Parking Kiosks Coming to Kalamazoo Mall This Week
Published on September 24, 2024
Four new parking kiosks will be installed on the Kalamazoo Mall this week as part of an ongoing effort to improve downtown parking and increase the availability of convenient, on-street parking spaces for shoppers visiting nearby restaurants and businesses.
The installation will start tomorrow, Wednesday, September 25, and is expected to be completed the following day. The kiosks will go into effect once the installation is complete.
Parking on the Kalamazoo Mall between Michigan Avenue and Lovell Street will cost $2.00 per hour, with a maximum duration of 90 minutes. After parking their vehicle, visitors can walk up to any of the kiosks and pay by entering their license plate number. The kiosks accept cash and cards (but do not give change). Visitors can also pay using a mobile device with either the Parkmobile or Oobeo apps. Since this is a “pay-by-plate" system, nothing needs to be displayed in the parked vehicle after payment- parking attendants will verify payment by referencing the vehicle’s license plate number.
Free parking will still be available nearby in the Epic Center and Kalamazoo Mall parking ramps, which have offered free 90-minute parking since November.
“It may seem contrary that implementing paid parking on the Kalamazoo Mall can spur more economic activity downtown, but there is science behind good management of parking systems,” explained Rob Bacigalupi, principal at Mission North, the firm hired by the City to help update the parking system. “Following this and the other recommendations in the Downtown Parking Blueprint will be a big step forward for downtown, benefitting businesses, residents, and visitors.”
Parking turnover, a key concept in parking management, refers to the frequency with which parking spaces, particularly on-street spaces, are used. The more these spaces are turned over, the more opportunities there are for sales. If higher turnover is encouraged by paid parking, fewer spaces are needed to serve the trips generated by stores and it’s easier for people to find on-street parking.
“With more on-street parking available, visitors will have more options: pay a small fee for the most convenient spaces, or park for free in a parking ramp and take a short walk to your destination.”
When the Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Master Plan was adopted in 2017 it called for a new parking plan. That need was reiterated in a Retail Market Analysis of Downtown Kalamazoo conducted by Gibbs Planning Group, which noted that the parking system and the street system were the two largest barriers holding back Downtown Kalamazoo from reaching its full economic potential.
A plan to address the needs of the parking system called the Downtown Parking Blueprint was developed in 2019 and updated in 2023 after a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It calls for a multi-tiered parking pricing structure, with higher rates where demand is highest (like on the Kalamazoo Mall), and lower rates elsewhere (like parking ramps). It also recommends adjusting the timing to better match demand and creating residential overnight parking to accommodate downtown residents and their guests.
In 2022, the City of Kalamazoo hired the parking and mobility firm Mission North to help implement the Downtown Parking Blueprint. Several steps have already been taken. A new management company, PCI Municipal Services, was selected to manage the system and started in February under the name Park Kalamazoo (replacing Central City Parking). In August, the City Commission approved several updates to ordinances related to the parking system to modernize the language, adjust fees, and allow for an overnight residential permit system to be developed.
“We’re excited to bring a modern parking experience to Kalamazoo, and better utilize the more than 2,700 parking spaces downtown to improve the life of residents, the convenience of customers, and the bottom line for businesses.”