Galveston’s Downtown Parking Meters Up & Running
Grace Period Ends Today; Enforcement Begins Tomorrow
Galveston, TX– After a lengthy transition period parking meters in Galveston Island’s downtown are now up and running. City officials report the extended grace period and warnings will end today and comprehensive enforcement begins tomorrow.
Smart parking stations, 95 individual solar powered hubs located throughout the downtown area, allow the parking public to pay by cash, coin, or credit card. Numbered spaces with defined boundaries are part of the downtown paid parking program. So are parking ambassadors, a uniformed group of trained employees who function as way-finders and mobile visitor centers in addition to enforcing necessary parking regulations. The public can visit any smart station to pay for parking or extend time in their numbered space.
Downtown Galveston Paid Parking:
- Fee: $1.25/hour
- Operation: 9:00AM – 6:00PM Monday – Saturday pay to park; Sundays free to park
Meters do not make change
- Area: 20th to 25th Streets; Harborside Drive to Post Office Street
Public Wi-Fi, a byproduct of the new parking meters, remains in testing. Officials hope the system will be available soon, but can not confirm the system will be available tomorrow.
In 2008, flood waters from Hurricane Ike destroyed 915 of the City’s parking meters. The City, with help from FEMA and guidance from the Downtown Merchants Oversight Committee, revamped the original meter footprint and applied for an improved project covering just the immediate downtown area.
In 2009, the City Council entered into a public-private partnership with Ampco System Parking to manage the paid parking program in the Island’s downtown. The City’s portion of the parking collections will first go to pay down the grant matching funds and the balance will go to the Galveston Island Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to promote and market downtown Galveston. In the event of another storm, these new meters will be moved out of harm’s way.