WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Downtown Wichita is getting ready for paid parking with less than a week away from official implementation. The city says crews have begun putting up signs and kiosks across downtown on Douglas, St. Francis, and Emporia. KSN looks into what you can expect.
Downtown Wichita is preparing for paid parking to start with city crews installing new kiosks and signs on Wednesday ahead of enforcement day, July 1.
Council Member Brandon Johnson says this is aimed at maintaining and managing the city’s downtown parking infrastructure.
“We have a lot of maintenance when it comes to parking garages, also taking care of the equipment that we have and maintaining our parking spaces,” said Brandon Johnson, Wichita Council Member, District 1.
You’ll pay $1 an hour or $5 a day for public parking lots and $10 daily for parking structures. Paid parking will be enforced between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
“If you have cash, the kiosk can take it; if you have coins, the kiosk can take it. If you want to use your car, the kiosk can take that as well as the meter, and you’ll have the app on your phone,” Johnson said.
Johnson also said that he is aware of the concerns from business owners and employees who work in downtown Wichita, noting that change is hard but necessary.
“Based on the studies that we saw from the Greater Wichita Partnership that showed that when paid parking is implemented, you really don’t see a reduction in foot traffic. Sometimes you see an increase cause now I actually know that maybe there is a parking spot there and somebody’s not sitting there all day,” Johnson said.
Johnson believes Wichitans will still come downtown.
“I’m confident that our businesses downtown have quality enough products that people are going to show up. And, you know, even if they share that they may be losing a few customers, I think people would show up to support them. I know I would.”
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