Portland pauses extension of evening parking meter hours to support downtown recovery

Mayor Keith Wilson today directed the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to pause implementation of extended evening parking meter enforcement hours. This pause is necessary to be responsive to current conditions and support evening activities and businesses in central Portland during this critical time during the city's recovery from the pandemic.

For years, the city has charged for hourly parking at on-street spaces until 7 p.m. That recently changed as City Council and the Mayor sought ways to invest in the transportation system and expand parking management to evening hours.

"Since the start of the year, I've worked with teams across the city to find ways to improve efficiency, effectiveness and good governance. As we rolled out new parking rates, we heard concerns from residents, businesses and Council members about the timing and impact of extended evening hours. I especially want to thank Councilor Zimmerman, who heard from his constituents and brought this to my attention. While the increased hourly rate has been broadly accepted, our downtown economy is still in recovery, and we need to ensure that our parking policies support evening activity and small businesses. With that in mind, I'm directing PBOT to pause implementation as we reassess our approach," said Mayor Wilson.

The City Council and Mayor approved a budget that included higher hourly rates for on-street parking and assumed the City Administrator would extend enforcement hours from 7 to 10 p.m.

Beginning Oct. 15, all parking meter enforcement hours will revert to 7 p.m., except during event district hours. The planned Oct. 1 extension of hours to 10 p.m. in Northwest Portland has been postponed.

In the coming months, PBOT will gather parking utilization data and collaborate with existing parking committees and other central city stakeholders to consider how hourly parking changes can support our city economic recovery, safety and livability goals, while meeting our budgetary needs.

A new parking discount program will continue, even with the pause in new parking hours. At PBOT's five public SmartPark parking garages, a new reduced rate of $36 per month is offered for all SmartPark Swing Shift parking passes through June 30, 2026. Passes allow parking in SmartPark garages from 2:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. for people working downtown. Additional passes, which vary by garage, are available for daytime hours, motorcycle drivers, carpool drivers and bike parking. See the SmartPark websitefor details.