Task force told that parking capacity in city is not a problem

Historic City News was informed that during last night’s meeting a spokesman hired by City of St Augustine contractor, Littlejohn Engineering Associates, told members of the Mobility Advisory Task Force that available parking is not really the problem that residents have imagined it to be.

David Taxman, speaking for subcontractor DESMAN, said 50 percent of the parking downtown is in the Historic Downtown Parking Facility at the Visitor Information Center; and, last year, the parking garage only reached 85 percent occupancy on 28 occasions.

“You don’t have a parking problem in terms of capacity,” Taxman told local reporters. “My feeling is that there is currently enough parking capacity to support your typical day parking demand.” Taxman went on to say “the city has too many lots”.

Taxman also observed that $12 daily parking rates for motorist using the parking garage are too high considering the hourly rates available from metered parking on the street. He was critical of meters that are not monitored on Sunday or after 5:00 p.m., saying they make garage parking rates unattractive.

There was discussion about parking during the recent July 4th peak. Taxman reported that the garage was at capacity at about 6:00 p.m. and had competition from about 19 privately owned lots.