texas

‘First in Texas' Parking Meters Come to Popular Fort Worth W. 7th Street

Parking fees can fluctuate based on demand in the area which is a first for Texas.

Fort Worth is trying to fix a parking problem in an upcoming and trendy part of downtown – the W. 7th Street area.

City employees started placing new parking meters in the area Tuesday, which will activate on Aug. 30.

“It’s gotten outrageous. There’s no room for anyone and it’s gotten so much more crowded,” Fort Worth resident Jonathan Fayyazi said. “People are parking on the side of the street. You see them double parked. It’s just hard to get around. Even if you live around here; it gets kind of rough sometimes.”

Parking fees for these meters will vary based on the time of day. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the rate will be $1 per hour. From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., the rate will be $2.50 per hour. There is no fee from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m.

But those parking fees can fluctuate based on demand in the area which is a first for Texas.

“The fluctuation is not something that is happening in a dynamic way. It’s happening over time. So, we will evaluate the demand and we can adjust gradually at most – once per week,” Fort Worth Parking Director Peter Elliott said.

Fees can rise or fall by 25 cents per hour on a weekly basis based on demand. There is a maximum rate of $4.50 per hour and a minimum of $1 per hour.

“It’s done in areas where there is very high demand on parking and limit supply and so it is done mostly to reduce congestion, to reduce circling and to increase turnover on actual spaces,” Elliott said.

City leaders say the sliding pricing scale has been successful in Seattle, New York, San Francisco and Boston. It keeps the flow of people moving in and out of parking spots during times of high demand.

According to city leaders, there are still other parking options including the Fort Worth school district’s Farrington Field, located at the corner of University Drive and Lancaster Avenue. Under a new agreement, 400 spaces will be available for employee parking and fee-based parking for the general public beginning Aug. 30.

Fee-based surface lots and garages in the W. 7th Urban Village are additional alternatives.

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