Auckland city parking rates hike: Eight-hour workday could cost $63

Parking meters around Auckland City. Photo / Greg Bowker

If you plan to park in Auckland central for an extended time later this month, you might want to avoid leaving your car on the street.

Auckland Transport's on-street parking hike is being rolled out at the end of July.

After the first two hours, the price of parking on the street will rise - and quite drastically in some zones.

The current three on-street price zones have been replaced by two zones.

Under the new rates, in areas like Wynyard Quarter and Vector Arena, parking for eight hours will skyrocket from $16 to $42 dollars.

In parts of the inner CBD, an eight-hour park will cost $63.

Evening and weekend rates remain unchanged.

There is no charge for stays of up to 10 minutes, to allow time for pickups and drop-offs.

For longer stays, motorists are encouraged to pay $3 per hour in one of AT's four city centre parking buildings ($24 daily maximum).

Auckland Transport said it's about encouraging people spending the entire day in the city, such as workers, to use parking buildings instead.

It says that will make it easier for people trying to visit businesses to find a street park.

During busy periods, about 94 per cent of on-street car parks are occupied in parts of the city centre.

In May 2015, AT's new parking strategy was adopted following public consultation and a key policy within this strategy was demand-responsive pricing, AT said.

The increases are being rolled out and AT said people should check pay and display machines for the current fares.

It's also hoped the hike will mean fewer cars cluttering Auckland's streets, and more people switching to public transport.

Generation Zero's Auckland Director Leroy Beckett says overall, it's a positive move, as people shouldn't be parking in the city all day.

He says it's a terrible use of space.

He says commuters who haven't used public transport in a couple of years might be surprised how much it's improved.

The price change is expected to be rolled out over several weeks, so AT has encouraged people to check the parking machine for the current hourly rate.

AT regularly survey paid parking areas and said the level of occupancy helped determine whether the price needs to be adjusted up or down.

• Full details here: https://at.govt.nz/driving-parking/parking-in-auckland/pay-display-parking/
The changes

Central zone

Current price:

$4 per hour for the first 2 hours

$8 per hour for every subsequent hour

New prices:

$4.50 per hour for the first 2 hours

$9 per hour for every subsequent hour

The two current zones will become one.

Outermost zone

Current prices:

$2 per hour

New prices:

$3 per hour for the first 2 hours

Second outer zone

Current prices:

$3 per hour for the first 2 hours, then $6 per hour for every subsequent hour

New prices:

$6 per hour for every subsequent hour