ST. LOUIS — Those who often use street parking in the city can expect to pay more.
The city of St. Louis announced an increase in parking meter rates and tickets, starting Oct. 1.
The increase includes:
Parking fines by $5 in the following classes:
- Class 1: $15 to $20 (parking meter & street cleaning violations)
- Class 2: $25 to $30 (minor parking violations)
- Class 3: $40 to $45 (public safety parking violations)
- Classes 4 & 5: will remain the same
Parking meter rates by $0.50
- Low demand areas: $1 to $1.50
- High demand areas: $1.50 to $2
Treasurer Adam Layne said the rise in prices will be beneficial to the city's future.
“As a revenue-generating office, our on-street parking operations are able to add value to the City with these additional funds, allowing the City of St. Louis to carry out essential services, make much-needed improvements, and bolster its financial health and credit rating to truly make a difference moving forward,” Layne said in a statement.
According to St. Louis' Parking Administrator, Leonard Freeman, St. Louis has not raised parking fines and meter rates in over 6 years. After conducting multiple parking studies to analyze rates in other major U.S. cities, officals found St. Louis ranked last for parking fine rates. Even after parking increases go into effect, we'll still be at the bottom of the list when compared to other cities.
City officials said the increase will be key in new advancements around St. Louis.
“By making small increases to the parking fines we can make substantial increases in our technology efforts with on-street parking and garages," Layne added. "We are poised to lean more into contactless and reserve parking as well as sustainable energy sources in reducing the St. Louis’ carbon footprint…these are increases that help fund our future.”
But there is a fee to fuel the progress, according to city leaders.
Moving forward with this operation has been increasingly difficult after last year's vote from The Board of Aldermen to strip $5 million from the Parking Division, in addition to the $11 million in recent years. Officials say progress shifted especially during the pandemic when revenue decrease by 43%.
Parking tickets also support College Savings Accounts (CSA) for students in the City of St. Louis.