Free parking at State College meters, lots coming to an end. Here’s what to expect
After nearly 18 months of free parking in State College, residents and visitors will soon need to start feeding their meters again.
Normal parking operations will resume next Tuesday, Sept. 7, meaning free two- and three-hour parking at meters, surface lots and the McAllister Deck will be no more. (Free parking at the Beaver, Fraser and Pugh garages had already gone away in January.)
The paid parking resumes just four days before Penn State football’s home opener, which should see no shortage of downtown traffic. The free parking was implemented March 14, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in an effort to help support struggling businesses.
Rates for normal parking operations entail the following:
- On-street parking: The rate is $1.25 per hour, and motorists can pay directly at meters with coins, credit cards or via the Parkmobile app. (Minimum credit card charge is 75 cents.) Meters are enforced from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and most Sundays are free. Parking is not permitted between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
- Surface lot parking: The Allen and Beaver lots, in addition to the McAllister Deck, have a rate of $1.25 per hour with a five-hour time limit. This is enforced from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Parking in the McAllister Deck is not permitted from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. Sundays.
- Garage parking: Three hourly garages — Beaver, Fraser and Pugh — are open to the public 24/7, and the first 30 minutes are free. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the rate is $1 per hour and, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., the rate is 75 cents per hour. During special events, the hourly rate is $2.25 per hour. On special-events days, the maximum daily rate is $32 and on, non-special events, the maximum daily rate is $18. Most Sundays are free.
Because of the pandemic and free parking, the borough’s parking fund lost more than $2 million in revenue from last year alone.
This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 1:40 PM.
