Royal Oak plans to change 'nightmare' parking system in downtown

Royal Oak works to change downtown parking system

Annette Frank, a Royal Oak resident, is taking the new proposed parking meters and kiosks for a test drive.

OAK PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - Parking in downtown Royal Oak has been called a "nightmare" by many for years. But the city says changes are on the way, and they want to hear from the community.

Timeline:

Annette Frank, a Royal Oak resident, is taking the new proposed parking meters and kiosks for a test drive.

"I live in downtown Royal Oak, and I almost never drive here. I rode my bike here today because I don’t like to park here," she said. "I’ve only done it once and didn’t like it."

What they're saying:

The city is planning to switch its parking system over starting in 2026, with three pre-approved vendors already offering demos to residents hoping to win the bid.

"Rather than do the typical thing where were going to be scoring them on the cost and the system's abilities, we wanted to begin with the user experience first," said City Manager Joseph Gacioch.

That experience is aimed to be much more personal than the current system, which has received complaints for being too automated.

Cameras will capture your plate and send you a ticket in the mail.

What's next:

The city is planning to return to having real people available to work the meters and issue tickets.

The event could be your chance to see what the next system will be.