Monthly Parking: Tweaked to Manage Demand?

At its May 2, 2012 meeting, the board of the Ann Arbor Downtown Authority approved a resolution that authorizes its operations committee (aka bricks & money and transportation committee) to use demand management strategies to price monthly parking permits in Ann Arbor’s public parking system. The goal of adjusting monthly parking permit rates is to expand campus-area parking to structures other than those immediately adjacent to the University of Michigan campus. In broad strokes, “demand managent strategies” means pricing the most desirable parking options higher than those that are less desirable.

The move comes as the opening of the new underground parking structure on South Fifth Avenue, offering around 700 additional total spaces, is set to open by the start of the Ann Arbor art fairs, which this year run from July 18-21. Monthly permits for some of the spaces will be offered at the new structure, which will add to the five public parking structures where permits are available: Ann & Ashley, Forest Avenue, Fourth & William, Liberty Square (Tally Hall), and Maynard.

Under a demand management strategy, prices of monthly permits at the underground parking structure are likely to be lower  than at other structures.

[Google Map of parking structures with monthly permits] [.jpg of map of parking structures with monthly permits]

This brief was filed from the DDA offices at 150 S. Fifth Ave., Suite 301 where the meeting was held. A more detailed report of the meeting will follow: [link]