Look for the smiley-face balloons: What to know about free 2-hour parking in Raleigh
Beginning Friday, Nov. 15, you will be able to park for free in downtown Raleigh in certain parking decks.
A new program will let visitors park in five city-owned decks for two hours before paying a new hourly rate.
The pilot program is aimed at increasing downtown visitors during the holiday season.
The Raleigh City Council will decide in January whether to make the program permanent, which Bill King, president of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, hopes happens.
The alliance has been working with the city for months sharing feedback about what free parking could mean for businesses.
“We hear consistently that paying for parking is one of the barriers for customers coming downtown,” King said.
Downtown Raleigh is one of the few shopping and entertainment areas in Wake County where people pay to park. North Hills, Fenton and other mixed-use developments don’t charge.
Downtown Raleigh saw a decrease in visitors when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and has slowly been rebuilding the customer base, King said. The downtown core, like Fayetteville Street and the Moore Square area, are still off from their normal visitation levels.
“This gets people to come back downtown. In two hours, you can get a meal, go shopping, go to Marbles (Kids Museum), you can do a lot in two hours,” King said. “We’re really excited about this, and we do think it should be permanent.”
Where can I park for free?
The program begins Friday at 7 a.m. in these decks:
Blount Street Deck, 314 Blount St.
City Center Deck, 429 S. Wilmington St.
Moore Square Deck, 233 S. Wilmington St.
Municipal Complex Deck, 201 W. Morgan St.
Wilmington Street Station Deck, 117 S. Wilmington St.
When can I park for free?
You can park free for two hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
On weekends, parking is free in any of the city-owned decks and parking lots.
The free 2-hour parking will not apply during special weekday events downtown.
A special sign and bright yellow balloons with smiley faces will be posted outside each participating deck. Drivers will still need to get a parking ticket to enter.
What will I pay after 2 hours?
Once the two hours are up, drivers will pay $2 per hour and $14 for 24 hours, which is the current rate.
Currently, city decks are free for the first 15 minutes, then $1 for the first two hours, and $2 an hour after that. This is the same rate that other parking decks in downtown Raleigh charge.
There is no charge to park in the city-owned decks after 7 p.m. and leaving before 7 a.m. on Monday through Thursday.
Drivers can redeem their free, two hours of parking at one deck, once per day.
Other city parking rates
There are over 70 places to park in downtown Raleigh.
The city-owned parking decks and lots are metered unless otherwise stated. On weekends, the available parking is also free.
Additionally, the city offers free parking for residents who attend all City Council, boards and commission meetings and park in the Raleigh Municipal Complex Deck.
Visitors need to get the white entrance ticket from the parking deck equipment and insert it into the parking validator machine located outside of the City Council chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building.
You can find more information about maps, parking availability and rates at the city of Raleigh’s website, raleighnc.gov/parking.
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Look for the smiley-face balloons: What to know about free 2-hour parking in Raleigh."