If you park in Downtown Boise garages, it will cost you more soon

Commissioners with Boise’s urban renewal agency, Capital City Development Corporation, on Monday voted to approve proposed rate hikes for eight Downtown Boise parking garages.

The target date for implementing the new rates is Feb. 1, 2018.

It’s been less than two years since monthly rates increased at Downtown Boise parking garages — but almost a decade since hourly rates increased.

The first hour will continue to be free but hourly rates after that will increase 20 percent, or 50 cents — going from $2.50 an hour to $3.00 an hour, according to the original proposal by CCDC.

The day rate on Saturdays and Sundays would increase 20 percent, rising from $5 to $6. Day passes on weekdays would jump 25 percent, from $12 to $15.

Monthly rates will increase from 17 percent to 30 percent, though one garage will offer a new plan that’s 20 percent cheaper than anything currently offered.

What’s driving the increases?

Normal inflationary increases in the cost of building and operating the garages, said John Brunelle, executive director of CCDC, in October. Demand for covered and convenient places to park Downtown continues to grow, he said.

The proposed rate list was developed after the agency did a survey in August of almost 750 garage users.

“We were trying to get to what most people found acceptable,” said Matt Edmond, project manager/capital improvements for CCDC.

Affordability, availability and convenience are all considerations for users, Edmond said. But hourly parkers tend to be most sensitive to convenience, while many monthly parkers are more sensitive to cost. More than 500 people are on a wait list for monthly parking passes.

CCDC owns and manages six parking garages Downtown, and it is bringing two more online soon. The new garages (5th and Broad streets, 11th and Front streets) will create 900 new parking spaces.

Private developers are also adding new parking spaces Downtown, helping meet the city’s parking needs. For example, LocalConstruct and Gardner are adding about 500 private spaces in their developments.

Proposed parking rates

▪ $175 per month (30 percent increase over $135/month now). Three garages: 9th and Main; Capitol and Main; and the new 5th and Broad.

▪ $140 per month (17 percent increase over $120 now). Four garages: 10th and Front; Capitol and Front; 9th and Front; Capitol and Myrtle.

▪ $100 per month. New garage: 11th and Front.

This story was originally published October 10, 2017 at 12:39 PM with the headline "If you park in Downtown Boise garages, it will cost you more soon."