Tucson is extending parking meter hours in the city’s Downtown, Mercado, Main Gate and University districts starting June 2 — but Fourth Avenue is exempt for now.
Paid parking will now be required Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The department of transportation is tacking on two extra hours of paid parking on weekday evenings with enforcement ending at 7 p.m. rather than 5 p.m. It also makes payment mandatory on Saturdays, a day on which parking is currently free.
While the hours of metered parking would change, the current rate of $1 per hour will remain the same and parking will stay free on Sunday and every day after 7 p.m..
The announcement exempts one of the city’s commercial hubs in the downtown area: Fourth Avenue.
Erica Frazelle, the public information officer for Tucson’s Transportation and Mobility Department, said they’re holding off on parking meter changes in the Fourth Avenue area to avoid exacerbating the impact of Downtown Links construction.
“It’s hard to evaluate what’s really taking place when there is major construction in the area,” she said.
She said they will reconsider extending the initiative after construction ends in fall 2025.
The Friday, May 2 news release said the changes “are expected to increase the availability of on-street parking for visitors to Downtown Tucson, University/Main Gate Square, and Mercado District, as well as to promote the opportunity to reinvest additional revenue towards an improved parking experience for customers.”
These new hours put Tucson in line with the parking policies of other Arizona cities.
The City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department enforces metered parking from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
In Tempe, parking is enforced Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. And in Flagstaff, it’s Sunday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the transportation department’s website.
The department started evaluating the proposal in October 2024, initially considering adding an additional three hours — from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Park Tucson Commission voted to approve the current recommendation following feedback from residents and business owners.
Park Tucson operates and maintains 1,800 metered parking spaces within the downtown area, six city-owned parking garages, five surface lots and multiple parking permit programs around the city.
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