PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Parking rates at the city-owned downtown garages could spike if the Pittsburgh Parking Authority takes action on a consultant’s report to be released shortly.

That report finds public garage rates well-below the market rate of downtown private garages.

The long-term daily rates are about 25 percent below market rates, the analysis finds, while the short-term hourly rates are 39 percent below market rates.

“We’re at a crossroads and we have to figure out what the vision is for the Parking Authority and parking in the city of Pittsburgh,” says city councilwoman Natalia Rudiak, a member of the Parking Authority.

The Parking Authority’s Fort Duquesne and Sixth Avenue Garage is a popular downtown garage. Just a couple blocks away is the Stanwix Garage, privately owned by Chicago-based Interpark.

At the public garage, the first hour is $3.75. At the private garage it’s $7.00.

After four hours, it costs $9.75 to park at the Ft. Duquesne Garage, but after just two hours it’s $16.00 in the Stanwix Garage and $20 after 12 hours.

Parking Authority officials say they will have to study this report before recommending any rate hike. Any such rate hikes would have to be approved by the full board. Nothing is likely to change until the end of the year, at the earliest.

But Rudiak thinks there’s middle ground between low public rates and high commercial rates.

“I do think there’s a happy medium.”

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