City evening parking program to be reviewed

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham staff are set to start taking a closer look at the city’s long-running evening parking permit program, responding to concerns raised by commissioner Anthony Long to address parking needs for service workers and downtown businesses.

During the Monday, November 10, meeting, commissioners discussed a report written by parking director Aaron Ford and included in the meeting packet. The city’s “Evening Monthly Parking Permit Program,” implemented in the early 2000s, was introduced with the intention of helping service workers and local businesses find accessible and affordable parking in the city.

According to Ford, the program reduces the cost of a monthly parking pass by $20 and allows permit holders to park from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. in any of the city’s five parking structures. There are currently 73 evening permit holders using the city’s parking structures.

Included in Ford’s report was the suggestion of potentially shifting the program start time from 4 p.m. to 2 p.m. to better accommodate evening-shift workers who might arrive before the current pass start time. Commissioner Therese Longe added that the city’s advisory parking committee could study adjusting the time frame as well as reviewing the permit fee.

Ford told commissioners he is working with the Birmingham Shopping District to reach local businesses about the program and get their feedback on the current offerings. He said the plan was to take the feedback they gather to the advisory parking committee for recommendations which would then come before the commission.

As the item was a report, no formal action was taken by the commission.