Center City parking rates are going up for the first time in about 10 years
Starting July 1, the hourly rate will increase from $3 to $4 in the core downtown area.
Parking is about to get more expensive in Center City.
Starting July 1, the hourly rate will increase from $3 to $4 in the core downtown area, designated as between Arch and Locust Streets and from Fourth to 20th Streets, according to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Outside core Center City — stretching from Spring Garden to Bainbridge Streets and from the Schuylkill to the Delaware River — metered rates will go up from $2.50 to $3.50, the PPA said.
Rates for long-term parking are set to increase from $1.50 to $2.50.
The hikes, included in the $6.8 billion budget approved by City Council and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker earlier this month, will generate more revenue for the city and the Philadelphia School District.
The rate increase is the first in more than a decade and will “help improve the availability of on-street parking, promote parking turnover, and alleviate congestion in one of Philadelphia’s most heavily congested corridors,” the PPA said.
The change comes as the city’s mass transit system is facing significant financial struggles. On Thursday, SEPTA’s board approved cutting nearly half its service and raising fares as legislators in Harrisburg continue to debate the state budget.