Visitors to downtown Sarasota faced achanging rule landscape this summer when they tried to find a place to park.
They may find some clarity after an Aug. 31 Sarasota City Commission workshop, where the board will discuss options to both generate additional revenue to address a shortfall in the budget for the parking division, which in theory is an enterprise fund.
In March, the city commission opted to expand parking hours instead of raising parking fees.
The confusion started May 4, when the Sarasota City Commission approved expanded parking hours and increased fines for the city — including downtown, St. Armands Key and other commercial districts such as Southside — though those rates did not take effect until June 29.
By then, area churches
had persuaded the commission to roll back the expanded hours on Sundays, so parishioners wouldn’t face parking fines while attending worship services.
Once the expanded hours started, outcry from merchants, residents and theatregoersswiftly followed.
At an Aug. 3 meeting, city commissioners suspended the expanded hours, though kept the increased fines.
The revised rules went into effect Aug. 4.
What are the parking rules for the city of Sarasota now?
Timed parking rules are enforced from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday in most of the city.
In Sarasota’s Judicial District — defined by the city as Main Street and Ringling Boulevard east of U.S. 301 — that enforcement is from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
All other on-street downtown parking is enforced from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The cost for both is $1.50 per hour.
Parking in a timed spot monitored by ParkMobile costs $1.50 per hour.
Parking in any of the three garages in downtown Sarasota and on St. Armands Key costs $1 per hour.
According to the city of Sarasota parking division, there are a total of 3,508 on-street parking spaces with 828 paid spaces, 927 two-hour spaces, 499 three-hour spaces and 1,163 spaces with no time restriction.
The downtown core has a total of 1,505 street spaces, with 421 of those paid, while 692 are two-hour spaces, 119 are three-hour spaces and 197 have no time restrictions.
St. Armands Key has a total of 1,133 street spaces, with 407 of those paid, while 389 are three-hour spaces and 347 have no time restrictions.
Since the Aug. 3 city commission vote did not roll back fine levels, a time violation or unpaid meter is a $30 fine, while an expired registration or parking outside a marked space costs $40.
What were the controversial parking rule changes?
The seismic change was expansion of parking enforcement to 8 a.m. to midnight seven days a week — ending free and untimed parking on Sundays.
Parking fines were increased by $5.
How did Sarasota Parking work prior to June 29?
Prior to June 29, street parking in downtown Sarasota’s Judicial District — defined by the city as Main Street and Ringling Boulevard east of U.S. 301 — was enforced from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
All other on-street downtown parking is enforced from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The cost for both is $1.50 per hour.
A time violation or unpaid meter was a $25 fine, while an expired registration or parking outside a marked space was a $35 fine.
Why does the city need to raise more money through parking?
Sarasota’s parking division is an enterprise fund, which means it should be able to fund itself without tapping city reserves.
A combination of lost revenues and an increase in maintenance costs partly attributed to the impact of the 2024 hurricane season and street flooding — especially on St. Armands Key — means that for the 2026 fiscal year, the parking department is projected to lose $270,784.
That’s based on projected revenues of $6.29 million versus $6.56 million in expenditures.
Based on city projections, the increases would allow the parking enterprise fund to operate in the black, even while paying for significant capital improvements over the next five years, such as replacement of elevators, installation of license plate readers, and new vehicles.
In the 2027 fiscal year, the anticipated combined parking revenues are almost $9.8 million compared with expenditures of $8.8 million.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota parking rules have changed. What drivers need to know
