Federal workers see parking price increase as they return to office

Yahoo

20-03-2025

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As local federal employees step back into the office, some are already met with a challenge before they get into the door: parking.
The White House issued a Presidential Action for 'Return to In-Person Work' towards the end of January.
The action from the White House reads:
'Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary.'
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The challenge starts with where to park, then how much it'll cost, Kansas City-based federal employee, Tammy Spires says.
'To our understanding, the administration felt that it would serve the public better if we were in the building five days a week,' Spires shared.
As some federal workers get into the routine of returning to work in office every day of the week, some shared parking spots around Kansas City area federal buildings are limited.
'There's no parking. We've been requested to come back into the office full-time five days a week and it's the entire federal workforce that's doing this. There are not enough parking spaces in and around the area of the building.'
Spires says parking has always been an issue. She says it's also something she's always had to pay for.
'Parking has always been an issue for us. We've always had to pay for parking but here recently, and I don't understand why, because pre-COVID, we had these same parking places, but for whatever reason now, we just don't have them.'
She works in the Richard Bolling Federal Building. She's been a federal worker for over 20 years.
Since 2021, she'd been working from home, except for one day a week. Starting this week, she's required to be back in the office full-time.
'I've parked in this lot for years, (it) used to be six dollars before COVID and then after COVID when we came in for one day a week, it went up to nine dollars and then last week it went up to ten dollars. Tuesday, it went up to twelve dollars.'
The lot, Spires is referring to, is on located near 12th and Cherry. It's one operated by Mid-Con Management in KCMO.
'How can you go from ten dollars to twelve overnight and what's the justification for that?' Spires asked.
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She also said that's not the only lot she says has increased prices recently.
Mid-Con Management said there has only been one increase in the last year. That increase came this week. The company wouldn't expand on why the price changed over the last few days. The timeline is also when Spires and so many others went back to work.
'The Richard Bolling Federal Building houses probably, I would say, easily 6,000 employees. The parking lot that they have for the federal building is very limited. They do subsidies for bus, but even the bus routes are being cut, so I mean that's just going to put more and more people in here, in this area.'
Spires says there are some exceptions on if you can park at the building (Richard Bolling Federal Building) itself, but you have to qualify. She says you may park at or within the building if you are carpooling or in a management position. However, not everyone qualifies.
'Whether we are in the building or in our house, we are dedicated to our jobs, and we do work. We work very hard to make sure that your checks are there on time, that your housing vouchers are available for you. These are things that we do and dedicate a lot to that job,' Spires added.
'A lot of us feel villainized. People get into this work to help people. We don't get these big salaries. Our benefits, we pay a lot for our benefits. You do this because you want to help your fellow people. So, some of the things that have been said about us is really unfair,' she says as it relates to being a federal worker over the last few months.
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Spires also commented on the appearance of the lot, which Mid-Con Management says there are plans to address and ownership is aware and is making arrangements.
Mid-Con Management says it encourages patrons to apply for monthly arrangements, but not all lots offer that option.
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