Street parking in Dallas may become more expensive due to proposed city regulations.
Parking in many parts of Dallas is made difficult by cars and delivery trucks competing for parking spaces during the day.
The proposal could turn loading zones into “Flex Zones” that would be used for trucks during the day and rideshare vehicles in the evening.
A parking meter rate increase has also been proposed. Minimum meter fees would be $1, with rates as high as $6 in popular areas such as downtown Dallas and Deep Ellum.
“Wow, I think that’s pretty high. Yeah, I think for Dallas that’s high. I think living in other eastern parts of the country we get used to this but in Dallas, that’s pretty expensive,” Deep Ellum visitor Lauren Wright told NBC 5 DFW.
Deep Ellum businessman Barry McCary said he does not support any new regulations that would drive visitors away.
“Obviously I would like it to be as cheap as possible for anybody coming to support any of the businesses here, so the cheaper the better for me,” he said.
The city council discussed the proposed rules during a briefing on Wednesday. The presentation by City staff can be found here.
“To continue driving the growth and vibrancy of downtown we have to have the parking available,” Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn said. “They can go to Plano, Richardson, Frisco, and Addison very easily for free and find abundant parking.”
Unlike these other nearby cities, however, traffic in Dallas has decreased significantly amid epidemics of crime, homelessness, and vagrancy – all problems the city council has declined to prioritize.
Councilmember Jaynie Schultz said she does not “want us to give away the opportunity to earn money from charging stations,” referencing how the proposal also includes more electric vehicle charging stations.
However, Councilmember Paul Ridley expressed opposition to putting new charging stations along the curb.
“How are we going to get electricity to all these charging stations?” he asked. “You’re either going to have to tear up the streets or tear up the sidewalks.”
Mendelsohn added, “You could be doing that in a garage in a specific space as opposed to taking up that valuable curb space.”
The City will hold additional public meetings on this issue before any new regulations are officially passed.