The City of San Jose is proposing new parking meters in the downtown area that would create a spike in parking fees.
San Jose currently has some of the cheapest downtown parking across the country with a rate of $1 per hour. That cost may soon double as the city council next week plan to order smart meters that will accept payments via cellphone, debit card, credit cards or coins, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
The plan also calls for the city to provide data for a new app that will show where parking is available. The new meters are estimated to cost $1.3 million.
A rise in parking fees may drive some people away from visiting the downtown area.
"You can go to Santana Row and park for free or Mountain View and park for free," said Steve Barkley, who co-owns Eco City Cycles and serves on the Downtown Residents Association Board of Directors. "Why come to downtown San Jose and risk getting a ticket and now they're doubling the rates adding fuel to the fire."
San Jose has not raised parking rates in more than a decade, and even with the proposed increase the city would be only on park with Oakland's parking rates and still cheaper than San Francisco's fees.
