Parking rates at three parking locations at the Downtown Mall will increase effective August 1.
The Market St. and Water St. Parking Garages' rates will increase from $1.50 to $2 an hour. Daily maximum rates will increase from $12 to $16.
The upcoming rate increases mark the final phase of a plan to increase revenue at the parking facilities, according to Bob Stoh, president of Charlottesville Parking Center. Rates were also increased in January and March.
"It's just the cost of business," Stoh said. "[It's] not anything unusual. You [have to] pay for more employees, and pay for all of the expenses, and utilities."
With the increases in parking rates, visitors at the Downtown Mall will find more stores offering forms of parking validation.
"I think you'll see more variety as people look at their needs," Stoh said. "It is very possible you'll see a change in the future."
However, Stoh and the parking center support the use of Charlottesville's public transportation and encourage patrons of the Downtown Mall to use those services.
"We'd love it if people used buses, trolleys or carpools against single transport cars," Stoh said. "There are some great alternative for driving, like [taking] the trolley."
The Charlottesville Transportation Service said it will not be able to measure if there is a significant change in the number of people riding public transportation to the Downtown Mall.
"It is hard to tell increases in our ridership from the price going up or from schedules changing," Evelyn Trice of CTS said. "There's so much that's going to be affected by [this change.]"
Rebecca White, director of University Parking and Transportation, said she hopes more University students will opt to take the trolley to the Downtown Mall instead of paying for parking.
"I would hope they use the trolley since it's so convenient," White said. "[This] might be the tipping point for whether or not students drive downtown or take the trolley."
Compared with some other, smaller, college towns, Charlottesville's parking rates remain relatively high. Hanover, N. H., home to Dartmouth College, has parking rates of 50 cents per hour at meters and 10 hour parking for $2. Williamsburg, Va., home to the College of William & Mary in addition to hosting many tourists, advertises two hour parking lots for no cost.
Stoh believes that Charlottesville's high cost of parking is a result of its urban parking structures.
"The cost of the structures is more expensive," Stoh said. "Most of these people are operating on service lots, or they just pave over a lot and put parking there. We don't consider that good urban planning."
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