Saint Joseph paid parking program to return June 12th with changes

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- Some changes are coming to the paid parking program in downtown Saint Joseph when it returns for the season on June 12th.

The program was supposed to restart on June 1st, but that date got pushed back by the City Commission after some input from local business owners.

"Last Monday night our commissioners at their regular meeting all voted to push back the paid parking season a little bit, we got some feedback after we passed the new map for this year, that June 1st was still a little bit early, that our businesses downtown don't really see that big pickup and increase in tourism traffic, so we've pushed the start date back to June 12th," explains Kayla Griffith, City of Saint Joseph Director of Special Projects & Communications.

One of the biggest differences in the program this year is that all of the public parking lots will now be free; some will have a three-hour time limit and others will be all-day.

If folks want to park on the street in front of local businesses, that's where they'll likely need to pay.

From 10am to 6pm, most downtown street parking will be two dollars an hour with a three-hour limit.

Some limited spots on the street will offer 30-minute free parking.

Griffith says the revised plan is the result of learning from last year's problems and open communication with local business owners and residents.

She says paid parking is still needed to keep the flow of traffic moving when it gets busy over the summer months.

"People will park in spots all day in front of these shops and we want to make sure that customers who are coming downtown to pick something up, to grab a quick lunch or dinner, are able to park closest to where they're going," Griffith says. "So paid parking is meant to encourage that turnover, and make sure that if you're coming downtown to shop, if you're coming downtown for just a three-hour amount of time about, then you can come and you can find a spot to park and you don't have to be turned away due to kind of that need for circling or lack of parking."

The program starts June 12th and ends on Labor Day.

You can find more info here: Downtown Parking Program | St. Joseph Michigan