New parking rates begin today in Pensacola

Pensacola's new parking rates of $1 an hour went into effect Wednesday for city-owned parking spaces.

The Pensacola City Council approved the new rates on April 11.

"The number one biggest concern from the 2023 Parking Survey was the limited amount of available parking spaces during weekend nights," Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said in a press release Tuesday. "Well, this is also the time when city parking is free. With the increase of visitors and traffic to our downtown, plus the fact that rates haven’t been raised in almost 20 years, it’s time to balance supply and demand."

The price increase was one of the recommended changes in a parking consultant's report presented to the City Council in October. The goal of the report was to improve parking in city-owned spaces and lots and was presented to the City Council last year.

In February, the City Council unanimously approved an ordinance change that increased parking fines, including first-time fines, from $10 to $20. That ordinance also removed the provision that used city code to set parking rates, making it much easier for the city to change parking rates. The new rates will now be set as part of the city's annual budget in October.

Pensacola also switched mobile app providers for city parking this year and now uses the ParkMobile app exclusively.

The increase in parking rates will add an estimated $241,000 to the current fiscal year's budget, and the city said the new funds will be reinvested into the parking system.

The Pensacola City Council has not raised the hourly parking rate since 2007.

Excluding city-owned boat ramps, city parking remains free on Sundays.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola parking rate increase begins today