Many changes are on the horizon for parking in downtown Rockford, including the city's partnership with ABM Parking.

Rockford City Council will be voting on plans that were recently approved by the finance committee. The committee is recommending a 2% increase in parking fees for daily and monthly parking. Also, for the first time in nearly a decade, the plan calls for an increase in parking fines. According to wifr.com, these increases are needed for operating costs, improvements in the parking system and a nearly $200,000 parking fund shortfall.

There is one upside to the committee's plans:

Anyone who's visited downtown has got to the two-hour mark and had to move their car. So we are hoping to eliminate that need to move the cars and allow people to park for an hour, four hours, eight hours or however long depending on how long they plan to be downtown. said Carrie Hagerty, city of Rockford finance director.

Now that's a plan I can totally get behind.

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