News Release

Contact: Linda Tucker, Media & Communications Specialist

916/808-7523

Release: June 14, 2005

$30 two-year fee for visitor parking permit along residential streets takes effect July 1

Higher penalties for misusing visitor permits also to take effect; violations will run up to $500

Beginning July 1, the City of Sacramento division of Parking Services will be charging a $30 fee for residents’ visitor permits to pay for a two-year pilot project. The visitor parking permit fee along with increased penalties up to $500 for parking permit misuse are two residential parking program changes approved last February by the City Council.

Like many cities, Sacramento has a parking shortage in some residential neighborhoods caused by all-day commuter parking, employees and customers of businesses, hospitals and an increased demand for parking from development of new downtown housing. Residential permit parking provides preferential parking by imposing parking time limits in neighborhoods. Residents with a permit are exempt from the time limits.

To help reduce all-day commuter parking and pay for citywide enforcement of residential permit zones, the City will be charging $15 annually per visitor permit (billed as a two-year $30 fee when a resident’s parking permit comes up for renewal) and increasing the fines for the sale, assignment or exchange of visitor permits. Since visitor permits are the type of permits most frequently misused, current fines of $50 or $100 will increase to $250 and $500, depending upon the violation.

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