The Anchorage Assembly is floating a proposal to get rid of on-street parking fees for people with mobility issues or disabilities.
Assembly member Daniel Volland represents Downtown Anchorage and was one of the sponsors of the ordinance.
“I want people to be able to come downtown,” Volland said. “And I think we can make it easier for folks who have challenges with mobility, make it a little bit easier on them to get around and to get to their essential destinations.”
The ordinance would waive parking fees for spots designated specifically for disabled people and would also set up a permit system where people with mobility issues could park at any parking meter for free.
The ordinance would also increase the fines for people who illegally park at a disabled parking meter. Volland said he hopes the fine increase would open up more spots for those who need them.
“How few and far between those more accessible spots are, I think, is challenging as is,” Volland said. “And if some of those spots are then whittled down even further by folks who aren’t supposed to be taking those spots, I think it can be pretty challenging.”
The penalty for a first offense would go up from $250 to $350, while people with three or more offenses would be charged $750 for each violation — up from $500.
The board of the Anchorage Community Development Authority, which handles the city’s parking meters, expressed support for the ordinance in a resolution.
The Assembly is set to vote on the proposal during its Nov 19 meeting, and Volland said he expects it’ll pass.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
