Hyattsville Considers Parking Rate Changes

Hyattsville leaders are considering adjusting hourly parking rates so that they are equal throughout the city, at least temporarily.

A measure before the Hyattsville City Council tonight would replace the current 75 cents per hour parking rate at University Town Center and the 25 cents per hour parking rate at the city's parking lots and on-street spaces with a single 50 cent hourly rate. 

The rates would be in effect from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays.

The measure is designed as an interim step to gauge the performance of the city's parking spaces once they are all up and running. The goal is to develop a rate structure which gives the city's parking operations a "cost neutral" revenue stream, ideally earning just enough money to pay for staff and expenses to maintain and monitor the city's parking spaces.

The city will soon be opening three new downtown parking lots and installing 61 new parking meters along Baltimore Avenue for new on-street parking. 

"While parking demand data has been evaluated through a market demand analysis, actual performance data will not be available until the City brings the parking on-line and operates the parking," reads a memo outlining the rate changes from Jim Chandler, director of Hyattsville's Department of Community and Economic Development. "In order to develop meaningful performance data, it is recommended that an interim rate be set for a 12 – 18 month period to provide time to the performance of the established rate and provide the Mayor and Council a recommendation as to whether additional modifications are necessary to maintain a “cost neutral” operation."

The measure goes before the city council at its meeting today at 8 p.m. at the Hyattsville Municipal Building on Gallatin Street.