News

Actions

Free parking in Ypsilanti on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday

Posted at 8:35 PM, Nov 21, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-21 20:35:04-05

YPSILANTI, Mich. (WXYZ) — The City of Ypsilanti has declared a "parking holiday" on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, allowing free parking throughout the city.

The city made the announcement on Nov. 21, a week before the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We’ve heard that regular users of our parking system are comfortable with knowing how and where to park in the City, but people coming into the City for the first time- especially those wishing to take advantage of our great dining options and unique shopping opportunities- don’t feel confident parking with our current system. We want to make sure that someone’s first visit to Ypsilanti starts and ends on a good note, and this is a great way to do that before rolling out our other upgrades,” said Bonnie Wessler, Project Manager.

This move comes after the city and the Ypsilant Downtown Development Authority adopted a new parking strategy which will make for new an clearer signage at city parking lots, looser time restrictions and new meters to be in place by April 2020.

“We’re happy to work with the City to ensure our local businesses have one less barrier in attracting new visitors during the busiest and most competitive days of the holiday shopping season. We want visitors to our business districts to be able to relax and thoroughly enjoy their time exploring the many shopping and dining options Ypsilanti has to offer,” remarked Christopher Jacobs, Director of the Ypsilanti DDA.