Ferndale Proposes First Parking Rate Increase in 14 Years

How much did you pay to park for a night on the town back in 2005? If you were in Ferndale, the answer is easy: the same as today.  

The City of Ferndale is looking at increasing parking rates after more than a decade of unchanged prices. Ferndale City Council will consider the new pricing structure as well as a modification of enforcement hours at their Jan. 28 meeting; if approved, it will be the City’s first parking rate increase in more than fourteen years.

The rate recommendation includes increasing the hourly parking rate from fifty-cents to $1 dollar per hour for metered parking throughout the city. Additionally, City Council will consider a recommendation to adjust parking enforcement hours from the current 10 a.m. through 9 p.m. to 11 a.m. through Midnight.    

“The City’s parking system pays for itself, which fourteen years ago consisted only of surface lots and coin meters,” said Joseph Gacioch, the City’s Assistant City Manager. “With downtown growth comes the need for more parking, and our proposed rate increase reflects that.”

The City is less than two weeks away from breaking ground on The dot, a mixed-use parking development to be located on W. Troy St. The new development, which will replace the existing W. Troy surface lot, will bring 400 parking spaces, active street-level commercial space, and a pedestrian-oriented streetscape.

Gacioch said that great care was taken to ensure that the proposed increase would be just enough to meet increased parking needs.

“Even with the increase, Ferndale will still be the lowest parking rate of any comparable parking system in the Detroit metro area,” Gacioch said. “The goal is always to keep our prices as low as possible while still providing the best possible service.”

The City has worked closely with Ferndale’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) staff and Board of Directors on the proposal. The DDA Board voted to approve the rate increase and enforcement time adjustment at their Jan. 10 meeting.

“The DDA Board was supportive of the new rate structure and enforcement hours because they align with the overall plan for downtown parking improvement,” said Barry Hicks, Executive Director of the DDA. “After listening to the business community, which asked for more parking, better services, and options for their customers, the changes make sense.”

‍