City rakes in parking fees on South Congress

The conversion of the trendy South Congress strip to paid parking has led to more than $1 million in revenue for the city in its first nine months of operation, per data obtained by Axios through state open records laws.

Why it matters: As Austin continues to expand paid parking outside of downtown, the city is collecting more money from those parking spots for pedestrian projects and other improvements.

Flashback: The city introduced paid parking in the area last fall as part of a broader solution to the area's parking challenges, which included merchants complaining that spots weren't opening fast enough for customers.

How it works: Some areas around South Congress are exclusively paid parking for visitors, while others are shared with residents or employees of businesses in the district.

By the numbers: The city collected nearly $775,000 in parking fees between Sept. 1 and May 31, according to city data.

• The busiest months were March, April, and May when fees totaled more than $100,000 each month.

Plus: City enforcement officers also wrote more than 13,800 tickets on South Congress between Sept. 1 and May 31, levying fines of just over $360,000, or an average of about $25 per ticket.

• Tickets were relatively scant in September and October during an enforcement grace period.

Between the lines: 51% of the net parking fee revenue can be used for mobility improvements around South Congress, such as sidewalk repair and park maintenance, Austin Transportation Department spokesperson Cristal Corrales tells Axios.

• The fines go into the city's general revenue fund.

What's next: The paid parking system is expanding to nearby residential streets.

What they're saying: The parking plan "opens up nearly 2,000 parking spaces for customers and employees that were previously off limits due to residential parking permit requirements," Brandon Hodge, president of the South Congress Merchants Association, tells Axios.

• He owns the candy store Big Top and the toy emporium Monkey See, Monkey Do! and serves on a working committee on area parking with members of the local neighborhood associations.
• "This will be a massive improvement for us," he said.

The other side: "It can take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes to find (free) parking — let alone walk from that spot to your place of work," Isabell Quinn, a server at restaurant Two Hands on South Congress, told KXAN .

Yes, but: Shops and restaurants on South Congress can obtain parking permits for their employees, Hodge said.

• "The paid parking update has resulted in better availability for people visiting the area," Austin transportation officials told KXAN in a statement. "The city is working with merchants to address employee parking concerns, if there is not a sufficient off-street option in the area."

What we're watching: If paid parking, which is already standard downtown, by the University of Texas, and in Mueller, Zilker Park, and parts of East Austin, materializes in other parts of the city.

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