City Of Tulsa To Consider Doubling Metered Parking Rates

The City of Tulsa could double the cost of metered parking and eliminate the different rates for meters inside and outside the core of downtown.

Thursday, May 20th 2010, 6:55 pm

By: News On 6

City Of Tulsa To Consider Doubling Metered Parking Rates

By Emory Bryan, The News on 6

TULSA, OK -- The City of Tulsa could double the cost of metered parking and eliminate the different rates for meters inside and outside the core of downtown.

The Tulsa City Council will discuss the proposed ordinance next Tuesday.

Read The Ordinance On The Rate Change

If approved, it would technically take effect immediately, although the current posted rates on the meter would be valid until the meters are changed to reflect the new rates.

The ordinance eliminates a downtown parking zone where higher rates applied, and standardizes all metered parking rates at $1 per hour. The maximum charge currently is 50 cents an hour, and some meter rates are as little as 10 cents an hour.

The hours of operation for meters will remain 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The rate change comes just after Tulsa city councilors learned many downtown meters were inoperable because the city was not replacing the batteries.

The Public Works Department within days reported it had installed new batteries in 70 parking meters but many downtown meters remain covered with trash bags and are not collecting any parking fees.