Mayor Keith Wilson has directed the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to pause implementation of extended evening parking meter enforcement hours. The Mayor said the pause, effective mid-October, “is necessary to be responsive to current conditions and support evening activities and business in central Portland during this critical time during the city’s recovery from the pandemic.”
Previously, the city charged hourly parking at on-street spaces until 7 pm. That changed earlier this fall as City Council and the Mayor sought ways to invest in the transportation system and expand parking management to evening hours, extending enforcement hours from 7 to 10 pm.
“Since the start of the year, I’ve worked with teams across the city to find ways to improve efficiency, effectiveness and good governance. As we rolled out new parking rates, we heard concerns from residents, businesses and Council members about the timing and impact of extended evening hours,” said Wilson. “While the increased hourly rate has been broadly accepted, our downtown economy is still in recovery and we need to ensure that our parking policies support evening activity and small businesses. With that in mind, I’m directing PBOT to pause implementation as we reassess our approach.”
The pause directs all parking meter enforcement hours to revert to 7 pm, except during event district hours. Going forward, PBOT will gather parking utilization data and collaborate with existing parking committees and other central city stakeholders to consider how hourly parking changes can support the city’s economic recovery, safety and livability goals, while meeting budgetary needs.