Fort Wayne, Indiana – Beginning in September, readers visiting the Allen County Public Library’s main branch will be able to take advantage of free hour-long parking.
The underground garage at 900 Library Plaza, as well as the surrounding lots on Webster, Harrison, and Wayne Streets in downtown Fort Wayne, will use a gateless parking system. According to a press release issued Tuesday, the change, which allows for three hours of free parking, was originally scheduled to take effect on August 18 but will now be implemented on September 8 to give visitors more time to adjust.
Visitors must enter the library to access the three hours of free parking. Those who park in designated lots but leave downtown must pay.
According to the release, library officials cited “technical and mechanical challenges” with the current parking system, as well as “repeated vandalism causing traffic backups and unanticipated maintenance costs” over the years as reasons for the change. According to the release, the gates have been inoperable for the majority of this year, allowing anyone to park in areas designated for the library, making it more difficult for actual library visitors to access nearby parking.
“After months of trying to improve the current system, the Library determined that a new system was needed,” according to the statement.
In June, the ACPL Board of Trustees approved the installation of a new system from ABM Industries, Inc., a company that also manages other local facilities such as the Civic Center Parking Garage downtown.
Directions will be posted in the lots, and all paid sessions will require payment with a credit or debit card. Parking costs $1 per hour and has a daily maximum of $7. ABM staff will monitor the lots and check license plate numbers to ensure compliance with the new system.
Violations will be cited; according to the release, library staff will collaborate with ABM to allow for citation flexibility as the community adjusts to the new system. Learn more at the library’s website.
Parking remains free at all other ACPL locations.
