Portland Raises Parking Meter Rates For Third Year In A Row

We're starting to think the City of Portland just doesn't want you to park on the street anymore. For the third year in a row, Portland has raised the hourly cost at parking meters.

Warning. Rant incoming.

According to WMTW 8, the Portland City Council approved a budget on Monday that includes a 25 cent per hour increase to the parking meter rates. That means it will now cost $1.75 per hour to park in metered spaces in Portland.

Parking costs in the city at paid lots, garages and on the streets are continuously increasing making it more and more difficult for people who work and live in Portland to afford to park their cars. The price of housing in Portland forces many people to live in nearby towns and make the commute in and there are no alternatives for transportation like in big metropolitan areas, with the exception of  the Amtrak Downeaster with stops in Brunswick and Freeport that will bring passengers to Portland.

While 25 cents may not sound like much, the increase has been an annual occurrence. The metered price was raised from $1.00 to $1.25 in July of 2017 and raised again to $1.50 in July of 2018. We can see the pattern here, so expect the $1.75 per hour to go into effect on July 1 of 2019. While we're at it, we might as well plan on $2 per hour come July 1, 2020. If you park in Portland daily, that adds up quickly.

Do you use the parking app to pay for your parking? Tack on a 25 cent convenience fee making your one hour of parking an even $2.

Suddenly a nice meal in Scarborough at the chain restaurant with free parking sounds a lot better.