If you are lucky enough to be parked in one of Pike/Pine’s unrestricted parking spots on 10th Ave between Pike and Union, you better enjoy it while it lasts. Back in September, we wrote about the Seattle Department of Transportation’s project to overhaul parking rules for the Pike/Pine neighborhood. Good neighbors, the time is nigh. Pike/Pine’s parking changes will go into effect in a few weeks. The no-limit, free parking areas will be wiped from the map.
gay to park this block
Originally uploaded by faeryboots
And, turns out, you’ve been getting a bonus. The new restrictions were planned to be in place by now.
“It is getting pushed back a couple weeks. We expect new time limit signs, restricted parking zone signs, and pay stations to be installed the week of August 10th,” SDOT planner Allison Schwartz told CHS by e-mail.
The Pike/Pine changes are only the first phase of a Capitol Hill parking revamp by SDOT. The department has also completed a study of central Capitol Hill between Roy and E. Pine and will be readying a plan to overhaul parking from Cal Anderson to I-5 Shores. CHS will cover that study and likely solutions next week. While adding more metered spaces is an opportunity for the city to generate more revenue, it’s also a strategy to put market forces at work to make parking available when people drive on Capitol Hill. Make parking too cheap and there’s no place to park — cars don’t move. Make it too expensive and the spaces won’t be used to capacity.
Keeping that balance in mind, this SDOT slideshow details the coming changes for Pike/Pine:
The key changes for the neighborhood’s parking according to SDOT:
- 2-hr time limits replace all unrestricted zones
- Some of the new 2-hr zones will be paid
- A strip of paid 3-hr parking will be introduced on Madison
- A block of 10-hr paid parking will be introduced around Broadway Ct.
- Restricted Parking Zones implemented for residents
- 2-hr paid parking added to some RPZ blocks
- Bike and scooter spaces added
The maps from the presentation best illustrate the new Pike/Pine parking landscape:
So, what’s it going to cost to pay to park in Pike/Pine? Pay rates will be as follows:
- 2-hr and 3-hr paid parking = $2/hr
- 10-hr paid parking = $1.25/hr
I try not to drive to Pike/Pine much but it’s necessary sometimes when I’m in a hurry to cover a story or late for another meeting. Happy to see the free 2-hr parking above 12th isn’t going away.
I’m glad to see this change. Unrestricted parking around such non-residential areas tend to lead to a lot of permanently parked cars that ruin such spots for everyone. A 2-hr limit will eleviate that problem. Also glad to hear that not all parking spots have been converted to paid ones and remain free.
Hope it makes a difference.
Zone permits are pretty much unenforceable. If you report a car, it can take them over a week to respond. By that time, cars are usually moved. As stated to me on the phone, enforcing the RPZ zones are not a priority.
It would also be nice to see some enforcement of the many people who abuse the guest pass to park an extra car.
I’m just curious why they got rid of RPZ areas around 15th. It’s virtually impossible for a resident of the neighborhood to park.
The SDOT can kiss my a**. All their changes in the last five years makes parking worse, not better. Parking is taxation without representation. It’s the biggest scam and bullsh*t in government. Period.