Downtown Kalamazoo has a new parking system this year, and city officials say early feedback has already led to several changes.
In this episode of Kalamazoo & You, Communications Manager Michael Smith spoke with Rob Bacigalupi, principal at Mission North, LLC, the firm the city hired to help modernize its parking system. Bacigalupi said new digital kiosks deployed this spring replaced the city’s old mechanical meters, allowing staff to adjust rates and time limits more quickly and to collect data on parking demand. After the initial rollout drew feedback from downtown businesses, the Downtown Development Authority, and Downtown Coordinator Meghan Behymer, the city made three changes by May 8: a free 15-minute grace period at all meters, reduced evening enforcement, and extended time limits in many areas from 90 minutes to three hours.
Bacigalupi said downtown offers more parking than many people realize, including free and paid on-street spaces, private lots, and free 90-minute parking in the city’s two ramps near the Kalamazoo Mall and Michigan Avenue. Downtown residents who need to park overnight — which isn’t allowed on most city streets — can also purchase an affordable on-street parking permit rather than relying on a ramp. He said Kalamazoo’s mix of free and paid options compares favorably to similarly sized cities like Lansing and South Bend, and is far more generous than larger cities like Grand Rapids, Detroit, or Chicago.
At the kiosks, drivers hit the green button, tap to start a session, enter their license plate number, and pay by credit card or coin — no dollar bills, since they tend to jam the machines. Drivers can also pay through the ParkMobile app, or scan the QR code on the kiosk to pay through a mobile browser without downloading anything. Officials pointed residents to the interactive map at parkkalamazoo.org to find available options.
