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HomeNewsClarksville Parking Commission restores first-hour free parking in Downtown

Clarksville Parking Commission restores first-hour free parking in Downtown

City of ClarksvilleClarksville, TN – First-hour free parking will continue in Downtown Clarksville after the Parking Commission voted Tuesday to reverse a decision to end the program.

The Commission had voted in July to end the first-hour free offer and set new parking rates for the 196 metered spaces in the City’s core.

The Clarksville Parking Commission voted September 17th to restore “first-hour-free” parking downtown, reversing an earlier decision to end the program.
The Clarksville Parking Commission voted September 17th to restore “first-hour-free” parking downtown, reversing an earlier decision to end the program.

The proposed change had been prompted by ongoing problems with the meters and sensors, which caused outages and created frustration for the public and enforcement challenges for the City. But complaints from downtown business owners and patrons about ending the first-hour free program led to a reconsideration of the change.

Commission Chairman Allen Senseney read a prepared statement and then moved to reverse the commission’s earlier decision.

“After speaking with Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts, downtown business owners, other downtown leaders, and citizens who frequent downtown, I believe the Parking Commission acted prematurely in abolishing the one-hour free parking program,” Senseney said.

“I know there have been problems with the meters, but I think we can, as a body, come up with a better solution than to eliminate such a popular program,” stated Senseney.

The vote to restore the one-hour free parking program indefinitely was unanimous, with Commission members Morgan Knight and Ryan Bowie joining Senseney in voting yes.

The City’s parking operation is managed as an enterprise fund, which is not part of the City’s tax-supported general fund, and must stand on its own to address parking in the city, including building more parking structures.

For now, parking rates will remain first-hour free and each additional hour will be $2.00 for up to three hours total. Parking meters accept payment by coin or with credit and debit cards. A general parking violation carries a $10.00 fine, and other violations, such as parking in unauthorized spaces, can carry a higher fine.

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