Parking in downtown Duluth will cost you more next year if a proposed rate adjustment passes the approval of the city council.  City leaders have released a document that presents the Duluth Parking 2023 Parking Rate Adjustment plans to the general public ahead of the council's vote.

In defense of the rate adjustments, Downtown Duluth issued an email to its members, which spells out the reasoning behind the increase.  That email says:

"These proposed adjustments are in response to ongoing increased expenditures for security, cleaning, repairs, etc.  Rate adjustments will help offset these costs and ensure more proactive measures moving forward.  Most of the new rate recommendations also incorporate increases for longer stays, rather than shorter ones, to encourage churn ahd help maximize parking availability."

If approved, the new rates would affect city owned and city managed ramps, lots, and metered parking spaces.

So what could people who park in downtown Duluth expect to pay moving forward?  The document that was released includes very-specific drill-downs on each parking property - including hourly columns. However, here is a summary for some of those ramps and lots:

  • Hart Ramp:  The monthly cost would increase by $10 - from $75 to $85.  There would be no increase during the first five hours, but each hourly-level after that would go up in $2 increments.
  • Tech Village Ramp:  This ramp would see significant increases for monthly parkers.  Both the upper and lower levels of this ramp would be increased by $25 a month for contract parking.  Again, there would be no change to hourly parkers for the first five hours, with that $2 increase kicking in after that.
  • Medical District Ramp:  Similar to the Tech Village Ramp, monthly rates would go up by $25 a month.  That $2 hourly rate increase kicks in after five hours.  And, parkers in the Medical District Ramp would now be charged 24/7 - with no offset for after hours.
  • Civic Center Ramp:  The monthly contract fee would go up by $15.  And, again, a similar $2 increase for hourly parking kicks in after five hours.
  • Library Lots: Monthly contract rates here go up by $10.  There is an immediate hourly rate increase by $1 an hour - starting with the first hour.  And, similar to the Medical District Ramp, charged will occur 24/7, with no offset for after hour parking.
  • Lower Michigan Lots:  Both sections of this lot would see a $10 monthly increase.
  • "Lot A":  Monthly contract fees go up by $10.  A $1 per hour increase starts immediately with the first hour.
  • "Lot C":  Monthly rates go up by $10.
  • Lincoln Lot (DEDA):  Monthly rates increase by $10.
  • Palmer House Lot:  The monthly rate increases by $10.  There is a $0.50 increase for the thirty minutes of parking, and a $1 an hour increase thereafter.
  • Canal Park Surface Lots: All rate structures increase by $1.
  • Canal Park Seasonal Lots:  Lake Place increases by $25 a month; Lake City increases by $50 a month; NW Iron increases by $100 a month.

The 2023 Parking Rate Adjustment proposal doesn't include any increases in on-street coin metered spaces.  Those rates would remain constant from the prior year.

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