Council Slashes Parking Rates on West Marshall Street

According to The Times Herald, Norristown Municipal Council voted Tuesday night to cut the $1.50-an-hour parking rate along the West Marshall Street business corridor to 75 cents an hour. Many business owners had suggested a 50 cents-an-hour rate.

Residents and business owners had been lobbying council for reduced rates since the meters were installed in February of this year. 

“We will lose $37,400 in revenue by cutting the fee by half,” Finance Director Richard Zawisza told the Herald. “It is a very large concession to give up half of our fees. Our budget deficit this year is $364,807.”

Councilman Marlon Millner reportedly pointed out that the lower parking fee could lead to more revenue from increased traffic on West Marshall Street.

Complaints about the increased parking ticket costs (now $28), overly-aggressive parking enforcement and poor signage and parking times at nearby Poley Park were also made by West Enders in previous months. The Poley Park issue was adressed at Tuesday's meeting.

Council discussed the possibility of increasing the two-hour limit at for public parking at Poley Park to four hours, but many council members voiced support for keeping the two-hour limit.

“We should allow this meter parking change to play out," said Council President Gary Simpson, according to the Herald. "We are not putting this cost onto residents. It needs to stay at two hours.”

Read more about council's parking discussion here.

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