NEW ORLEANS – Starting today, Monday, January 11, 2016, on-street parking meter rates and hours of enforcement will change. The City of New Orleans said the new rates and hours will result in more efficient management and utilization of the City’s on-street curb space.
Deputy Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer Andy Kopplin said, “Our city’s growth means more vehicles on our streets which is causing congestion and limiting parking, especially in the French Quarter and downtown and along commercial corridors. By adjusting our on-street parking meter rates, extending parking enforcement by one hour and increasing parking ticket violations, we can more efficiently manage on-street parking throughout New Orleans.”
Kopplin continued, “After listening closely to the concerns and suggestions from neighborhood leaders and members of our hospitality industry and working with our partners on the New Orleans City Council, we have reached a compromise that will allow us to more efficiently manage and better utilize our city’s limited on-street parking space. I want to especially thank District A Councilmember Susan Guidry and District C Councilmember Nadine Ramsey, who chairs the Public Works Committee, for helping to broker this compromise.”
City reps said the increase in hours of operation and moving towards fair market pricing are consistent with best practices and expert advice that parking meter rates should be based on demand. By using fair market pricing for short-term on-street parking, City reps said they can decrease traffic congestion and increase accessibility, which will ultimately improve commerce.
District A Councilmember Susan G. Guidry said “I am pleased that the Council and the Administration could come to a compromise that benefits citizens who live and work in the affected meter areas by reducing traffic congestion, increasing parking accessibility and stimulating commerce. By limiting the parking meter hours and raising the penalty for parking violations, we are shifting the burden from users to violators. In addition, we all have the ease of paying by cellphone and app with the new Parkmobile.”
District D Councilmember Jared D. Brossett said, “For the past few weeks, I've been working with the Administration to develop a compromise that addresses the concerns of a diverse group of businesses, residents, musicians and service industry employees. While this compromise is not perfect, I believe it addresses many of the public's concerns and allows the City to effectively utilize on-street public parking.”
Stan Harris, President and CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, said, “We appreciate the administration's willingness to listen to the concerns of the service industry. We feel this compromise helps to balance the needs of hospitality workers and the needs of the City.”
Parking Meter Rate Adjustment
• Beginning Monday, January 11, 2016, on-street parking meter rates will be adjusted. In the French Quarter, Marigny, Central Business District and Warehouse District, on-street parking meter rates will be adjusted to $3.00 an hour. Parking meter rates will be adjusted to $2.00 an hour everywhere else in the city of New Orleans.
Hours of Enforcement Extended to 7:00 p.m.
• Beginning Monday, January 11, 2016, hours of enforcement for on-street metered parking spaces will be extended from the current 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. operating hours to 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. operating hours. Parking enforcement will continue to be Monday through Saturday. This compromise agreement is reduced from the original plan of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. enforcement.
Parking Ticket Violation Prices to Increase
• As part of the compromise to reduce the expansion of enforcement hours, the City Council has committed to increase parking ticket prices from $20 to $30. Such a change will go before the City Council in January.
Increase in Residential Permit Parking Enforcement
• Some of the new revenue will be used to hire an additional 20 parking enforcement officers in 2016, bringing daily staffing to nearly 40 enforcement officers per day, which will allow additional enforcement in Residential Permit Parking zones.
City Working with RTA to Expand Downtown Transit Services
• One of the major comments from workers is that public transportation options are limited late at night requiring more workers to drive cars. In order to better serve residents and workers employed in the French Quarter and downtown, the City is working with the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to expand transit services including bus line hours of operation. In January and February 2016, RTA will begin public hearings on expanding transit services hours into downtown. RTA anticipates expanded services will begin this coming spring 2016.
New Parking Meters and Pay-by-Phone Parking Service
• In fall 2014, the City began installing new, improved solar-powered parking meters. The new parking meters include video touchscreens with user instructions available in English, Spanish, French and Vietnamese. The new parking meters feature the City’s pay-by-phone parking service, Parkmobile.
Setting up new pay-by-phone account requires a vehicle license plate number, a credit or debit card, a mobile phone number and an e-mail address.
Once an account is set up, users can follow the prompts to enter in the meter “parking zone” number. Using the City’s pay-by-phone feature requires a $.35 per transaction fee, in addition to the meter space rental. Users will get an e-mail confirmation when their account is set up, an e-mail confirmation that payment was accepted and a notification text/e-mail 15-minutes prior to the meter expiring to remind the motorist to add time to the meter rental or to complete the transaction.
