Seattle’s on-street parking rates increase
On-street parking rates in Seattle increased Monday for the second time this year in an effort to curb demand and open up more parking spaces across the city.
The rates increased by up to $1 per hour in the afternoons and evenings in Seattle’s busiest neighborhoods, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation, which typically adjusts rates three times a year.
Rates increased Monday to the maximum $5 per hour in the afternoons or evenings in south Capitol Hill, the Chinatown/International District, north and south Denny Triangle, Fremont, Pike and Pine and the University District Core.
Roughly 40% of parking rates around Seattle remained untouched, SDOT said, including many rates in and around downtown Seattle that remain lower than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. On First Hill, for example, on-street parking rates were $5 per hour in early 2020 and now range from $2.40 to $4.50 per hour.
Parking volume remains steady in the mornings across Seattle, and many areas will continue to see low rates of $0.50 per hour in the earlier hours of the day, the department said.
Overall, rates will remain at $2.50 per hour or less in half of the neighborhoods and times of day available across Seattle.
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SDOT hopes the increased parking rates will open up an additional one or two parking spaces on each block.
“This supports businesses and helps drivers find parking without circling the block multiple times,” the department said in March.
New Seattle on-street parking rates take effect July 10 The hourly rate adjustments will increase up to $1 per hour in the afternoons and evenings in Seattle’s busiest neighborhoods. Source: Seattle Department of Transportation
Monday’s second “regular seasonal update” to rate adjustments this year is based on street parking data collected and analyzed in May. The department will analyze parking conditions again in the fall to “ensure enough parking is available, based on the latest real-world usage data and seasonal trends.”
On-street parking fees support Seattle’s general fund for safety and mobility improvements, bridge safety, bike and pedestrian infrastructure upgrades and more.
Drivers can find morning, afternoon and evening parking rates in all paid areas of Seattle online at st.news/seattleparking. All parking rates are also shown on an interactive map on SDOT’s website, available at st.news/parkingmap
Source: The Seattle Times
