CashKey’s Make Parking in Downtown Easier!

If you are always running out of quarters when finding a place to park in Downtown here are a few helpful hints to make your visit easier.

No change… no problem.

1) Try parking at the Illinois Terminal Parking Lot. This lot is open to the general public (not just those visiting the terminal) and it uses a pay station which accepts, cash, coin, and debit/credit cards.

2) Purchase a CashKey. These devices work like an I-pass.  They allow you to preload time onto your CashKey and every time you insert it into the meter it deducts $0.25 worth of time.  These can also work at University and Urbana meters assuming that you have loaded time onto those portions of the key.  For more information on the CashKey visit the City of Champaign website at www.ci.champaign.il.us/parking.

3) Park further away. You can take advanatage of cheaper parking by simply parking a little further away from your destination and walking.  Look for the colored stickers on the meter post.  These tell you how long you can park at that meter and how much.  Meters further out are generally priced at $0.25 per hour and gradually increase to the most coveted spaces of $0.75 per hour.

4) Use the Hill Street Parking Deck! When this deck opens in March 2009, it will house 600 brand new parking spaces that give you both conveneience, shelter, and choice of payment.  This deck is right in the heart of Downtown and will accept cash, coin, and debit/credit cards.  Look for more information this winter.