Starting Tuesday September 1, 2020 drivers will no longer need to print a ticket to put on their windshield when parking. Stickers for parking are a thing of the past for Austin, Texas. For anyone who goes to Downtown Austin, parking is one of the biggest hassles. You will see signs that say 20 min parking or most commonly 2-hour parking limit. Austinites know that 2 hours is never enough time. If you stay past the 2-hour parking limit you are hit with a $40 fine. The City of Austin is changing to pay-by-plate. With this method, parking enforcement officers with be able to look up your license plate to check if it is registered as a valid parking session so, make 100% sure you enter the plate correctly.
Finding parking will still be an issue, as it is any city. However, worrying about the sticker and paying a fee will ease some of the burden. The hardest part will be remembering what your license plate is. Best to take picture before you walk away from the car.
The list below describes the new rates per hour parking fees found on Austintexas.gov:
1st hour = $2
2nd hour = $2
3rd hour = $3
4th hour = $3.50
5th hour = $4
6th hour = $4.50
7th hour = $5
8th hour = $5
9th hour = $5
10th hour = $5
*If you are using a credit card at parking stations a 25¢ fee will be added to each transaction.
How it works
Add the price per hour together. For example, if I parked for 6 hours it would cost $19 ($2+$2+$3+$3.5+$4+$4.5). If you stayed the allowed 10 hours, it would cost $39. The increased rate per house is to discourage people who work in downtown Austin from using the space all day. If they were to park in a garage for a usual 8 hour day the max you would pay is around $24.
Only Parking for 15 minutes?
For those who only need a quick 15 minute max parking space, the Austin’s Transportation Department is asking citizens to use the Park ATX mobile payment app. there are two free 15 minute codes that are valid every 24 hours. According to Austin American Statesman the codes are:
FREE15ATX1
FREE15ATX2