FINANCAL RELIEF ANNOUNCED FOR PARKERS

IN DOWNTOWN CEDAR RAPIDS

Cedar Rapids -- Cedar Rapids’ downtown parking system has enacted sweeping changes in response to the Covid-19 crisis to provide relief and assistance to downtown workers and businesses. Working cooperatively, the City of Cedar Rapids, Park Cedar Rapids and the Downtown Parking Management Board have taken the following steps, effective immediately:

• Monthly permit parking fees are waived for April.
• On-street parking regulations remain in effect for safety and control purposes only, with enforcement limited to public safety concerns and situations in which violators are significantly impeding businesses or city services.
• Remaining ParkCR staff are being redirected to monitoring facilities for safety purposes, cleaning and disinfecting public use areas and performing maintenance that’s more effectively done during periods of low use. Their focus will be on creating solutions for these unique circumstances, such as helping downtown restaurants how to safely set up pick-up services.

The fee waiver amounts to more than $220,000 in financial relief for April. For workers who pay for their own parking, the average savings is about $60 depending on which facility they use. For companies that pay for parking for all of their employees, the waiver could amount to several thousand dollars of financial assistance. Additional relief may be considered for future months based on business resumption and parking facility use in coming weeks.

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Park Cedar Rapids runs the day-to-day operations of the municipal parking ramps and lots and the on-street parking system in Downtown Cedar Rapids. Learn more at www.parkcedarrapids.com.

Downtown Parking Management, Inc (DPMI) sets policy and oversees management of the parking system in an agreement with the City of Cedar Rapids. The DPMI Board is made up of downtown business owners and stakeholders with a focus on making parking work for economic development and business success.