BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Bethlehem Parking Authority leadership has approved an increase in off-street parking rates to come every four years through 2040.
“Regular” rate adjustments help to keep up with the costs of not only providing relevant services but also building and maintaining facilities, parking officials said.
Starting this year, parkers will see a 50-cent hike in the hourly, off-street transient rate. As for the respective daily max rate, that would jump by $2 this year, in 2028 and 2032, as well as by $4 starting in 2032.
Parking assets like the Broad Street Lot and other garages will see some hikes by $5 and $10 depending on the year. See the file listed below for more details on how your parking situation is changing.
Event parking rates are set to jump by $5 this year, by $3 in 2028, by $2 in 2032 and by $5 in both 2036 and 2040.
Off-street fees haven’t risen in four years.
On-street rate change not finalized
The board also unanimously approved a change in meter rates, including 50-cent rises in “moderate- and low-demand” areas starting in 2028.
If later made official, the price would also be upped by $1 in “high-demand” areas beginning this year, followed by 50-cent hikes in four-year intervals.
Per city ordinance, this particular move regarding on-street prices has to be passed along to the mayor’s office for further review and must see a public hearing process before any official approval.
These costs haven’t increased in five years.
'Demand market rates'
Parking authority Executive Director Steven Fernstrom said his team has determined that a “demand market rate” is what could help improve parking conditions and distribution.
“Demand-rates parking aims to encourage turnover in your high-demand blocks and incentivize parkers to park at low-demand and off-street assets by providing a cheaper rate,” Fernstrom said.
“What this recommendation does on your on-street [parking] is place your most high-demand — I’m talking 85- to 90-percent occupancy on a regular basis — at a more robust rate to try to promote that those employees and those seeking to park longer will go to your off-street lots and or to less utilize on-street parking."THA Consulting President Jim Zullo
Jim Zullo, president of THA Consulting, said studies show that parkers tend to learn toward cheaper on-street parking, even if parking garages are in a convenient location.
Bethlehem's off-street rates are “very reasonable” for the facilities offered, which require “much more than the rates that [BPA is] charging,” he said.
“What this recommendation does on your on-street [parking] is place your most high-demand — I’m talking 85- to 90-percent occupancy on a regular basis — at a more robust rate to try to promote that those employees and those seeking to park longer will go to your off-street lots and or to less utilize on-street parking,” Zullo said.
Parking turnover, redistribution
“Over the past few decades, we’ve had an extremely off-balance parking system,” Fernstrom said.
“We’ve had wicked high on-street and extremely low off-street occupancy. This produces congestion, lack of parking and general frustration.”
“Complaints about insufficient turnover and a lack of available parking spaces are consistently received for Main Street and Third Street on the South Side. Meanwhile, East Broad, particularly between Long and Center streets, along with the South Side, on Morton Avenue, consistently displays low occupancy.”Bethlehem Parking Authority Executive Director Steven Fernstrom
BPA leaders have said they’ll continue identifying historically high- and low-demand zones around the city to see how to best use existing assets for a more effective parking system.
“Complaints about insufficient turnover and a lack of available parking spaces are consistently received for Main Street and Third Street on the South Side,” BPA Executive Director Steven Fernstrom said.
“Meanwhile, East Broad, particularly between Long and Center streets, along with the Southside, on Morton Avenue, consistently displays low occupancy.”
