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Asheville staff propose meter changes, South Slope expansion and fee shifts to boost revenue and turnover
Summary
Transportation staff proposed a package of parking changes — administrative fixes, permit and garage-rate adjustments, extending meter enforcement to 8 p.m., and a targeted South Slope expansion — intended to improve turnover, address long permit wait lists and generate revenue that can support parking maintenance and transit contributions.
Jessica Morris, assistant director of transportation, told council that parking policy should prioritize turnover and access rather than solely revenue generation and presented coordinated low-, medium- and high-impact options for FY2027.
Low-impact recommendations would add administrative authority (for example, allowing special-event rates in specific lots and clarifying fees for illegal parking) and add flexibility to on-street permit pricing bands. Medium-impact moves include a $20 monthly increase for high-demand garage permits at Rankin, Wall Street and Builtmore and a $5 increase in lot permit rates aimed at shifting demand and creating additional monthly on-street permit capacity.
High-impact alternatives include three related choices: reducing the first-hour-free policy to a 15-minute grace period in garages, extending meter enforcement to 8 p.m. to capture evening visitor demand, and a targeted South Slope meter and permit expansion that staff estimate could produce about $498,000 in gross first-year revenue with near-term startup costs that reduce first-year net and ongoing net revenue of roughly $300k annually thereafter.
Council reaction and considerations: councilors asked for clearer side-by-side net revenue calculations, expressed concern about removing the first-hour-free policy and about the South Slope timing (noting upcoming stormwater construction). Several members said they want to protect first-hour-free for locals and asked for stakeholder engagement and phased approaches for any expansion. Staff committed to return with more granular net figures and an implementation timetable ahead of the April 14 follow-up.
How this ties to budget: staff noted parking revenue supports facility maintenance and has in the past underwritten portions of transit funding; council asked staff to show how proposed fee changes would flow to parking debt-service and transit commitments.
