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Parking

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1. What is the Division of Parking?

The City of Norfolk’s Parking Division is an enterprise fund, which falls under the Department of General Services. The Parking Division operates over 19,000 public parking spaces located in 14 garages , 10 lots and more than 500 on-street spaces.

Safe, convenient and affordable parking is always available. The Division of Parking, through the efforts of all employees dedicated to excellence, shall provide safe, convenient and affordable parking services to the citizens, visitors and businesses in Norfolk.

2. Who are our patrons?

Downtown workers, visitors, residents, students, shoppers, and tourists.

3. Where does the money I pay go?

All parking revenue collected remains within the Parking Enterprise Fund to cover the operating, maintenance, and all capital costs incurred by the parking system.

4. How many parking spaces are in downtown?

The city’s parking system consists of more than 19,000 public parking spaces located in 14 garages, 10 lots, and more than 500 on-street metered spaces.

5. Why is downtown parking necessary?

Downtown Norfolk is the center of the region's business, retail, cultural, and entertainment activities. Parking is an integral support structure to downtown commerce.

6. What is the busiest time to park?

The peak demand for downtown parkers is between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, when approximately 60% of all downtown parking spaces are occupied.

7. Why do people have to pay to park downtown?

The city uses many methods of financing the services it delivers to Norfolk citizens. Some services, such as police and fire, are supported by citizens through taxes paid to the general fund. Other services are financially supported by the users. Parking is one of those services supported exclusively by drivers using garages, surface lots and shuttles. Since this operation is self-supporting, adequate fees must be collected to cover the operating, maintenance and capital costs incurred by the parking system.

8. Who enforces on-street and off-street parking?

Division of Parking Enforcement Officers, Norfolk Police Department, and ODU Police monitor and enforce parking.

9. Why does Norfolk have parking meters?

Metered parking has many benefits to residents and businesses.

• Provides convenient on-street parking for business patrons.
• Encourages turnover of parking spaces for the short-term visitor.

Metered spaces are intended for short-term parking. The purpose of the time limit is to ensure that parking spaces regularly become available for customers of area businesses and visitors.

10. How much does it cost to park downtown?

The rate structure for parking in downtown is the same at all surface parking lots and garages. Most facilities allow short-term and long-term parking. View additional information on parking rates by facility.

The Division uses state-of-the-art electronic parking meters in its on-street and off-street metered parking program. Find detailed information on meter rates.

11. Is there special event parking?

Many venues in the city are host to special events throughout the year. In order to accommodate convenient exiting from parking facilities at special events, the Parking Division puts into place a collect-on-entry operation.

The collect-on-entry rates are:

• All facilities collect-on-entry, special event rate -- $5.00 and $10.00 per vehicle*
• *MacArthur Center Garages special event fee -- $2.00 per vehicle
• Special COE -- $12.00 per vehicle*
• Special Rate -- $2.00 per vehicle
• 6 PM - 9 PM -- $5.00
• After 9 PM -- $7.00 per vehicle
• COE -- $5.00 and $10.00 per vehicle*
• Harbor Park -- $6.00 per vehicle

12. Are there any programs to help defray the cost of parking for patrons of downtown businesses?

In connection with the operation of its attendant-operated facilities, the Division of Parking has established the Discount Stamp Program. Merchants / businesses may purchase discount stamps in booklets at a 50% discount of their face value for their patrons to use when exiting an attendant-operated facility in order to defray - in whole or in part - parking charges for up to four hours. This program is a successful example of public / private cooperation. Validations by City Code cannot be used to provide parking for employees.

13. Are shuttle services offered?

Light Rail, mobile options like Uber and TRT for regional transit.

14. Is security provided?

Allied Security provides garage monitoring. Supplementall security provided by the Norfolk Police Department.

15. Is there parking for the disabled?

Yes. Disabled parkers with valid handicap license plates and / or hanging tags may park free at any on-street metered space for the posted time (2 hours at most downtown meters, except Waterside, which is 15 minutes). Or, disabled parkers may park in off-street parking garages and lots for an unlimited time when paying posted hourly rates.

16. Does the City of Norfolk provide all the parking in downtown?

No. There are a number of privately owned and operated garages and surface lots in the downtown. These private facilities provide approximately 5,000 of the 23,000 spaces currently available in downtown.

17. What days and hours are the parking meters enforced?

With the exception of the parking meters in front of Waterside, metered spaces are all 2-hour duration and are in effect and enforceable from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

The metered spaces in front of Waterside have a 15-minute duration and are enforced from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday.

Metered Parking is free after 6 p.m. Monday through Saturdays and all day on Sundays.

As stated in Section 25.1-125 Enforcement of the City Code, enforcement shall not apply on Sundays, state election days, federal legal holidays or state legal holidays.

However City Council may, by resolution, waive these provisions, with respect to any or all designated streets, zones or public areas of the City, for such period of time as may be set forth in the resolution. Where the provisions are waived, signs or notices advising the public of such waiver shall be conspicuously posted for the streets, zones or area so affected.

18. Is there parking available in downtown for buses, RVs, campers and other oversized vehicles?

Parking for buses, RVs, campers and other oversized vehicles is available at Harbor Park Lot F, contact the Parking Division at 757-664-6222 for further information.

19. How can I get a special parking permit to park at meters?

The Division of Parking realizes the need to close meters for construction-related projects or special events at various locations throughout downtown. As a result, the Division of Parking has developed the Parking Meter Permit Program which offers several different types of meter permits, depending on the event and the length of time the permit is needed. This permit is designed to make legal parking more convenient by having the parker pre-pay the meter fee in return for a permit that is to be displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle.

Parking meter permits are issued on a first come, first serve basis and may be renewed weekly with a new application. Financial districts, as approved by Norfolk city ordinance, determine meter rates. Permits are not available on Sundays, federal, state and local holidays, or after 6 p.m. Monday – Saturday. Posted hours of operation are the enforcement hours for parking meters.

For additional information, contact the Parking Division at 757-664-6222.