Finance Panel Weighs Tiered Downtown Parking Rates
Springfield's Finance Committee reviewed a plan to replace the city's flat 50-cent-an-hour parking rate with tiered pricing downtown.
City Council Finance Committee · Meeting of September 28, 2026
Springfield's Finance Committee reviewed a plan to replace the city's flat 50-cent-an-hour parking rate with tiered pricing downtown. Consultant Jason told councilors citywide on-street utilization sits at just 39 percent against an 85 percent ideal, and that Springfield collects far less per space than Northampton, Hartford and West Hartford. The plan would raise prime on-street rates to as much as $1.50 an hour while removing roughly 95 underused spaces from pricing entirely.
A Springfield Parking Authority representative, Tim, said the agency's revenue collapsed after MGM Springfield's garage opened in 2018 and after the city sold its former Civic Center garage to the state, calling it "30 percent of our revenues gone." Councilors questioned a modeled $140 monthly garage rate and how increases would be communicated. The committee set a fuller presentation for the full council on October 19.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,367 words
Source: the City Council Finance Committee meeting of September 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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