MICHIGAN
The newly built City Center parking ramp and a more efficient bus system have caused an increased debt in the city's parking system, officials said.
Although parking revenues increased from $2.8 million to $3 million between 2003 and 2004, the expenses are more than the city's parking income, said Joe Heffernan of Plante & Moran.
East Lansing Assistant Finance Director Connie Larkin said the debt has increased over the last four years because there are more operating expenses for additional parking, including paying for maintenance and staffing the parking lots.
"Service costs are the biggest problem," Larkin said.
The city overbuilt the newer structures because it was cheaper than building more in the future, but it now owes several million dollars on the lot, she said.
"In the past, we were always short parking when we were doing development and we certainly didn't want to end up with that problem," Larkin said.
She also said less people are driving downtown due to a more efficient Capital Area Transportation Authority system.
The addition of shopping at Eastwood Towne Center in Lansing Township and a lack of downtown business diversity slowed parking usage as well, she said.
The parking system also loses money when the city collects for parking tickets because it goes to the courts instead, a system which Larkin said the city is working to change.
East Lansing City Councilember Vic Loomis, who is on the city's parking task force, said a substantial expansion of parking on MSU's campus is another reason for a drop in cars downtown, but that all the factors have an impact.
"All of them taken into consideration put real pressure onto the revenues of the parking system," Loomis said.
Dan O'Connor, East Lansing parking administrator, said his department is looking at different technologies that could attract more downtown parking patrons.
O'Connor said central pay stations that accept credit cards and cash are options for replacing meters.
"We're trying to accommodate the customers," he said.
Larkin said although the credit card system will be an added cost, it is a good service to provide customers and hopefully keep them downtown.
Since money is tight, Larkin said the city is also considering privatizing the parking program.
"We're going to work as hard as we possibly can to solve these problems and try to not create more," she said.
O'Connor said the parking department is hopeful that the improvements will help bring drivers back.
"Right now, we're holding our own," he said.