Seattle's street parking prices just went up
Parking in Seattle got more expensive Monday morning. Rates went up in about two-thirds of the city's neighborhoods, and also for certain times of day.
Some meters will now be up to $1 more expensive than last week's rates. Rates fluctuate based on parking demand, and some went down during the pandemic.
The city says raising rates will bring in more money for the city's general fund, and could lead to more spaces open since the rates are higher. Still, it notes that some rates are still lower than before the pandemic, such as around downtown Seattle.
The Seattle Department of Transportation analyzed parking data in January and found that there has been "an increase in parking activity." Seattle manages street parking through pricing, upping the cost to park depending on the place and time in order to encourage drivers to move along. SDOT says this "supports businesses and helps drivers find parking without circling the block multiple times."
SDOT will analyze parking data again in summer and fall and could make more price adjustments. In 2022, SDOT adjusted street parking prices three times.
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Paige Browning
Newscaster
Paige hosts midday newscasts and monitors news of significance to the Puget Sound region. She hopped over Washington’s mountains to join KUOW, after hosting news and reporting at Spokane Public Radio since 2011. She began her start in radio while a journalism student at University of Montana, by sharing stories with KUFM. Paige was raised in the mountains and rivers around Spokane. In her spare time she cheers on the Mariners in the summer, and hopes for snow in the winter.
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Dyer Oxley
Online Editor/Producer
Dyer Oxley joined KUOW as an Online Editor/Producer in 2020, handling day-to-day upkeep of the station’s website while providing editorial oversight. He also helms KUOW’s Today So Far newsletter, an insightful daily roundup of what KUOW is reporting ... so far.
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