This is when you'll have to start paying to park downtown, City of Topeka says
TOPEKA (KSNT) - There's a new start date set for when visitors to downtown Topeka will have to begin paying for metered parking.
The City of Topeka announced Monday, Nov. 1 as the start date when all side street parking downtown will go metered. Parking a car in side street spaces will cost $0.50 per hour or $1 per hour depending on the meter, and drivers can look at the meters to see their specific hourly price, according to the city. To accompany this change, the city has also partnered with the Passport Parking app to offer a modern way to pay on the meters. Drivers can also pay with coins the old-fashioned way.
The change affects all side streets one block east and one block west of South Kansas Avenue between 6th and 10th avenues. The city said not all parking spaces in the area will go metered, however. The parking spaces directly on Kansas Avenue through downtown will stay free for up to two hours during business hours each day, and all parking downtown will stay free on weekends and also between 6 p.m. and 7:59 a.m. on weekdays.
View a map showing all of the streets affected downtown, as well as their metered prices, below. Click on a colored street or garage to see its price.
The City of Topeka said it made the decision to make parking metered when a recent study found downtown workers were using the spaces more than visitors to the area's shops and diners.
“Parking directly impacts businesses, visitors, and residents of downtown Topeka," said Downtown Topeka, Inc. officials Rhiannon Friedman and Scott Gales. "The proper maintenance of these assets is necessary for our community to continue to thrive and attract new businesses and residents alike."
Tickets for first-time parking violations start at $8, according to the city. Learn more about the Passport Parking app to pay for downtown Topeka spaces by clicking here.