PHOTO BY ALEXIS GETHIN VIA UNSPLASH.COM
The City of Orlando is considering its first parking rate increase in 17 years. The parking division presented a proposal to city commissioners this week to raise on-street parking from $1 to $2 an hour and garage parking from $2 to $3 an hour. Event parking would double from a $10 to a $20 maximum. Enforcement hours would extend two additional hours, to 8 p.m.
Apparently, the city’s parking division is self-funded and says it needs $20 million over the next five years to upgrade aging garages, go cashless and meterless, and add real-time technology showing available spaces. Violation fees would also go up: standard violations from $27 to $32, life and safety violations from $37 to $57.
District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan was the only commissioner to push back, raising concerns about the shift to app-based parking, leaving some people behind. The city does currently offer a free two-hour parking program through ParkMobile, redeemable up to 16 times by putting in the code “PARKDTO” via the app.
No changes have been approved yet. A vote is expected May 11, with a second reading June 8. If it passes, the new rates would take effect on October 1.
For context, Tampa already charges $2 an hour, and Fort Lauderdale and Miami charge $3.
