EASTON, Pa. — A lot of people are talking about the “p-word” on online groups with a focus on Easton, and it appears it’s time to clear up some related information.
It helps to have a bit of a refresher on how parking in Easton has changed for 2024, and information on how you can save some cash when you’re out in the Downtown area for dinner and a show by avoiding undue parking fees.
“In parking, we decreased the off-season, hourly fee in the garage so they went from $2 and $3 to $1. And then during the peak season, when everyone comes to places like Crayola, and there's more people, more tourists coming to the city, those garage fees jump up to $3.”Easton City Administrator Luis Campos
This week, Easton PA Post, a Facebook group that serves as a hub of the community, experienced some confusion about the changes in parking rates and the driving force behind them. Some members speculated it was due to inflation, others suggested it was a ploy to increase parking revenue as Downtown traffic decreased.
That last point of speculation can be disproven, especially if you’ve been around the Downtown area over the past few months. Between the Winter Village and the Peace Candle lighting among other events downtown Easton has been a hive of activity.
Regarding the rates, the easiest place to find the facts is on the city's website, particularly in the parking section.
As of January 3, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 10 pm. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays, hourly rates are set at $1.50, though spots along Centre Square and its spokes run at $2 per hour.
Over at the Northampton County Courthouse, rates are set at $1.50 per hour from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Both the Third and Fourth Street garages offer parking from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $1 per hour, and from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. for 50 cents per hour.
Easton Mayor Sal Panto said it was initially recommended to bump parking up to $2 per hour, though he fought to bring it down to $1.50 as a reasonable compromise.
“It was actually done primarily to put into effect the parking study that was done a couple of years ago, that basically told us you can’t have premium parking on the street cheaper than parking in the garage. So in the garage, we lowered the rates to 50 cents an hour after 5 p.m. when most people come down and go to restaurants,” Panto said.
City Administrator Luis Campos said the increase in street parking would help bridge a budgetary gap connected to an increase in garbage fees for 2024.
While the inspiration for the rate changes stems from the parking study, city council spent a significant amount of time exploring the option as part of the 2024 budgetary process in October 2023.
“In parking, we decreased the off-season, hourly fee in the garage so they went from $2 and $3 to $1,” Campos said in a previous interview. “And then during the peak season, when everyone comes to places like Crayola, and there's more people, more tourists coming to the city, those garage fees jump up to $3.”
Both Panto and Campos previously stated the increase in street parking would largely affect visitors to the city, and paired with the reduced rates at the garages, residents would not be saddled with the bump.
“We're not trying to discourage people from coming downtown, but we're trying to make available parking spaces. We don't need the restaurant workers parking on the street and that's what's happening right now,” Panto said, adding the spots at the garages were both cheaper and safer for workers who would be away from their vehicles for extended periods.
Oh, and don't forget to pay your ticket... you don't want to end up in traffic court.
