Seattle to consider raising prices for parking near venues by more than double

SEATTLE — Headed to Seattle for a concert or a big game? You’ll likely have to pay more for parking soon — much more.

3 more cars damaged by concrete thrown onto Seattle freeway

The city’s transportation department will ask the Seattle City Council Transportation Committee on Wednesday to increase the cost of on-street paid parking by more than double, up to a whopping $12 an hour near arenas and large venues holding 10,000 people or more during events.

The idea is to charge around the same as the private lots, encourage drivers to use mass transit to cut down on congestion, and ensure locals have adequate parking by their homes and businesses. The Seattle Department of Transportation says the 50 cents to $5 an hour that street spots currently cost simply isn’t enough to ensure that.

The most recent street parking rate changes in Seattle came on June 1, though many prices remain relatively low after being reduced early in the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage people to stay home.

Before the pandemic, some of Seattle’s street parking rates varied from $0.50 to as high as $5.00 for 60 minutes, depending on time of day and location in the city. SDOT says other cities have returned to their full pre-COVID rates, but Seattle is adjusting rates slowly based on demand. Parking conditions and data are reviewed on a quarterly basis.

SDOT finishes lowering speed limit on most Seattle streets to 25mph

This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.

©2021 Cox Media Group