He said there is ample parking for those who visit the city, with approximately 1,600 available spots on the city’s streets and countless more in parking garages.
“If you’re looking as a transient parker looking to visit, you’re going to find availability,” Schroer said.
But many garages are mainly used for monthly renters at a costly price, he said.
Of the 35,015 monthly parking spots, only a little more than 12 percent are available, an analysis by this newspaper has shown. Monthly parking rates don’t come cheap either, ranging anywhere between $40 and $210 per month.
Schroer said that’s comparable to other cities of Cincinnati’s size. In Cleveland, a city of more than 400,000, the median monthly parking rate is $140 compared to $160 in Cincinnati. There are approximately 44,600 total spots in Cleveland.
In Columbus, the median rate drops to $110, according to a 2011 published study Colliers International. Columbus also has a higher number of metered spots than Cincinnati with 3.350, according to Rick Tilton, the city’s assistant director for public service.
The national average is $155, according to the study.
A closer look by sector in Cincinnati shows monthly parking rates at garages located near the riverfront are considerably cheaper at only $55, compared to the southeast sector at $152. The southeast sector is east of Vine Street and south of Sixth Street to the Ohio River.
According to statistics by the Downtown Cincinnati Inc., the highest monthly parking rate is $210 at the Fountain Square North garage, located at the heart of the Central Business District and the cheapest coming in at $40 at a PCA lot located at the intersection of Third and Gest streets near the riverfront.
“It’s all about location,” Schroer said. “How close do they want to be to work?
“If you work in the southeastern or northeastern part of the town — it’s busy there and parking is pretty tight as far as capacity.”
Of the 12,060 total spaces, only 640 - or about 5 percent - are available in those two sectors. Meanwhile, of the 11,326 spaces available near the riverfront - almost 23 percent - are available.
“It’s expensive in that southeastern quadrant of town,” Schroer said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or Kareem.Elgazzar@coxohio.com.
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