East Village parking meters will now charge on nights and weekends

The Des Moines Register

The days of parking for free on evenings and weekends in the East Village are over.

Des Moines is extending its new parking plan to the historic neighborhood starting April 23. Ticket enforcement begins June 4.

That means you will pay to park at meters from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday on every street in the East Village and Market District neighborhoods.

Meters in the East Village will now charge from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

That's an additional three hours every night, plus the new 12-hour period on Saturdays. Sundays are still free.

It encompasses the streets between the Des Moines River to the west, Pennsylvania Avenue/Southeast 7th Street to the east, Lyon Street to the north, and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to the south. (See the blue shaded area on the map below.)

Prices range from $1.25 per hour in the core shopping district and 25 cents to 75 cents per hour in the perimeter. Most meters accept credit cards.

The city has also opened up 600 free parking spaces in the East Village, including:

on the bridges over the Des Moines River, including Grand Avenue, Locust Street, Walnut Street and Court Avenue; (Only a limited number of free spaces are available 24/7 on the river bridges. Look for a green bag over the meter that says "free parking." Spaces without those bags are free after 6 p.m. and all day on weekends.)
on Pennsylvania Avenue between Des Moines Street and E. Court Avenue.;
on Lyon Street between E. 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue;
on East 2nd Street north of Des Moines Street;
on East 4th Street north of Des Moines Street;
and at the Capitol Complex Parking Garage on the corner of East Grand Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue.

The surface parking lot at 430 E. Grand Ave. is free after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends.

►Here's our ultimate guide to parking in downtown Des Moines

The city's Park Downtown Des Moines program aims to move long-term parkers, mostly downtown workers and residents, off streets and into garages. The goal is to free up curb parking for people visiting restaurants and businesses.

The extended meter hours started in the Court Avenue district in January.

Longer hours will move to the Western Gateway Park neighborhood this summer, and the rest of downtown by the end of 2018.