Detroit ready to monetize parking system

Internal report shows city ready to send out request for proposal

DETROIT – To say Detroit's parking system has been ineffectively run for years is being gracious; an auditor general's report exposes bad accounting and bad management practices.

A new internal report obtained by Local 4 shows the city is ready to send out a request for proposal, or RFP, to gauge the interest selling the system would generate.

Not only are the books in bad shape but so is the infrastructure. The report estimates it needs $40 million in improvements.

"The City Council is going to take up the cleaning up of all the parking issues including the facilities," said City Council President Pro Tem George Cushingberry.

Cushingberry, the mayor and the emergency manager want to see if monetizing or privatizing the parking system makes sense. The status quo clearly isn't working.

The report also expects parking prices to go up if a third party takes over the system. How much and what rate remains to be seen. Municipal parking is currently some of the least expensive in the city.

The City Council expects to take up approval of the RFP next Tuesday.


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