How to park in downtown Ann Arbor and pay half price
There's been a lot of talk lately about the rising cost of parking in downtown Ann Arbor, where the standard meter rate recently went up to $1.40 an hour.
A new pricing structure being discussed by the Downtown Development Authority could make it even more expensive soon — possibly $1.80 an hour — to park in prime spots.
These meters on Ashley Street still advertise 60 cent parking, but it's actually 70 cents as of this month.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Yes, 70 cents an hour.
Amber Miller, the DDA's planning and research specialist, said it's the intention of the DDA to provide locations where meters are available at a lower cost.
In fact, there are eight blocks where that's the case: 200 N. First, 400 N. First, 300 N. Ashley, 400 N. Ashley, 400 S. Ashley, 1100 S. State, 1200 S. State and 700 Packard.
It's notable that these half-price meters also allow up to 10 hours of parking, whereas most meters downtown have either a two- or three-hour time limit.
For those looking to save a buck, below is a map showing where these hidden gems in Ann Arbor's on-street parking system can be found.
Of course, for those savvy enough, free parking options also abound in and around the downtown — you just have to know where to find them.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.
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