WHO WE ARE
LEXPARK is part of the community and provides services to enrich livability, convenience, economic prosperity and mobility for all. LEXPARK took ownership of three garages from LFUCG along with the management of a fourth in 2012 and began to put millions of dollars into keeping the metered parking and garages affordable, clean, and structurally sound.
We want to be transparent about our organization and the future of parking in Lexington, so we’ve put together some FAQs to help give clarity and keep you informed.
LEXPARK is increasing the cost of citations in September of 2024 due to rising costs of maintaining the aging garages in Lexington. With annual costs up to $1,000,000 per year and nearly $12,000,000 in planned maintenance for the garages, this increase provides much-needed revenue to ensure our parking structures provide quality parking for our community and visitors.
This is the first increase in the meter citation rate since the inception of LEXPARK in 2008.
Pricing increases are frustrating; inflation is frustrating; and LEXPARK is not immune to those rising costs. This will be the first increase in the meter citation rate since the inception of LEXPARK in 2008. We’ve done everything we can to keep costs affordable for as long as we have.
We are not raising the rates for street parking, only the citation. Compliance with parking regulations will mean you can avoid the increase altogether, with no change or impact on your interactions with the meters.
No, LEXPARK is putting all of the earnings raised from this back into the garages that support the economy of downtown.
We pay no dividends, we have no shareholders, and our board of commissioners is made up entirely of volunteers who all live in Fayette County. We are owned and operated by Kentucky residents and are truly Kentucky Proud.
LEXPARK has only had ownership of three garages from LFUCG along with the management of a fourth since 2012. When we stepped in to manage Lexington’s parking structures, we inherited buildings that had been neglected and needed immediate attention. When we took over parking management, we immediately invested $6,000,000 to address deferred structural maintenance. The average age of these garages is 39 years old, with the Helix garage on Main Street now 58 years old.
LEXPARK has 2,200 parking spots under our management in garages:
- Helix Garage – Placed in service 1966 (58 years old)
- Transit Garage – Placed in service 1990 (34 years old)
- Victorian Square Garage – Placed in service 1984 (40 years old)
- Courthouse Garage – Placed in service 2000 (24 years old)
No! LEXPARK is not the local government. Our organization receives no tax dollars or government support. All of our operating budget comes from people using our parking spaces to access downtown. We then use those earnings for the sole purpose of keeping the metered parking and garages affordable, clean, and structurally sound in order to achieve our goals in making downtown Lexington a destination for both locals and visitors alike.
Citations are meant to alleviate congestion and ensure fair access to parking spaces for our community. If parking wasn’t managed, finding a space to park would be nearly impossible. Adequate parking can increase the value of residential, retail, multi-family, and commercial property as parking is directly correlated to economic development. One open on-street parking space is valued at $20,000 per year in revenue in revenue to local businesses and the local government.*
As customers find it easy to park their vehicles, they are more likely to visit and explore a business establishment.
We set time limits on street parking to encourage our customer base to shop local to the spot where they park. As we often say, “Curbs are for Customers.” If you park in front of any retail or hospitality businesses and stay there all day, other customers cannot easily access the business. Often, we allot two hours for parking so that you have plenty of time to shop, get food, or visit downtown.
Of course, we have 2,200 parking spaces that don’t have a two hour limit within our garages. If you need to be downtown for longer than two hours, the garages allow you to not worry about time expiring. This is a great option for going to a meeting, attending a game or concert, hanging out at the park, or going to the Farmers Market.
Yes. The price for monthly parking at the Transit and Helix garages are going up by $5.00 per month. This is not for everyday parking, only for monthly parking passes. Even with this price increase, the costs are well below market and contribute to the structural integrity, upkeep, and cleanliness of our structures.
Our primary mission is to keep our community affordable, accessible, and a top destination for visitors. We manage 1,206 on-street metered spaces, 2,200 garage spaces, and ensure access to fire lanes, ADA spaces, loading docks, valet spaces, driveways, etc. In addition, we also provide a $20 monthly rate for hospitality workers who need to park to work.
Also notable is our Food for Fines program, entering its 10th year in 2024. The program has erased $56,000 in citation fines and provided over 35,000 pounds of food to the community.
We create jobs for local residents with wages and salaries in our community totaling $1,427,420.57 in the last fiscal year. We pay livable wages, provide healthcare, time off, and flexible hours for increased quality of life for those who make LEXPARK possible.
LEXPARK added smart security cameras in all structures (except the Courthouse) investing over $600,000. We also pay to have these cameras integrated into the Lexington Police Department so they can deter criminal activity.
Yes! LEXPARK uses a few apps to make parking easier for everyone. These apps allow you to reserve a spot in advance, pay for your parking, get notifications about your street parking meter, and enables the ability to renew street parking up to the maximum allotted time limits.
- PayByPhone – Is the app used for our street parking meters and allows you to pay for your spot, receive push notifications when your time is almost up, and is a simple and easy way to pay for parking.
- Spot Hero – Allows you to reserve spots in our garages in advance and simplify your search for parking.
- ParkWhiz – This can be used both as an app or via their website to pay for parking at our garages from your phone or device.
We also have Text2Pay, an easy and reliable process that simplifies the act of paying while you’re on-the-go. If you are in Helix, Victorian Square, or Courthouse Garage, text “PAY” to 859-710-5413 and follow the prompts. If you are in Transit Center Garage, text “TRANSIT” to 25023 and follow the prompts. To complete the transaction, you will need to know your license plate number.