Elon council weighs paid downtown parking to boost long-term revenue

Downtown Elon could soon start charging drivers by the hour, a sharp reversal from the skepticism that had long met paid parking at Town Hall. Police Chief Kelly Blackwelder laid out a plan this week that would meter only heavily used public spaces downtown, charge only during weekday enforcement hours, and leave evenings, weekends and summer parking free.

Blackwelder said the proposal would apply during the six hours a day when police already enforce parking rules, and only during the 196 days Elon University is in session. The initial plan would cover 75 spaces, with room to expand to 112 if the council wants to include more of the downtown core or adjust for the sidewalk project on the 100 block of North Williamson Avenue. T2 Systems told the council the town could charge $2 an hour through kiosks or QR-code payment instead of traditional meters.

The numbers give a clearer picture of what Elon is considering. T2 Systems estimated annual gross revenue of $138,915 if 75 spaces are metered, or $207,446.40 if the town expands to 112 spaces. The company also projected another $54,880 in parking fines, along with first-year startup costs of $24,649.35 and annual maintenance of $5,928. For a town trying to tighten its books, that kind of income has obvious appeal.

The parking discussion landed just weeks after Town Manager Richard Roedner warned that Elon’s general fund will need about $13.9 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. He proposed raising the property tax rate from 35 cents to 40 cents per $100 of valuation, a 14.3% increase that would bring in about $470,000 more in general-fund revenue. Roedner said the town can no longer rely on reserves to cover growing obligations, and he noted that Elon University’s contributions are less dependable than they once were.

Blackwelder’s proposal also builds on an enforcement system Elon already has in place. In 2023, she told the council the police department wrote about 8,000 to 9,000 parking tickets a year, many to repeat offenders. That same year, the council raised the base fine for violating downtown on-street time limits from $25 to $40.

The policy shift also fits a longer downtown overhaul. Elon’s 2023 downtown master plan followed a 12-month process that began in October 2022 and included a community survey, listening sessions, a parking inventory and workshops. The plan tied downtown’s future to Elon University, Downtown Elon, Inc. and the area’s Main Street identity. More recently, the council approved a North Williamson Avenue streetscaping plan that removes on-street parking on the west side to widen sidewalks and encourage outdoor dining and foot traffic. Paid parking would now add another layer to that redesign, turning downtown parking into both a management tool and a possible revenue source.