1. Rochester hopes $12 million plan eases parking squeeze Mike Martindale, The Detroit News 11:53 p.m. EST January 18, 2015 http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2015/01/18/rochester-parking-plan/21953215/

2. Rochester !!! Rochester — The city boasts scores of restaurants, shops, festivals and holiday events that draw thousands to its popular downtown every year. What it doesn’t have is a place for them all to park. Hoping to fix that, the city broke ground earlier this month on a $12 million project to build two tiered parking facilities in the business district that will provide 550 additional spots by next December.

3. “Platforms” While the city has more than 3,000 street and lot spaces around its downtown, surveys found they weren’t “in the right place” — and visitors and merchants frequently complained of not enough spaces to park. The move to build more parking came after two years of talks and study. City officials such as Rochester’s city manager, Jaymes Vettraino, prefer calling the new facilities — one east of Main Street, the other on the west side — “platforms” because “parking structure has a scary ring to it.”

4. Where built, and how financed? The East Platform with a surface lot and one tier will be built on a lot between Fourth and University streets along East. It is expected to be completed in June. The West Platform, with a surface lot and two tiers, is planned west of Main Street along Walnut. Construction is to begin in March and is expected to be completed by November. The first two hours in the lots will be free, $1 an hour afterward. Free parking with shuttles may be provided at some more distant lots. To pay for the project, Vettraino said the city is initially taking on the bond debt, which will be supported by parking revenues, including existing meters; a special three-year assessment of $250,000 spread out over a few hundred businesses; and $50,000 annually from the city’s Downtown Development Authority.

5. The Economics How do you “produce” parking spaces? Is it free? Should it be free? Is it really a public good? Is it free at Oakland Mall? How about Comerica Park? How about WSU? Parking Spaces $ 0 S D

6. The Economics How do they vary the price by time of day? Should they vary the price by time of day? Should it be free? Parking Spaces $ 0 S D