Park-and-ride full? Now you can rent a space nearby

If the park-and-ride lot near you is getting overcrowded, you may be in luck.

King County Metro is partnering with Diamond Parking services to bring 250 new parking spaces online in June.

They'll be near major bus lines in at least 12 locations around the county. But if you want to snag one of these new spots, you'll have to pay.

The pilot program, funded by a grant from the Federal Highway Administration, is designed to make use of unused spaces at businesses, apartments and retailers within walking distance of bus lines.

It lets property owners lease their extra parking to transit riders for a fee.

Daniel Rowe is managing the pilot program for Metro. He said this is a fast way to solve over-crowding at park-and-ride lots.

"We're trying to make better use of parking stalls that are not being used during the day. We're wanting to give transit customers one more choice, and we're doing this in a pilot program. We're going to see how it works and we're going to evaluate where to go next," Rowe said.

Fees will range from $32 to $173 per month to reserve a space, depending on the location. The program is offering the first month free.

Metro won’t collect revenue from the fee-based parking, but it could benefit by gaining new riders on bus service.

"We do have a lot of stalls and a lot of lots around the county, but we don't have a park-and-ride for everyone. So one of the benefits for this program is it's bringing on new sources of parking that may be convenient for a customer compared to what they have today."

Rowe said some people may not want to pay, but the program could provide a cheaper option for many people, especially when compared to monthly parking costs in a location like downtown Seattle.

Metro has traditionally provided free parking at park-and-ride lots. But Rowe said it’s expensive and takes time to build a new parking area, and leasing out existing spaces gives transit riders an immediate solution.

The new spots will be available June 1, but you can apply to reserve a space now.