Parking meter fees may go up 50 percent

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Thousands of O'ahu motorists will have to use more change when they park at metered stalls on city streets and in municipal parking lots, under a fee increase approved yesterday by the City Council Budget Committee.

The proposed increase drew mixed reviews from drivers.

Some were opposed to any increases, but others said they reluctantly endorse the proposal if it means no tax increases and no reduction in city services.

"One way or another you're going to be paying," said Roy Yamamoto, a Kahala architect. "As it is, they don't have money and they need to find the money somewhere."

Moses Schultz, an executive chef from West Loch, called it "ridiculous" that the city would consider raising parking fees, noting that the state in recent years raised gasoline and cigarette taxes.

"I'm very against them raising meter rates," he said. "Every small amount adds up to big bucks."

The council will hold a public hearing on the proposed increases Monday. A final vote on the proposal is expected next month.

City Budget Director Ivan Lui-Kwan, in response to a request from the council, submitted a proposal calling for about 5,200 stalls to be affected by the increase. Generally, those stalls that now cost $1 an hour would increase to $1.50, while stalls now set at 50 cents an hour would go up to 75 cents.

Monthly parking passes would also increase. Those that now cost $125 a month would be raised to $187.50 while monthly stalls that are now $140 would go to $210.

Lui-Kwan's plan would cover about 3,100 on-street, metered stalls and about 900 off-street, unattended parking lot stalls and 1,200 off-street, attended parking lot stalls.

The plan would pump about $2.4 million more annually into city coffers.

Kobayashi said Lui-Kwan's plan represented a good jumping-off point for discussion, noting that the 50 percent increase is in line with what council members are contemplating. "We'll probably go with that," she said.

Some parking lots not part of Lui-Kwan's plan may also see increases, although Kobayashi stressed that residential parking rates for those living in city-sponsored, low-income residential projects would not be raised.

The special 25-cent-an-hour rates for those parked at the Honolulu Zoo and Kapi'olani Park also will not be touched, she said.

The fee increase is necessary, Kobayashi said, noting that the Council needs to pay for a number of initiatives, such as raises for white-collar city workers. Council members also want to reject Mayor Jeremy Harris' plan to increase tipping fees for trash haulers and will need to find money to offset that plan.

"There's lots to make up, and we can't do it all from cuts," Kobayashi said.

A major consideration was that municipal parking rates have not gone up for at least the past decade, she said. "Some of them are very low," she said, noting that some downtown parking garages charge $300 and up for monthly parking.

Lui-Kwan said the administration is in favor of the bill.

"What we want is to make sure that all the departments have the resources to deliver quality services to the people of Honolulu," he told reporters after the Council meeting.

Opinions on the fee increase were varied among those using municipal stalls in downtown Honolulu yesterday.

Christine Young, a Nanakuli clinical supervisor, said she supports the increase if it will mean staving off higher taxes. "If that's the case, that's good," she said. "It's only a small amount."

Kenn Ishida, an 'Aiea insurance sales agent, said he is opposed to fee increases. "It's tough as it is having to have to come back into the parking lot every three hours," he said, nodding at the three-hour limit sign at the Block J parking lot on Bishop and Beretania streets.

Ishida said that after a year at his job, which requires him to find downtown parking four days a week, he's had to pay two $30 parking tickets.

Orion Barels, a North Shore resident, calls feeding municipal meters "one of my biggest daily expenses." As a commercial sales representative for an office equipment company who covers the area from Bishop Street to Iwilei, he figures he spends about $6 on parking each day.

"But ... the city has its expenses," he said. "And I'm told (parking rates in Honolulu) are not too bad compared to other places."

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.