10 U.S. Cities That Always Have Great Parking

Cities throughout the United States have focused on building public parking space for more than 70 years. However, parking space construction peaked in 2012. Builders across the country are building more housing and less parking spaces. For decades, cities have had to meet a “minimum parking requirement”. The amount of parking space required in a city was based on how many parking spaces are used on “Black Friday”, the biggest shopping day of the year. Now, builders can determine the amount of parking spaces necessary.

With less parking spaces, commuters and visitors to cities are finding it harder to find a parking space. In larger cities across the country, parking can be a nightmare. Spaces are difficult to find and expensive to use. In smaller cities, public transportation may not be available. To meet the needs of commuters, cities are taking initiatives to make parking available, affordable and efficient. Smartphones provide apps with public parking information and payment options. License Plate Recognition technology and pay station meters provide ease of parking. Cities are partnering with businesses to provide better parking.

Here are 10 U.S. cities that always have great parking.

Las Vegas, Nevada

It has been said that Las Vegas, Nevada has more parking spaces than anywhere in the world. While this may not be true, the gambling mecca of the United States certainly does have ample parking for those driving into the city. Much of the parking is free. Hotels, casinos, shopping centers, and other attractions either have their own parking facilities or one nearby. The Strip and Downtown Las Vegas are lined with parking garages or surfaced lots. These are both self-parking and valet facilities. Many are free of charge although some resorts are beginning to charge a fee to park. If you are a guest of the resort, you can often validate your parking ticket. Most parking garages are multiple story structures and have security. Hotels in Las Vegas that still provide free parking include Wynn Las Vegas, Encore @ Wynn, The Venetian Resort, The Palazzo Resort, The Platinum Hotel and Spa, Trump International Las Vegas, and the Marriott Grad Chateau.

Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona has a growing downtown area. There are many businesses, shopping, dining and other entertainment options. To facilitate economic growth, the city of Scottsdale started The Morning Express Trolley. The service runs a loop between a parking facility with 3500 free parking spaces, many covered, and the northeast downtown hub. The Express service runs every 10 minutes from 4 am until 10 am for the morning rush hour with regular Trolley service the rest of the day. Scottsdale maintains public parking downtown, and with people taking advantage of the Trolley service, there is more parking space available downtown. Many of the parking spaces downtown Scottsdale have decreased the parking time limit from 3 to 2 hours opening up spaces more frequently.

Miami, Florida

Large cities are usually the most difficult to find parking spaces. Miami is becoming an exception. The Miami Parking Authority has received “A” status from Fitch Ratings for employing innovative techniques to create parking throughout the city. The MPA has also received designation from the “Accredited Parking Organization” for standards of excellence and performance. The MPA has initiated Pay-By-Phone. Commuters can register for the service which provides the convenience of paying for parking permits by phone. Miami was the first city in Florida to absorb the convenience fee charged for the service. The MPA also forms partnerships with downtown companies to create more public parking space. Overall, the MPA manages 15 parking garages, 75 surface lots and over 10,000 street spaces.

Great Falls, Montana

Downtown Great Falls, Montana has a unique mixture of businesses, restaurants, stores, and entertainment venues. To promote the economy and vibrancy of the town, the city has created a diverse management program to meet the needs of visitors and commuters. The city maintains a total of 2000 public parking spaces through garages, surfaced lots and curbsides. There are also 1000 on-street metered spaces including 25 handicapped spaces. Parking permits can be obtained for $20 a month.

Tucson, Arizona

As with many cities in Arizona, Tucson has great parking. Public transportation is available from the University of Arizona Health Services Center to the Mercado District on the west side of Tucson. Tucson offers 5 parking garages, surfaced lots, and on-street parking.

Tampa, Florida

Tampa, Florida’s public parking program is innovative. Online features provide access to obtain a BUCS Pre-paid Package, make online payments, and renew payments online. Tampa has over 11,000 off-street parking spaces and over 2000 on-street spaces. To self-park in a garage, it typically costs $1.20 an hour with a $9.50 daily maximum limit. It is easy to find a parking space when commuting or visiting downtown Tampa, Florida.

Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas is using collaborative partnerships and innovative technology to make parking in the city easy and encourage economic growth and customer convenience. The Parking Management Department of the City of Houston maintains 9200 on-street metered spaces and 19 public parking lots. In February 2016 the City of Houston upgraded its parking meter system by installing solar powered meter pay stations. The pay stations make parking faster and more efficient. Since initiating the system, processing time is 50% faster and “pay-by-plate” technology has made the process easier. The system takes coins, cash, credit cards, and a Parkmobile app.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City has upgraded its parking system to encourage economic growth and provide commuters and visitors to the city ease and efficiency when driving to the city. The Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority is using the EMBARK program to create better parking in the city. The OKC recently phased out mechanical meters in favor of pay stations. Customers insert payment of coins, cash, credit or debit cards, print a receipt and place it inside the windshield. Parking zones are designated by color. In addition to privately owned parking garages and lots, the OKC manages 5 public parking garages and 3 surface parking lots within the city.

Mesa, Arizona

Mesa, Arizona is a driver-friendly city. The city offers a map showing free parking throughout the city. There are over 5000 free parking spaces available in downtown Mesa. To encourage hometown business growth, the city of Mesa offers a “Special Events Parking Dollars Promotion”. For any event at the Mesa Arts Center that charges a parking fee, visitors receive a $5 voucher good at Mesa businesses.

Chandler, Arizona

Downtown Chandler, known as “the DC”, always has free parking spaces. The “Find Your Spot” program helps locate nearby free parking for commuters and visitors to the city. Chandler is a popular place to work, shop, dine and play.