Orlando City Council on Monday unanimously advanced a modest increase to downtown parking rates, in what would serve as the first rate adjustment in 17 years.
A public petition was launched on Change.org this week in opposition to the proposal, which still needs to be approved by city commissioners in a second vote next month in order to take effect.
The petition states that signers, instead, would prefer the city to offer more free parking periods during off-peak hours, incentivize the use of parking garages over street parking, and “work collaboratively with local businesses and residents on solutions that support growth, accessibility and public safety.”
“Increasing parking costs may seem small on paper, but for thousands of people who work, live, and socialize downtown, these increases create another financial burden at a time when affordability is already a major concern,” reads the online petition, which has garnered 299 verified signatures as of publication.
“Parking is not optional infrastructure in Orlando. Our city is heavily car dependent, and accessible parking directly impacts whether people choose to come downtown at all.”
A half-dozen downtown bars have already shut their doors in recent years as a result of decreased foot traffic and higher costs of business, citing in part after-midnight permits required for the sale of alcohol and new security requirements, first implemented by the city in 2023.
Orlando’s city transportation department last month provided city commissioners with a proposal for a $1 per hour increase to parking rates during an initial presentation. They justified this change in part by pointing to other major Florida cities — such as Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami — where parking rates are more expensive.
Currently, it costs $1 an hour to park on the street in metered spaces downtown, or $2 an hour for off-street parking, including city-run lots and parking garages. This rate hasn’t changed since 2009. Under the new proposal, hourly parking rates would increase by $1 an hour, effective July 1, for a maximum daily charge of $20 for off-street parking or $22 for on-street parking.
Parking violation fees, under the proposal, would also increase from $27 to $32 for certain standard violations, and from $37 to $57 for “life & safety” violations. Late fees would also see a change. A late fee for nonpayment would be increased to $20 from $15, but would be applied after 21 days, instead of the current 14 days of nonpayment.
The city expects the proposed changes would generate an additional $5.5 million in annual revenue, according to a fiscal impact statement. This would help the city’s parking division, a self-funded enterprise, fund $20 million in parking garage upgrades and modernization initiatives they expect to pursue over the next five years to “accommodate moderate growth” downtown.
“As the City’s parking system operates as a self-supporting enterprise fund without General Fund support, these adjustments are essential to maintaining financial sustainability and reducing the overall tax burden on residents,” the fiscal impact statement reads. “Without these adjustments, the system may face challenges in meeting operational goals and supporting the needs of the downtown corridor in alignment with City initiatives.”
Proposed changes to the parking rate schedule were unanimously approved by Orlando City Council on Monday, in one of two votes that are needed to advance the changes forward. No one signed up to provide public comment on the proposal and there was zero discussion or comment from city commissioners. NoThis would affect city-metered and off-street parking, not the cost of parking at spaces operated by third-party private companies.
The next vote on the parking rate proposal will occur during City Council’s meeting on Monday, June 8. This would affect city-metered and off-street parking, not the cost of parking at spaces operated by third-party private companies.
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