Atlanta’s on-street parking costs to rise

It’s going to cost drivers more to park on Atlanta streets following the City Council’s approval of the first rate increase since at least 2010.

An hour of parking at one of the city’s 2,644 metered spaces will cost $3.50 going forward, up from $2. The fee increase, approved Monday, comes after months of discussion about how to enforce the use of some of Atlanta’s most in-demand real estate, and it’s likely to be the first of several changes coming amid a planned overhaul of parking rules.

Atlanta Department of Transportation officials say the increase will cover the cost of hiring more officers to enforce parking rules. There have been widespread complaints about enforcement, particularly from residents in downtown neighborhoods who say streets are overrun with illegally parked cars during big events.

Councilmember Byron Amos, who lives in Vine City, said he’s come to recognize the license plate tags of certain repeat offenders who park on his street, emboldened by the lack of enforcement. Residents there, and in neighborhoods like English Avenue, feel like the city has ignored their concerns, he said.

“Right now, it seems as if their message is falling on deaf ears,” Amos said during a committee meeting last week.

On-street parking in Atlanta has been managed by a contractor, ATLPlus, since 2017. But its staffing levels are currently below pre-pandemic levels, a 2025 study found.

The fee increase would allow ATLPlus to more than double the number of patrol officers, from 19 to 50. It would also cover a wage increase to make the positions more competitive.

Raising the on-street parking fee was one of several recommendations made by PFM Group Consulting, which did a deep dive into Atlanta’s parking rates, including how they compare to other cities.

Increasing on-street parking rates is likely to be the first of several parking changes the City Council will take up this year. The contract with ATLPlus ends later this year, and the city is putting it out for bid.

The current contract primarily deals with on-street parking management. City officials have said they want the next contract to focus more broadly on curb management, including usage by pedestrians, delivery trucks, rideshare vehicles, scooters and ebike rentals.

Council could implement some of the consultants’ other recommendations through city code, like raising permit fees for heavier commercial vehicles to compensate for the additional wear and tear to roads. The consultants also recommended Atlanta increase its fees to parking lot operators.

Some of the consultants’ recommendations require legislative approval. Currently, state law doesn’t explicitly allow cities to mail parking citations to drivers. If it did, it could ease the burden of having officers deliver citations to drivers’ cars, the study says.