Find Posts By Topic

Ch-ch-changes for Late Night Parking in Capitol Hill

You may have heard through our Play Like a Parking Pro campaign that we’re making some changes in late night paid parking in Capitol Hill and Pike-Pine. Nightlife is hopping but people who drive can’t easily find a parking space to enjoy it.

Results of our 2017 Annual Paid Parking Study show that for the last several years, late-night parking occupancy in Capitol Hill and Pike-Pine exceeded 90% – no other neighborhood in Seattle showed that high of a rate for both 2016 and 2017.

To better manage parking in Capitol Hill, we will charge for parking until 10 pm so that visitors have an easier chance to find parking near their destinations:

 

Existing Parking Rates

Morning

8 AM – 11 AM

Midday

11 AM – 5 PM

Evening

5 PM – 8 PM

Capitol Hill North $ 2.50 $ 3.50 $4.50
Capitol Hill South $ 2.00 $ 2.50 $3.50
Pike-Pine $ 2.50 $ 3.00 $3.50

 

New Parking Rates

Morning

8 AM – 11 AM

Midday

11 AM – 5 PM

Evening

5 PM – 10 PM

Capitol Hill North $ 2.00 $ 3.50 $4.00
Capitol Hill South $ 1.50 $ 2.50 $3.00
Pike-Pine $ 2.00 $ 3.00 $3.00

 

You’ll notice that the biggest changes are that morning rates are decreasing and evening hours are being extended. For those looking for other options to get to and from Capitol Hill in the wee hours, we just partnered with King County Metro Transit to launch extended Night Owl service.  More information on late-night transit options can be found at www.seattle.gov/transit.

 

You may see our crews updating signs and pay stations beginning on Monday, October 30. Here’s a map of where they’ll be:

More About Parking Rates

  • Per the Seattle Municipal Code, SDOT sets parking rates and hours so that 1-2 spaces are open and available on each block throughout the paid parking day.
  • The policy adopted by City Council in 2010 is data-driven, not revenue-based.
  • Through our Performance-Based Parking Pricing Program, we make data-driven decisions to adjust rates annually in each paid area of the city.

 

Play Like a Parking Pro 

Our Play Like a Parking Pro campaign is intended to raise awareness of how our data-driven system works, give you the important information you need about parking, and provide a deeper understanding of the policies at the heart of our program.

  • At seattle.gov/parking, you can find tools to plan your parking ahead of time. This includes updated parking rates for all paid parking neighborhoods. Because we use data to adjust rates both by area and by time of day, rates are often less in the mornings, and can be cheaper if you just walk another block from your desired destination.
  • Sign up with PayByPhone to pay for parking using your cell phone. It’s convenient – you’ll never have to visit a pay station again – and there is no extra charge. You’ll also get a text reminder before your parking expires and you can add more time without going back to your car! Download the PayByPhone app to learn more.

­