Meters & Pay Stations

In 2004 Seattle began the three-year process of replacing the majority of the 9,000 aging single-space parking meters in the city with approximately 1,600 pay stations. The following links contain information on parking meters and pay stations for the City of Seattle. Click on a title to go to details on each item.

• Pay Stations: Quick Instructions
• Pay Stations: General Info
• How to Use Pay Stations and Who to Call for Assistance
• Parking Pay Station Neighborhoods: Where They're Coming and When
• Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Pay Stations
• General Information, Rates, and Free Parking Days
• Parking Tickets: Paying and Contesting
• Meter Installation Project

The City of Seattle uses on-street paid parking such as parking meters and pay stations to:

• promote parking turnover;
• act as a means of distributing a limited amount of on-street spaces (mainly in commercial areas) where demand exceeds supply;
• provide short-term parking spaces for shopping or personal errands (this in contrast to long-term parking for commuters);
• improve traffic circulation and economic viability of downtown commercial areas by maximizing the number of patron visits by car;
• and to generate revenue for the City.

from the Seattle Parking Management Study

Parking turnover occurs when several different vehicles occupy a single parking space over the course of a given time period.