Dawn Parker

Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING – Headed to dinner in East Lansing? Put aside a little extra. The city's parking meters are working later than ever.

Parking at most meters and in unattended surface parking lots used to be free after 6 p.m. Since the beginning of the month, they've been enforced until 3 a.m.

Tim Dempsey, East Lansing director of planning, building and development, said council members approved extending meter hours in the city’s latest budget to make them the same as attended parking garages and lots.

City officials said the change, which is expected to generate $75,000 in the first year, will help balance the budget of a system that has struggled to break even. Budget records show $340,000 of the city's fund balance has been transferred into the parking system over the past two years.

There’s also a recognition, Dempsey added, that downtown East Lansing and other downtowns are becoming more evening entertainment areas than daytime shopping districts.

The council also increased prices. Parking in garages will cost 75 cents per 30 minutes, up from 70 cents, and surface lots will now cost $1 per 30 minutes, up from 75 cents. Special event parking — think football Saturdays — will have a $25 maximum charge, compared to $20 last year.

The new meters have new payment technology from Passport Mobile Parking, accessible either via a web site or a smartphone app. Meter users can both pay via mobile device and use the appif they need to extend their meter time.

Reactions have been varied, Dempsey said, with some unhappy about the added cost to park and others happy about the ability to pay by credit card and mobile app.

The only metered areas to retain the 6 p.m. limit are the 52 spaces along Valley Court Drive. Dempsey said that’s because there is no other attended garage in that part of East Lansing.

Council members “weighed the impact on various businesses” in the vicinity of Valley Court Park, Dempsey said.

The owner of Crunchy’s, 254 W. Grand River, had advocated earlier this year for keeping the 6 p.m. limit.

“We are glad we’re only going to have parking until 6 p.m., because we really have no other options,” Michael Krueger said. “It’s a bummer the budget is at the point it’s at that they’ve decided this is one of the ways they have to plug it.”

Contact Dawn Parker at (517) 377-1056 or dlparker@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @arwen22266.