LANSING — Some changes are coming to Lansing’s parking enforcement, with others possibly on the way.
The Lansing City Council on May 11 approved a handful of new rules to reduce the hours that people must pay to park and increase the fines for overstaying, but also extending the grace period to pay a reduced fine.
The changes were introduced earlier this year, but the city had been considering changes since at least 2024. The new parking rules were passed through four separate votes, with Councilmember Ryan Kost the only councilmember who voted against the ordinances to increase the fees and fines. During the meeting, Kost said he was voting against those changes because they were not accompanied by an option for at least 15 minutes of free parking, which had been discussed previously.
Councilmember Tamera Carter told Kost that there had been discussion “in great detail” about that option during a council committee meeting, but that city staff said that would have to come from a pilot program, which could be started this year.
The city’s switch to kiosks and mobile apps for payments also requires a contract amendment with the vendor, expected to be signed soon, and some technical and budgetary matters to be worked out, City Council President Peter Spadafore said. He added that a pilot programs allows the parking department to work through those matters, but that the city and businesses downtown and in Old Town are supportive.
Two other changes — reduced parking enforcement hours and a longer grace period to pay fine — passed with unanimous votes. City Councilmember Adam Hussain had an excused absence from the meeting.
After the vote, a parking ticket at a meter will cost $25 if paid before midnight, up from the $15 fine if paid within two hours. A fine paid in the first 14 days will cost $35 (up from $25), a paid ticket within 28 days will cost $45 (up from $35) and within 42 days will cost $55 (up from $45).
The shorter enforcement window means motorists will only have to pay to park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday, a smaller timeframe than the current 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. enforcement window during the week.
The city is also switching to a progressive rate structure for parking at meters in an effort to encourage people planning longer trips to an area like downtown to use the parking ramps, which will leave more street parking for people making shorter trips.
Current meter rates vary from $0.75 to $1.50 an hour depending on location, with a full day of street parking downtown costing the same $15 maximum for a full day in a parking ramp. Under the new fee structure, downtown meter parking remains $1.50 an hour for the first two hours, but the hourly rate get more expensive after the second and sixth hours. Eight hours at a downtown meter, under the new rules, would cost $22.
The city previously contracted Walker Consultants, a national firm with offices in Michigan, to evaluate parking in the city. In a 2023 report, the firm found that about 75% of its parking spaces were unused on a typical summer weekday and also recommended rate increases as one solution.
In late 2024, experts in transportation, parking and urban planning told the State Journal that an excess of parking can be problematic for a city and adjusting parking rates and polices can help. Among the changes suggested was making street parking be more expensive than ramps to encourage drivers to use curbside parking for short stays and parking ramps if they plan to stay for several hours.
Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at mjmencarini@lsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing OKs shorter parking meter enforcement times, but costs rising
Reporting by Matt Mencarini, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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