Parking in downtown Puyallup is changing. Here’s what locals and visitors can expect
Puyallup locals and visitors may notice something different within the next two weeks.
Come Friday, Jan. 19, the city will have replaced all the two- and one-hour parking signs downtown with three-hour parking signs.
City spokesperson Eric Johnson told The News Tribune this move is part of a pilot program – the goal is to improve parking downtown to make it more efficient for business owners and customers.
Last month the city also launched a new business parking permit system. The new system lets business owners apply for parking placards for employees, allowing them to park in any city-owned lot.
A placard costs $60 and is good for a year. Each placard has a barcode on the front that stores specific information such as the vehicle’s make, model and owner.
The old business parking permit cost $20. The old system had an “archaic” process, Johnson said. The permits were paper, and it was harder to track. The city did not have a way to associate a vehicle with its owner, he said.
The pilot program also includes adding more 15-minute parking zones, City Clerk Dan Vessels Jr. said. The city’s public works department is in the process of identifying where the zones will be. This will benefit delivery and rideshare drivers, Vessels said.
Some residential areas have four-hour parking zones – those limits will be removed as a part of the pilot program. Johnson said the Sound Transit parking garage at 302 Fifth St. NW is available for those who may rely on those zones.
The cost to implement and build the new business parking permit system is roughly $10,000, Vessels said.
By summertime, the city will evaluate the pilot program and present its findings to the Puyallup City Council. Council members will decide what the next steps will be, such as whether to continue or change the program.
