Hot take: downtown parking passes are a trap for small biz owners

I run a print shop on Gratiot near Campus Martius, been there 3 years. Last month I finally caved and bought a monthly parking pass for $120 at a lot two blocks away because I was tired of feeding meters every 45 minutes. Figured it would save me time and headaches. But I swear I'm spending more now because I still gotta run out and move my car for construction zones or random event closures like the auto show weekends. Plus the lot gets flooded with Tigers game traffic and I sit there for 15 minutes just to get out. I'm thinking of just switching back to parking on side streets and walking the extra 10 minutes. Anyone else dealing with this parking struggle downtown or found a better spot near Gratiot and the Fisher?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jason21d ago

Exactly what Barbara278 said, plus those pass lots hike prices on game days anyway.

barbara27826d ago

Ugh, I feel this so hard. I was doing the same dance with the meters near the Market a few years back and finally got a pass at a lot that seemed like a steal. But then I'm sitting there every time there's a flash flood warning or a random parade watching my car get boxed in by people who clearly don't care about leaving space. And the construction on Gratiot is just constant, right? Like you think you've found a rhythm and then they block off your whole block for a week to fix a water main.