Cheyenne council repeals downtown time-limited paid parking after hours of debate

The Cheyenne City Council voted March 10 to repeal the city's paid on-street parking districts and related time-limited parking rules on third and final reading, after more than two hours of public comment and council debate over alternatives including free garage parking and a temporary sunset for any new program.

The repeal removes the city's authority to impose time-limited on-street parking within the Downtown Development District as described in the city code and sends downtown parking policy choices back to council and staff to pursue with business stakeholders.

Councilmembers and downtown stakeholders framed the issue as a choice between encouraging customer turnover on commercial streets and reducing perceived barriers for people who come downtown to shop and dine. Several downtown business owners and property representatives told council they supported repeal; others warned that removing time limits entirely would allow long-term parkers and employees to occupy curb spaces and harm small retailers.

"I think it's worth a try," said Councilmember Dan Seagrave, who argued the city could save enforcement costs and boost downtown visitation by eliminating time limits and, in a later amendment, by offering free parking in the municipal garages. Seagrave told colleagues the city had spent nearly $300,000 a year enforcing downtown parking and pointed to a figure of about $202,051 in citations issued during a recent period as evidence enforcement was not working as intended. "If people didn't have to pay for…