Seattle's Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Street Parking Program

For an effective, low-cost alternative to San Francisco’s bank-breaking street parking program, look no further than Seattle.

1 minute read

October 26, 2013, 9:00 AM PDT

By Anna Bergren Miller @abergrenmiller


Seattle skyline

dherrera_96 / Flickr

Seattle’s SeaPark, Eric Jaffe writes, bears some similarities to the San Francisco initiative.  In both cities, public authorities adjust parking rates by location in order to regulate occupancy.  But while San Francisco monitors occupancy in real time and changes rates on a block-by-block basis, SeaPark operates on a neighborhood scale.

Nonetheless, the program has born fruit, with its April 2013 occupancy numbers coming close to pre-established targets.  The best part?  The cost of basic operations for SeaPark has not risen above $1.2 million a year since the program began.

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