HTN: Free Parking for Downtown Events?

You may not have to pay for parking at upcoming events in downtown Buffalo. The City Parking Board is considering a proposal to allow free parking at city ramps for special events. That means you may not have to fork over cash to park at events like the Buffalo Auto show, the Home and Garden Show, or Thursday at the Square. Officials estimate the city stands to lose 166-thousand dollars if the measure is approved. However, members of the Parking Board feel the greater economic impact of getting more people downtown may be worth the cost. Opponents say the free city ramps parking would hurt other privately run parking lots.

HTN: Parking Plan Includes Vacant Lots

The city of Buffalo is looking at empty lots around town and now hopes to use them to solve an age-old problem. Parking. Officials are studying a plan that would transform some of the lots into residential parking areas so plows aren't blocked by curbside vehicles, hindering plowing after major storms. Paving the lots could prove expensive, but officials are coming up with cheaper alternatives, such as layering tar and stone.