SEATTLE — On-street parking rates in Seattle were updated Monday for the third time this year in an effort to curb demand and open up more parking spaces across the city.
The rates changed by 50 cents per hour in nearly a third of Seattle’s busiest neighborhoods, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation, which typically adjusts rates three times a year.
Morning, midday and evening rates increased Monday in 19 locations, including in Ballard, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Columbia City and South Lake Union and decreased in seven.
Parking activity has generally increased over the summer and early fall, SDOT said, though some areas have seen fewer vehicles parking.
Many areas have returned to pre-pandemic parking rates. On First Hill, for example, on-street parking rates were $5 per hour in early 2020. In July, they ranged from $2.40 to $4.50 per hour, and now range from $2.40 to $5 per hour.
Parking volume remains steady in the mornings across Seattle, and many areas will continue to see low rates of 50 cents per hour in the earlier hours of the day.
Overall, rates will remain at $2.50 per hour or less in more than half of the neighborhoods and times of day available across Seattle.
SDOT updates parking rates with the aim of having one or two open parking spaces on each block.
“This supports businesses and helps drivers find parking without circling the block multiple times,” the department said in March.
Monday’s update to rate adjustments is based on street parking data collected and analyzed in August. The department will analyze parking conditions three times again next year 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.
