ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — Some Ithaca city leaders are concerned about a potential change.
The Ithaca Common Council is planning to implement new parking fees in 2026. The fees would affect Saturday parking; it would no longer be free to park in city garages or on downtown streets.
Ithaca Alderperson Pierre Saint-Perez said the anticipated revenue from the fees might not be realistic.
“I’m not confident that it will materialize into what we want it to, and I think it might have unanticipated consequences,” he said. “This said, given our current financial state, I don’t see that we have much of a choice but to authorize [the fees].”
According to city estimates, Saturday garage fees are anticipated to generate $110,000 in annual revenue. Saturday street parking fees are expected to generate $85,000 in annual revenue.
Ithaca Alderperson David Shapiro said the process to implement the fees has been rushed.
“We have not had enough time to gather community input,” he said.
The Common Council meets on Nov. 12 to vote on the 2026 budget, which includes the proposed fees.
