A re-pricing of parking spaces for Metro riders at the Transit Center parking garage has sparked a minor controversy between the city and the bus provider.

The city for 2015 renegotiated its lease with Metro, doubling the cost of each space in the garage reserved for the bus service, though, according to the city, the cost to Metro is still cheaper than comparable garages around the region.

In response, Metro reduced the number of spaces it is paying for from from 200 to 150, though there will still be a net gain to the city coffers.

Previously, Metro was paying the city $15 per space per month for 200 spaces at the downtown garage. Under the new agreement they will pay $30 per space per month for 150 spaces.

Non-Metro users pay $42.50 per month to Diamond Parking, the company that manages the garage for the city. City studies show that on average, 86 percent of the city’s 200 spaces are used each day.

Renton Facilities Director Peter Renner said Metro initially “balked” at the price increase because they did not have the funding allocated in their budget. Initially, Metro wanted to reduce the number of reserved spaces to 100, but a study by the city showed that Metro users take up an average of 170 spaces each day, prompting Metro to raise their number of reserved spots to 150.

According to Renner, negotiations on the new contract began in 2013 and were signed in November, with Metro agreeing to pay the difference between the two rates dating to January 2014.

Renner said the city felt it was not “the equivalent amount of respect for our costs to run the garage … versus the investment Metro and Sound Transit have made elsewhere.” Renner and other city officials characterized the relationship as the city “subsidizing” the parking spaces of Metro riders.

The $8.5 million garage was opened in 2003 and was funded and built entirely by the city of Renton.

Renner said the city wanted to analyze other garage deals, which he said was “very difficult” when trying to get the numbers. In the end, the city used the Northgate mall Partnership and the Northgate South Commons garages for comparison purposes.

According to figures presented to the City Council by Renner, the city calculates that when the amount Metro contributed to the garage construction is factored in, the bus service pays well over $30 per space for month for each of those garages.

During a Jan. 12 discussion at the Committee of the Whole, councilmembers Don Persson and Randy Corman each spoke about how that garage was originally intended for residents headed downtown to shop, not necessarily for transit users, though it should be available for city resident using the transit center.