Cleveland City Council approved legislation Monday night to increase parking rates Downtown

CLEVELAND — Get ready to pay more for parking in Downtown Cleveland.

Cleveland City Council approved legislation Monday night sought by the administration to increase the rates and different city-owned parking garages and lots.

For example, the daily maximum for the Willard Park Garage behind City Hall will go from $15 to $20 dollars.

The West Side Market lot is reducing the free time during market hours from 90 to 60 minutes.

And bad news for Browns fans, special event parking at the Muni lot will go from $30 up to $40.

“We did a lot of debate with the administration, and we made it clear we wanted to keep downtown affordable for the common person, but we do have to understand our expenditures are outpacing our revenues in our parking facilities, so a revenue increase. A rate increase was necessary,” said Ward 2 Councilman Kevin Bishop.

“When you have a lot of folks living downtown, you have a lot of folks parking there all day, so the turnover on our street parking hasn't been happening because a lot of folks have parked there, so it leaves a business owner scrambling to see where their customer would park. The key is turnover parking. We want folks to park short-term. If you want to park long term, you need to find an off-street lot,” Bishop went on to say.

In Downtown Cleveland Tuesday, most, like Joe Kassouf, applauded the move.

“It’s about time, Cleveland is probably the only city left in America that was still using coins,” he said. And that’s something Red Glass of Mentor says a lot of people just don’t carry.

"Younger people are probably never going to use physical money, you know, so it's probably smart to have meters that kind of go with today's climate,” Glass said.

But count Laurie Krupa of Independence as the exception to that rule; she likes the immediacy of the coins.

"I do not use the apps much because I'm very old school,” she said. “I like the old system, to be honest with you."

New prices will go into effect on Oct. 1.

Specific rates can be found below: