Louisville's new QR code parking leaves some business owners frustrated

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If you've gone to park somewhere in Louisville recently, you may have seen blue signs with QR codes on them for you to scan and pay.

They're popping up across the city, and charging you to park at places that used to be free.

Nashville-based "Parking Management Company" is managing these lots for owners. When customers pay to park, both PMC and the lot owner get a cut.

"I've seen them around other cities, not in Louisville," said Rachel Pierce, who parked in one of the lots on Wednesday.

The company entered Louisville in 2018, and now manages 31 lots across the city. PMC wouldn't disclose the locations of all of its Louisville lots.

In an email, the company said "for privacy reasons and respect for business owners, we’re unable to share the full list."

The company also wouldn't tell WDRB News how much it charges at each lot.

"It's up to the tenants, it's up to the owners on what they want us to charge," said Scott Goins, PMC's vice president of Business Development.

WDRB visited the lot at 1525 Highland Avenue, where PMC was charging $7 to park for two hours. At PMC's lot on 399 East Witherspoon Street, which is near Slugger Field, it costs $5 to park for two hours.

The small blue signs have meant big changes for customers like Omar Ayyash. About a year ago, it was free to park at the lot behind Haraz Coffee house on Bardstown Road.

"I'm going to be there two or three hours, so I didn't park in this lot I parked on the street," Ayyash said.

Now that PMC manages the lot, parking is free up to an hour if customers validate their parking.

"I think they need to extend it for two hours," said Ayyash.

Epiphany cocktail bar shares the lot with Haraz. The bar said PMC has helped to deter non-customers from parking there.

"Now that it's paid parking, and we validate our customers, we have good options because its not always full," said Kelley Spillson, co-owner of Epiphany.

But it may also be deterring customers. Spillson said many people don't know the first hour is free.

In order to validate, you have to go inside and scan a different QR code. Spillson said this isn't made clear on PMC's website.

"Its been a source of frustration," said Spillson

If you don't pay, PMC said it will leave a "conversion card" on your windshield charging you the amount you should've paid. PMC said tenets will determine how to deal with repeat offenders.

"I think it's going to make it easier, actually, for folks in Louisville to park at the end of the day," said Goins.