LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A community meeting focused on parking in Las Vegas’ Arts District drew a packed house Tuesday at the Third Street Theatre, where residents and business owners voiced frustrations over meter rates, enforcement hours, the lack of a grace period and safety concerns.
The meeting follows a rate increase the city of Las Vegas implemented at the end of last year, raising parking from $2 to $4 per hour. Private paid lots also began appearing in the area during that same period.
City, council members hear concerns
City Councilmember Olivia Diaz, the executive director for Community Development and members of the City Parking Enterprise attended the meeting.
“We are trying to be thoughtful, we are trying to be responsive, we are trying to figure out the best path forward,” a city representative said.
As guests arrived, they had the opportunity to review proposed changes that had been put on pause and weigh in on them. The city said the goal of Tuesday’s meeting was to hear concerns and return to the drawing board to determine whether changes could be implemented.
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Attendees cite safety, access and cost
One attendee said parking uncertainty was keeping them away from the district entirely.
“I don’t come to the Arts District because I can’t tell whether or not I am going to get a ticket,” the attendee said.
Another raised concerns about the safety of clients navigating the area at night.
“I have a lot of clients that don’t really feel the most comfortable in the Downtown space — they are braving it for me. But at night, I don’t think I can ask my very young female client to walk blocks and blocks to park in a zone where they can potentially get 7-hour parking,” the attendee said.
One attendee offered a specific proposal: “Expand employee permit parking to eliminate the wait list, set aside a dedicated amount of permits at 10 to 15 dollars per month for Arts District employees.”
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18B Arts District vows continued pressure
Members of the 18B Arts District, a collective of small business owners, told FOX5 their efforts to roll back the rate increase will not end with Tuesday’s meeting.
“We are going to be having monthly meetings, and we have separate quarterly meetings to talk about all kinds of issues,” said Josh Kellman, president of the 18B Arts District.
What the city communicated
The city conveyed three key points to attendees:
- Parking operates as its own entity, meaning dollars generated from parking go back only to the parking fund.
- Tuesday’s meeting will not be the last. The city plans to review public comments and identify where adjustments could be made.
- The city’s data was generated from a 2019 study.
The date of the next meeting has not been announced.
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