The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has updated on-street and public garage parking rates for the new fiscal year across the city’s five parking districts - Downtown, Northwest, Lloyd, Marquam Hill, and the Central Eastside – following City Council approval as part of the 2025-2026 city budget. Parking data shows that there is rising demand for space across the city as vibrant events, shopping, and dining continue to grow and expand across Portland. The cost of on-street parking in Portland remains substantially lower than most major west coast cities.
Updated rates for Portland’s five public SmartPark garages are listed at www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/smartpark.
Portland parking enforcement continues to hire new officers and increase the enforcement of common violations across the city, including citing vehicles for wrong-way parking, no visible front plate (when required), and expired vehicle registration. At short-term meters (less than five hours), it is unlawful to extend the parking time beyond the designated limit for parking in the metered space (often referred to as “meter feeding”). A list of all parking violations and the related fine amounts is available online at www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/parking-violations.
Phased expansion of on-street parking hours to 10 p.m. district-by-district through the end of the year
The start of the new fiscal year also marks the start of a phased expansion of pay-to-park hours for on-street parking in each district to 10 p.m. each day (not including Sundays for districts outside of downtown) in response to the growing needs and activities in the neighborhoods. The Marquam Hill district adjacent to OHSU will continue to operate until 7 p.m. only. From August through December of this year, parking signage and pay-to-park hours will be expanded on a district-by-district basis. Each parking district will receive notification prior to the time change.
In recent years, thousands of people have come back to downtown to enjoy the unique entertainment, dining and retail options that have made it the region's hub for generations. Foot traffic and restaurant openings continue to grow.
In 2024, PBOT studied parking use in multiple areas to understand when and where demand is highest. The results show that more people are parking in the evenings, driven in part by more events and activities drawing people back downtown and to other parking districts. In particular, the city’s event districts have seen significant growth and usage since their implementation.
Extending on-street pay-to-park hours will provide more turnover and customer parking for local businesses, particularly restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues that are open late into the evening. A program is in development to lessen the impact of new evening hours for people living on low incomes.
Good parking management is good for business
Parking management is a key tool used by cities to create access and turnover for businesses and residents where parking space is limited, making it easier to find a parking spot near your destination when you need it most. Well-managed parking systems also help with traffic flow, making parking spaces easier to find and reducing the number of drivers “circling the block” to find a place to park in busy neighborhoods.
For Portlanders parking regularly downtown, SmartPark public parking garages offer monthly parking passes to fit a variety of needs, including a reduced rate swing-shift option for employees requiring parking between 3 p.m. to 7 a.m. and a reduced rate for carpools. SmartPark garages also offer a cheaper alternative to street parking when people are parking for 4-hours or more.
While parking rates are data-driven and set to achieve the goals of parking management, parking revenue is a key component of PBOT’s budget. Funding from pay-to-park on-street parking and parking permits goes towards the bureau’s General Transportation Revenue (GTR). The other primary resource for General Transportation Revenue (GTR) is the State Highway Fund – made up of fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees, and weight mile fees. The State Highway fund is controlled by the state legislature and was due to receive an increase before the failure of the transportation bill during this past legislative session.
General Transportation Revenues fund the bureau’s basic maintenance and operations of the transportation system. Learn more about PBOT’s budget at www.portland.gov/transportation/budget/overview.
Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation