Free downtown CR weekend parking doesn’t include ramps

I am a 73 year old responsible individual. I attend classes or activities daily at the YMCA.

I had been informed by fellow Y members that parking was free on the weekends downtown.

On a recent Saturday, I parked in a ramp very near the YMCA. About a month later, I received a parking citation in the mail, stating because I had not paid the initial ticket, I now owed $20. I was in shock. I thought there must be a mistake. First, I never received the first ticket, presumably placed on my windshield, and secondly, I thought weekends were free.

I disputed the ticket and offered to pay what it would have been for the first ticket that I never got, but there was no winning. The ramps are 24/7. Lesson learned for me, but I suspect there are many people like myself, who are not aware of this. I also suspect this might be a way for the city to make more money off ticketing, i.e., not writing up the first ticket and putting it on the windshield, thereby, doubling the fee.

I went back to the ramp to look at the signage. There is no mention in the interior of the ramp of the 24/7 enforcement. There is however a sign before entering the ramp, fairly far down on the sign referring to the 24/7 enforcement.

I hope this helps someone in the future. This does illustrate one of the parking issues Cedar Rapids has.

Pat Myers

Cedar Rapids