Phoenix city officials have reduced the fee for five of its trailhead parking areas to $2. The original plan was to charge $5 for day use.
According to an update posted on the city's website, the six-month trial period will start Aug. 30. During the trial, park staff members will not enforce the day fee or use of a six-month, $50 permit for unlimited uses. If the fees won't be enforced, it will be difficult for the city government to determine the fees' success.
Neither the city's update nor an article in The Arizona Republic give any reason for the change in price. The comment section of the original Republic story was flooded with people objecting to the fees. The latest story continues to draw heated comments, including some accusing the city of corruption and mis-managing funds.
However, Maricopa County Regional Parks have a long history of providing top-quality trails and services thanks in part to day use fees. The parks department update insists that regular users spoke in favor of the fees.
The update says "The Phoenix Mountain Pass program will allow the primary users of the trailhead parking facilities to support their operation." That statement seems nullified several paragraphs later, when it specifies that funds will go into the general fund.
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