Drivers parking in downtown Lansing and Old Town will see several changes beginning this summer, including a new free 15-minute parking option, shorter enforcement hours and expanded parking time limits.
The changes were approved by the Lansing City Council in May following recommendations from a citywide parking study and feedback from business owners and community stakeholders.
Rawley Van Fossen, Lansing's director of economic development and planning, said the city hired a third-party consultant several years ago to evaluate its parking system, including rates, availability and future needs.
Since that study, city officials have been reviewing recommendations and implementing changes. Van Fossen said city leaders also heard concerns from downtown businesses, the Old Town Commercial Association and Downtown Lansing Inc.
One of the most significant changes is a new free 15-minute parking option in areas with paid street parking.
"We heard loud and clear that we needed first an option to have a 15 minute free option," Van Fossen said.
The option will be available through the city's parking app and parking kiosks. Van Fossen said the goal is to make quick stops more convenient while increasing turnover for businesses.
"You'll be able to come downtown or go into Old Town, where we currently have paid street parking, and if you're only there to go into a store for a quick pickup or a quick drop off, whatever it may be, you'll be able to on our parking app or at the kiosks on the street select a free 15 minute option," he said.
The city is also reducing parking enforcement hours. Previously, drivers were required to pay for parking between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The new enforcement window will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Van Fossen said the adjustment better reflects business activity patterns in the two districts.
"We've revised those with city council support, so that now hours of enforcement are starting later in the morning at 9am and ending earlier in the day at 5pm," he said.
The third major change is a progressive rate structure for street parking. Previously, most on-street spaces were limited to a maximum stay of two hours. Drivers will now be able to remain parked for up to 10 hours, though rates will increase after the first two hours.
"The last change that council supported then was what we're calling a progressive rate structure," Van Fossen said.
Under the new system, drivers will pay the standard hourly rate for the first two hours. Additional two-hour increments will cost more, allowing longer stays while encouraging turnover in high-demand spaces.
To support the changes, the city is updating signage and parking kiosks throughout downtown and Old Town. New signs will reflect the revised enforcement hours, while kiosks and the parking app will include information about the free 15-minute option and progressive rates.
Parking officials say revenue generated through parking fees supports the city's parking system, including maintenance of parking ramps, surface lots, street parking spaces and enforcement operations.
"Our parking system doesn't benefit or doesn't take from that pot of money," Van Fossen said, referring to general fund tax revenue. "We call it an enterprise fund."
He added that parking fees are the primary source of funding for the city's parking services division.
"When you're paying to park somewhere, that's funding the ability for the city to have our parking system even available," Van Fossen said.
The city also approved changes to parking ticket fines and payment deadlines.
Drivers who receive an expired meter citation now have until midnight on the day the ticket is issued to pay the initial fine before the cost increases. Previously, the deadline was 5 p.m.
According to Van Fossen, the fine for an expired meter ticket paid by midnight on the day it is issued is now $25, up from $15. The fine increases to $35 if paid within 14 days, $45 if paid between days 15 and 28, and $55 if paid between days 29 and 42.
Van Fossen encouraged drivers who believe they were ticketed in error to use the appeal process outlined on the citation.
City officials say the changes are intended to improve accessibility, support local businesses and create a more user-friendly parking experience in Lansing's business districts.