Traverse City commissioners approved the launch of an 11-week pilot project to offer parking valet service in downtown Traverse City - with the program set to start today (Wednesday).

The owners of three local restaurants – Amical, Red Ginger, and Slate/Sorellina – have agreed to foot the bill for a contract with private valet company At Your Service Valet to test out the service. While the three restaurateurs have agreed to fund the service – with the rest of revenues coming from customer fees paid by those using the valet – the service will be available to visitors throughout all of downtown, not just customers of those specific eateries. At Your Service Valet has also provided valet services at Munson Medical Center while the hospital’s main parking lot is under construction.

A valet podium will be installed on the sidewalk near the State Theatre (pictured) with one loading zone space and one metered space bagged for the service. The reserved parking spaces are meant to provide drop-off/pick-up areas that don't obstruct Front Street traffic, according to the project proposal.

The valet service will be available Wednesday-Saturday from 5pm to 11pm this summer and allow restaurant, retail and theater visitors to pull up to the podium and drop off their car, park as long as needed during operating hours, then have the car returned when they’re ready to leave downtown. The cars would be stored in private parking spaces downtown through contracts At Your Service Valet has entered into with private property owners.

At Your Service Valet has agreed to track user data for the Downtown Development Authority during the pilot period, including use by hour (cars coming and going), destination (reason for using the valet), and users (local versus visitor and in-state versus out-of-state). That data will allow the DDA to determine if the program could be sustainable year-round. If so, city officials will need to decide whether to rewrite the city’s ordinance to allow the DDA to take over the program and run it as a public service, or to continue contracting with a private firm to offer the program.