The new Knighton garage was named after the guy who donated the land to the city that the garage was built on (I believe). The other city garages are also named after individuals (Gotts and Hillman), but I don't know the reasons behind those names.
The stadium is very inconvenient and that's where most state employees are expected to park. For nine months of the year, the parking garages under the house and senate buildings sit empty. Legislators claim "security reasons" for not at least opening them up to state employees to free up more spots for visitors in the public garages. (I believe the state leases the majority of the spaces in the Gotts and county garages).
At least the city stadium shuttle service is free now. In the past, you had to pay to park (unless you were a state employee) and then pay 75 cents to ride the shuttle (again, unless you were a state employee). Now, it's just a flat $5 to park, which is a ripoff unless you're staying at least 6 hours.
There is at least one privately owned parking garage open to the public on Calvert Street. It's underneath a private building and is primarily for building tenants, however, and that's why it is allowed. Some restaurants near City Dock offer valet parking, but I have no idea where they actually park the cars.
The city and county do not actually run the parking garages. They contract it out to ParkAmerica. It is a VERY poorly run operation, perhaps even more so than if the city ran it itself. I pay cash every day for parking and when I leave (at a normal time), no one is ever in the booth. Usually the worker is on the phone or watching television and it is usually a minute or two before anyone actually comes out to take my money. This only happens in the county garage though. In the city garages, I get to listen to the person in the booth holding a cell phone conversation. With the electronic price signs, she doesn't even have to stop talking to her friend...she just points to the sign.
There are several new buildings going up on West Street between the circles. So much so that you wouldn't recognize it if you haven't been here in awhile. Most, if not all, of the projects include parking, but I don't know how much of it will be available to public.
Originally Posted by Analise
Well that explains the dearth of parking right there; it's government run. I never knew that. Annapolis needs better parking availability and parking at the stadium is very inconvenient.
So how did this new parking lot come to be? It's got a personal name on it so I have to wonder how that can happen if the private sector is clearly not wanted.
What is the logic of not offering people the opportunity to run their own garage business? West Street seems like a perfect place to have competing parking garages as it's within walking distance of the circles and the Academy.