Drivers in Covington will need to get used to remembering to feed their parking meters at night and on Saturdays, the city announced Wednesday.
“As downtown grows and becomes busier, we want to ensure that our businesses have parking for their customers and clients,” City Manager Ken Smith said. “These metered spots are designed for constant turnover. That’s their purpose. If a car is left in a spot every late afternoon or from Friday afternoon until Monday morning, that hurts surrounding businesses.”
The city said in a release that the intent is to preserve on-street parking for the small businesses who need it to survive.
The change is now in effect, though the city said there will be a grace period during which courtesy tickets or warnings will be given as the public gets used to the new rules. The city said it would be working with merchants to find ways to educate their customers.
The Board of Commissioners approved the new enforcement Tuesday, along with other parking changes, which include:
- Increases in metered rates from $1.10 to $1.50 an hour, matching the rate in other urban areas on this side of the Ohio River. Drivers will continue to be able to pay with cash at the meters or via the free PassportParking app available for download at the App Store and Google Play.
- $5 increases in monthly passes at several public parking garages and surface lots (bringing most to $55 or $60 a month).
- Language “cleanup” in ordinances to continue refining the authority of the Covington Motor Vehicle Parking Authority and its status as legal “owner” and manager of parking assets. (The authority was created in 2018 to operate and maintain on-street and off-street public parking in Covington. Its five members are approved by the Board of Commissioners. The City contracts with ABM Parking Services for day-to-day operation.)
- Hiring of a first-ever executive director to handle administrative duties for the parking authority and help the City take a more strategic and analytical approach to its parking challenges. Kyle Snyder will split his duties between that position and duties as the City’s infrastructure development specialist.
