Drivers should check posted signs before paying. Downtown service workers may qualify for a $65 monthly parking rate, while the cashless system raises questions for people without a phone or card.
By Lee Dixon, Orlando Advocate News Staff
ORLANDO — Downtown Orlando drivers are paying more to park Thursday as the city raises rates and completes its move away from traditional parking meters.
The change affects more than the cost of a trip downtown. Drivers now need to pay digitally in many locations, watch for changing enforcement hours and check the signs at the space or garage they use. The city says its broader parking overhaul will continue rolling out through the fourth quarter, so rules may not change everywhere at once. City parking modernization project
For on-street spaces, the city’s new progressive rate schedule starts at $2 for the first hour and $2 for the second. The third hour is $3, the fourth is $4, the fifth is $5 and the sixth is $6 where that amount of time is allowed.
That means a six-hour stay in a location allowing the maximum time would cost $22, not $14. But drivers should not assume every block allows six hours. The city says time limits, rates and enforcement changes will be marked on new signs at affected spaces. City parking modernization project
The city’s published on-street schedule calls for paid parking from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with free parking overnight, on Sundays and on city-observed holidays. But the modernization project says enforcement-hour changes will be phased in during the fourth quarter. The sign closest to the vehicle is the one drivers should follow. City parking rates City parking modernization project
Garage and city-lot rates are also increasing. For non-event parking, the city lists $2 an hour for the first four hours and $3 an hour after that, up to a $20 daily maximum. Under that schedule, a six-hour garage stay would cost $14. Event rates can be higher, and some facilities—including City Commons and the ThreatLocker garage on event days—follow different rules. Official city parking rates
Traditional meters are being removed as part of the city’s cashless conversion. For on-street parking, drivers can use the ParkMobile app, text “park” to 77223 or call 877-727-5714 to pay by phone. The city says ParkMobile sessions include a 35-cent service fee. Drivers should enter the correct license plate and zone number, then save the confirmation or digital receipt. City on-street parking instructions
The payment system still leaves a practical question for people without a usable phone, credit card, debit card or digital-wallet access. The city’s published cashless-payment options all require a digital device or card-based method.
News 6 reported Thursday that the change was already causing confusion for some drivers. One person left a note on a car saying they did not have a phone or credit card, while another driver told the station he was trying to understand the new signs. Buffalo Boss owner Ricardo Ibanez also told News 6 that he worried higher parking costs could discourage customers from coming downtown. News 6 report
The city projects the higher rates will bring in an additional $5.5 million a year, according to News 6. That is a revenue forecast, not money the city has already collected. News 6 report
Some downtown workers may qualify for a lower monthly rate. Orlando’s service-employee parking program costs $65 a month and is valid from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. The program is available to eligible employees of restaurants, retail businesses, bars and nightclubs.
The program is not automatic. Workers must apply, provide employment verification and register one vehicle. Employers can also apply for qualifying employees. Participants can choose one of four garages—Washington Street, Jefferson Street, Library or Administration Center—and parking is first-come, first-served in the assigned garage. City service-employee parking program
Drivers who run into payment trouble can call Parking Customer Service at 407-246-2450 during business hours. The city lists Parking Operations at 407-246-2561 for evenings and weekends. City on-street parking instructions
The city says it will use a three-week education and warning period as new enforcement hours take effect, according to News 6. That should not be read as a blanket waiver of parking rules, rates or citations. Drivers remain responsible for following the signs at the location where they park. News 6 report
The larger test will be whether drivers can use the system without being shut out by technology or unclear instructions. The city should publish a location-by-location schedule for the conversion, the number of payment-system failures reported and the outcome of tickets issued during the transition. That information would show whether the new system is working as promised for workers, customers and visitors—not just for drivers who already have a smartphone and a payment card.
- Lee Dixon
- Lee Dixon
- Lee Dixon
- Lee Dixon
