It’s about to get more expensive to park in downtown Hartford.
The Hartford Parking Authority (HPA) announced Monday that on-street metered parking rates in the central business district will double next month from $1 to $2 per hour.
The price hike goes into effect Monday, Aug. 5, HPA said.
The fee hike will impact the new “Downtown Central Zone,” which encompasses the area from Ann Uccello St. to Prospect St. to the east, and from Church St. to Wells St. to the south, and is comprised of 16 streets with a total of 480 on-street parking spaces.
This represents the first time Hartford will charge different parking rates in different sections of the city. Parking rates on fringe streets surrounding the central business district will remain $1 per hour, HPA said.
HPA CEO Armindo Gomes said Monday that the decision to double downtown parking rates is nuanced, but one of the key factors is trying to encourage more downtown workers, who currently take up the majority of on-street parking spaces during the work week, to park elsewhere either in nearby lots, which tend to be more expensive, or outside of the central business district.
That will reduce congestion downtown and free up more spaces for people who are visiting downtown restaurants or merchants, Gomes said. A side benefit is that it could also encourage greater use of public transportation, he said.
The price hike will also increase HPA’s revenue by 8 percent, Gomes said. This year, its total budget is $8.7 million.
During the weekend prior to Aug. 5, HPA will update all on-street Woonerf app and kiosk signs to reflect the new three-digit zone within the downtown central area.
