Drivers heading into downtown Salt Lake City for dining, shopping or other events may start paying more — and more often — for metered parking.
You might have to pay more to park in downtown Salt Lake City if the City Council approves proposed changes to how officials manage on-street, metered spaces.
Drivers heading into downtown Salt Lake City for dining, shopping or other events may start paying more — and more often — for metered parking.
“To encourage more turnover in parking stalls with the goal of accommodating an increased number of people parking,” Department of Public Services Deputy Director Julie Crookston wrote in an email, “we are increasing the times when a meter payment is required, and how much it costs.”
City Council members are evaluating the proposal, part of Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s fiscal 2026 recommended budget.
City officials are eyeing a $1.25 raise in the hourly rate for parking at metered spots, jumping from $2.25 to $3.50. That’s a 55.5% increase.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Heather Sudweeks pays for parking at a kiosk on 500 South on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
Under the proposal, the city also would eliminate the two hours drivers get free on Saturdays and continue collecting parking fees until 10 p.m., instead of the current 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The changes, Crookston noted, are expected to bring in an additional $800,000 in revenue for the city.
The declaration attached to the proposed ordinance argues the changes “will provide fair and equal access to parking locations” and “facilitate the efficient use and enjoyment of notable destinations” in Utah’s capital. Crookston added that downtown is seeing more events and more people coming to them on evenings and weekends, increasing parking needs.
Urban planners and parking experts generally recommend cities price on-street spaces such that it reflects driver demands for spots and makes the best use of a limited resource. Crookston said a 2022 parking study found the city’s rates low compared to other cities.
The city maintains 3,175 metered spots citywide. There are about 32,000 parking spots downtown in total. A 2023 study found that almost a third of downtown wasdedicated to parking lots.
Some of America’s densest cities, including New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., dedicate less than 5% of their downtowns to off-street parking. Peer cities Sacramento, California (16%) Denver (17%) and Phoenix (22%) all check in at less, too.
The proposed changes don’t affect downtown garages — like the underground spaces at City Creek Center. That mall gives drivers two hours of free parking before charging them for additional use.
During the public hearing portion of Tuesday’s council meeting, no commenters spoke on the parking proposal despite it appearing on the agenda.
The parking changes were just one of 15 items related to the budget and scheduled for a public hearing Tuesday. Most commenters instead urged council members to support various capital improvement projects aiming to address traffic calming in their neighborhoods.
Mendenhall has proposed a $512 million general fund spending plan for the next fiscal year — up 6.7% from the current budget — with no planned tax hikes. The mayor prioritized investments in public safety, streets, employee salaries and housing, but generally tried to keep the budget flat as economic uncertainty continues to dominate headlines.
The council will have to sign off on the fiscal 2026 budget by June 30.