ParkOmaha announces changes to meter rates, time limits

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - ParkOmaha announced today it is rolling out upgrades that may change how you park throughout parts of the city.

The company says the first two to three hours of parking at a meter will be lowered to $1 an hour. While metered spots will have a lower initial rate, the rate will progressively go up the longer a vehicle stays parked.

Those progressive rates will also remove the time restrictions currently in place, meaning parkers can stay at high-demand locations if they wish to do so. However, not all of Omaha’s paid parking will have those progressive rates.

Omaha’s parking manager says the changes are designed to achieve parking availability without having to worry about receiving a citation.

The new rate structure will consist of three rate zones, starting with economy parking (green “E” spots) running 50 cents an hour. That rate will not increase and has a max daily price of $6. When local events are happening close by, that rate may be higher hourly, but the rate will remain flat.

Orange “3+” spots will have an hourly rate increase after 3 hours, going from $1 per hour for the first three to a max daily price of $15.50. Purple “2+” spots will have an hourly rate increase from $1 per hour for the first two hours, with a max daily price of $29.

Drivers will no longer be ticketed for “feeding the meter” to keep a spot, but if they do not pay for their length of stay or pay at all for their space, that still warrants a ticket.

City-owned garages at 15th and Douglas, 17th and Chicago, and 19th and Capitol will each have $1 hourly rates with a $10 daily maximum. The 10th and Jackson garage will run $2 a day Monday through Thursday. The first hour will be free Friday through Sunday, with $1 per hour after the first with a $10 daily maximum.

ParkOmaha is also implementing a new payment system designed to decrease congestion and make finding spots and paying for them easier. Cash or card payment will be available on multi-space meters on each block. ParkOmaha’s mobile app is also an option.

The company says gates will also be removed from all garages and surface lots managed by ParkOmaha as they transition into this new system. License plate reader cameras will instead be used for credentials.

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