rates next year, we will not be able to improve or repair existing parking infrastructure and build the new Cultural Arts Parking Structure that is key to helping us achieve the community’s vision for downtown SLO,” Hussey said. “Key to promoting an inclusive and easy-to-navigate downtown: Better parking.”

City staff is also asking the City Council to approve increases in parking and standing fines:

  • Non-paid or expired parking tickets to increase from $40 to $45.
  • Standing, stopping, or parking within intersection tickets to increase from $40 to $60.
  • Standing, stopping, or parking on the roadside of a vehicle stopped,
    parked, or standing at the curb tickets to increase from $33 to $60.

Many downtown business owners are already struggling in the wake of the pandemic, soaring inflation and rising crime; and worry the increase rates will create further barriers to people wanting to visit the downtown.

“The increase rates are going to discourage people further from coming downtown,” said Cherisse Sweeney, the owner of Basalt Interiors. “The timing is really poor and continues to make it difficult for daytime retailers to do business. I recently opened a new location at Broad Street and Farmhouse Lane because many of my customers do no want to come downtown.”


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What happened to all of the infrastructure bill dollars and covid bailout money?…..


37

This reminds me of the old joke: a man was walking down the street when he saw a lemonade stand, lemonade $100. He asks the kid “are you crazy?” and the kid answers “this way I only have to sell one glass”. Only with SLO the lemonade is mandatory.


44

If you want to understand this go to …transparent california….web site. there are 51 SLO employees making over 250k a year , including a dozen making over 350k a year. there are 91 more making over 150k a year, plus hundreds more. We cannot sustain this free ride.


87

Do your numbers also include those collecting $150,000+ pensions or those collecting pensions and a salary?


41

Does Gavin Hussey have a clue on how expensive it is to live in this town?

Apparently not or he doesn’t give a damn.

Why doesn’t the city live with in its means like a lot of us do and save a little longer to pay for that new structure?

Get rid of the of dining parklets let parking meters start generating money or have the resturants that have them pay for them.

Now if they can just move the city library and a movie theater outside the downtown core

I would never have to come into town.

A matinee cost me $8.50 and I am expected to pay another $8 for two hours to park.

That’s ridiculous.


76

with benefits, gavin hussey, the parking guy mind you makes 143K a year.


1

If constantly being harassed by homeless, the smell of urine and having to watch where you step wasnt enough to keep you out of downtown SLO, the city leaders just gave you another reason.


69

We quit going to downtown after a lousy meal at a long time local establishment and the meater maid put a ticket on our car while we were truing to pay the stupid parking meter, so carry on.


90

Yeah, that won’t hurt downtown businesses will it? What is wrong with these people?


115

“the city fell $4 million short in expected parking revenue”

Isn’t that why they applied for relief money from the Federal Government? This sounds like double dipping to me.


120

Smart move ? I stopped going to SLO when they put in the parking meters.


101

I agree. It always frosted me when you have to pay to park on a street you’ve already paid for with your tax dollars. I haven’t spent a penny in SLO since 1992.


89

Since you “haven’t spent a penny in SLO since 1992” why do you think you paid for the streets? Those streets were paid for with city taxes, mostly paid by the hard working merchants on those streets and their customers.


Unfortunately, your post shows a lack of common sense.


-100

Fortunately, those hard-working merchants and customers are choosing to leave the city of SLO and do business elsewhere. Good for them. There’s more than the virus that led to the lost funds and some have the smarts to see it.

Unfortunately, the shallow thinking, defending of city failures, and arrogance of many will continue this decline.


48

What “decline.” I’d love to see actual evidence of SLO’s economic decline. I think it’s an illusion that cons would like to perpetuate to stir up voters in the heavily gerrymandered supervisorial districts of the county.


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