.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Changes to the downtown resident parking program, which the Des Moines City Council approved at its Nov. 19 meeting, have gone into effect. Instead of just one pass that allows someone to park at a resident-designated parking meter overnight for $25 per month, residents can purchase a 24/7 pass for $50 per month.

This updates a 2002 ordinance, which established a resident parking program for all downtown Des Moines after overnight parking restrictions eliminated most of the available on-street parking for residents near Western Gateway Park. However, no residents utilized the overnight pass, mainly because people can park at meters overnight for free. The 24-hour pass, said Des Moines traffic facilities administrator Mike Berry, recognizes that more people are living downtown and work different hours than 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Western Gateway Park has the only resident-designated zone so far, because most zoning ordinances require downtown housing projects to provide some kind of parking, Berry said. However, he said, “there is a finite amount of curb space, so at some point in time, there could be a need to designate more areas.” Only residents with passes can park in those designated areas.

Other changes include undesignating 13th Street between Locust Street and Grand Avenue as a resident-permit parking area, because of concerns that the 24-hour pass would prohibit customers of area retailers from parking nearby. Snow-removal and rush-hour regulations still apply.