The requirement to plug a meter to park in downtown Springfield will likely return in 2022, according to Mayor Jim Langfelder… but the timing remains up in the air.
The city has not charged motorists to park at downtown meters since the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. Langfelder has tied the return of paid metered parking to getting more state workers back into downtown offices… something that Langfelder says still hasn’t happened in large numbers.
While the mayor says he expects to resume paid parking next year, it may also be tied to the phased-in introduction of “smart” parking meters that could allow drivers to pay for parking with a debit card or even an app.