A "rip-off."

That's how marketing senior Bill Smith described East Lansing's downtown parking rates, echoing frustration expressed by some East Lansing officials.

The city operates 13 parking lots and garages in the downtown area, and drivers are charged between 50 cents and 75 cents per half hour, depending on the time of day.

The city rakes in about $3.35 million annually from these charges.

"It's such a rip-off," Smith said. "It's not worth it."

East Lansing City Council members discussed streamlining parking rates across the downtown area during an April 17 work session. Currently, the city charges 75 cents per half hour in some areas and 50 cents per half hour in others.

"It's based on desirability," parking administrator Dan O'Connor told the council. "The more desirable the place is, the more expensive (the parking)."

Council members also discussed other aspects of the city's parking rates at length during the work session, and Mayor Sam Singh stressed the need for change so the city can draw in more residents and visitors to the downtown district.

"Last year, we talked about the parking issues and the need to communicate with the public," Singh said. "I'm a little disappointed. We did talk about making parking in the downtown more attractive. Overall, we do have a considerable amount to go."

Council members talked with staff about adding more notifications in the parking lots and garages to let residents know about the specific rates, such as how downtown parking is free on Sundays.

Singh recounted instances in which he has approached residents who were putting money in the meter on a Sunday to let them know of the free parking.

City Manager Ted Staton said staff will provide the council with a written plan to address the members' concerns before approving the budget on May 15.

"If we are trying to make downtown a destination spot for entertainment and food, we have to change the way we look at bringing people to the downtown," Singh said. "If we're going to be successful, we're going to have to be competing with downtown Lansing and Eastwood (Towne Center), and I don't see us doing that."

The city could increase the downtown area's appeal to students and visitors by offering student discounts or more validations at local businesses, Smith said.

Smith also voiced frustration with the lack of East Lansing businesses that offer validation to drivers, adding that it deters him from parking in downtown East Lansing very often.

"A lot of places don't validate on Grand River (Avenue)," he said.

"I feel like they could get more business, especially in the winter, if they validated parking."

The city has 46 businesses that validate parking listed on its Web site at www.cityofeastlansing.com.

O'Connor told the council he doesn't expect to raise parking rates during the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The 2008 budget proposal calls for an estimated $3.32 million in income from downtown parking.