ROANOKE, Va. – Parking changes are coming to the Star City.
Roanoke City Council approved the code changes earlier this week, impacting the way you appeal tickets and short-term parking downtown.
On appeals, if your initial request gets denied, you’ll have 30 days to further pursue it in court. That’s a change from 60 days.
On short-term parking, you’ll have to move your car 500 feet, which is about a block, for two hours after reaching your time limit. It used to be 500 feet or for ten minutes.
Park Roanoke said that comes after an internal audit found people weren’t moving very much and it’s all about helping businesses.
“When we create turnover in those spots downtown, it allows to come downtown, to visit the merchants downtown, to bring their money and spend it downtown, have a place to park, get in, do their business, get in, get something to eat and get back out,” said Brian Mann, enterprise administrator for Park Roanoke.
These changes take effect on April 1.
Park Roanoke is working on a program specifically to help people in the service industry who work downtown.