Parking along Wilson Boulevard became a little more expensive Oct. 15. The meters there had cost one cent per minute. They were increased to two cents per minute.
“No special efforts were made to notify students of the change,” Director of Parking Glen Sicard said.
He added that the meters, however, are “labeled with the [new] price” and “that not all the people that use [the meters] are UR students.”
Assistant Director of Parking Nancy Dailey agreed with Sicard. She said the meters were intended to be used primarily for park patrons.
The rates had been in line with other two hour parking meters around the city until the change, said John Banaldi, who oversees meters for the City of Rochester.
The change was cost driven, as costs to maintain both Bausch & Lomb Riverside Park and Wilson Boulevard have increased over the past ten years, Sicard said.
The meters are owned by the City of Rochester, are administered by UR, and fund the park, which is city owned. The decision to increase the cost of the meters was made by UR. The park runs the length of Wilson Boulevard between the road and Genesee River.
“We have no jurisdiction over those meters,” Banaldi said.
“At their previous rates, they weren’t covering the costs of maintaining the park,” Dailey said.
Sicard said the change in price also has to do with future considerations, as plans are currently in the works to beautify the entire park between Hill Court and the Genesee River Footbridge.
Two years ago, the city, with funding from the Wilson Boulevard meters, beautified a section of the park between Ford Street Bridge and Hill Court.
Hildebrandt can be reached at thildebrandt@campustimes.org.
