Downtown Parking

Use Your Debit/Credit Card to Pay for Parking

Since April 1, 2007 hourly customers at the Maynard parking structure, near Borders in downtown, have had the option to use a pay-in-lane station as well as a cashier during non-peak hours of the day. Pay in lane stations are automated pay stations. The pay-in-lane station allows for two points of exit on each side of the parking deck. Customers can pay with cash or credit and debit cards in this location.

New Parking Spaces in Downtown Ann Arbor

There are now six new on-street parking spaces in downtown Ann Arbor, located on the 400 block of

South Main Street

in front of the Ashley Mews building. The cost to park in this location will be $1.00 per hour as it is throughout the rest of downtown, but these new spaces will utilize a unique technology – a central pay station rather than parking meters. This central pay station will accept multiple forms of payment, providing customers the option of paying with credit cards, paper money, or coins.

Using this equipment is fairly straight forward. After a customer parks their vehicle they should note the space number for the space they parked in and walk to the central pay station in the middle of the block that can be recognized by the parking symbol on the side. Once at the multi-space box the customer will enter their space number and insert their coins or paper money ($1, $5, or $10 bills) for the amount of time they wish to park for, up to two hours. Customers using a credit card (MasterCard or Visa) will need to pay for a one hour minimum, but they can purchase a second hour if they wish. Once the transaction is complete, the customer can then receive an optional receipt.

The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority worked with Republic Parking to install this multi-space box. Multi-space boxes have replaced meters in many communities, due to the convenience of multiple payment options, as well as the visual appeal of only having one or two pay stations per block instead of multiple meters. This multi-space box will be a demonstration model for downtown Ann Arbor and will give community members the opportunity to try it out and let the DDA know what they think about it.

Cash Value Cards are Now Available for Meter Usage

Downtown parking patrons now have an option to feeding meters without coins. Republic Parking and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority are introducing a pilot program allowing the use of cash value cards to pay for meter usage. Cash cards allow customers to purchase time on parking meters and eliminate the need to carry change.

Using a cash card is quick and easy to use. After the customer parks their vehicle, they insert the card into the diagonal slot to the left of the coin slot on the parking meter. As the customer holds the card in the slot, 15 minute time increments will be put on the meter, up to that meter’s time limit. To stop putting time on the meter, simply remove the card.

Cash cards may be purchased in increments of $25.00 or $50.00 and are available for purchase at the Republic Parking offices in both the Maynard Structure and the Ann and Ashley Structure during the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. A deposit of $10.00 will be collected at the time of purchase, which will be refunded when the card is returned to the office in the Maynard Structure. Cash cards can be paid for by cash or credit/debit card (MasterCard or Visa) at the Maynard Structure office, or by cash at the Ann and Ashley Structure office. Cash cards are also refillable; this can be done at the Maynard Structure office during normal business hours.

For additional information on any of these programs, please contact the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority office at dda@a2dda.org or call 734/994-6697.