Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer
The City of Saratoga Springs plans to implement a tourism parking program this summer in which non-residents would have to pay to park in parking garages and surface lots.
A presentation made by Saratoga’s Department of Public Works at the city’s Dec. 19 city council meeting explained that the hourly rate for visitor parking would be $2/hr for up to 24 hours. The program would run from May 1-Sept. 30.
Parking on Broadway, the city’s main street, will remain as is, with free availability up to two hours. There would also be free time-restricted parking on some downtown streets.
The anticipated revenue is $2,468,440, as determined by an estimated utilization of available spaces of 30% Monday through Thursday and 45% Friday through Sunday. The cost of the program is projected at $1,153,000.
Business employees, students and renters would get free permits. Unlimited garage parking permits could be purchased for $300 a month, and a lost ticket fee would be $55.
The stated objectives are to increase the availability of resident parking, increase the ease of access to parking for visitors, increase customers for businesses with a long-term parking plan, decrease parking confusion in the downtown corridor, and generate new revenue to offset the cost of maintaining parking structures.
Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works Business Manager Mike Veitch told The Chronicle that final details of the program are going to be released to the public in the next couple of weeks.
The plan is to make changes to the city code to accommodate the program, enter into contracts with vendors for pay stations and the permit program, install necessary infrastructure in March and April, and test the program in April before its debut on May 1.
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