Paid parking coming to Bellevue, WA, rates between $1 and $8 per hour
BELLEVUE, Wash. - Drivers will soon have to start paying to park in downtown Bellevue.
The Bellevue City Council approved an ordinance last week to eliminate the city's long-standing policy on free street parking, and create a paid "curb pricing program" across the urban core.
What we know:
The new paid parking regulations will target Bellevue's densest neighborhoods, specifically the Downtown, Wilburton, BelRed, and Spring District areas.
By the numbers:
The city plans to deploy a dynamic, demand-based pricing model modeled after Seattle's system, featuring hourly rates ranging from $1 to $8 per hour.
Bellevue's transportation department is tasked with establishing and managing the program, aiming to maintain an on-street occupancy rate of 80%, or about 1–2 open parking spaces per city block.
The move comes after city officials noted significant traffic impacts caused by limited parking in popular areas, like Old Bellevue or the Spring District during the evening hours. Additionally, 25% of local drivers were caught overstaying past the posted time limits, and overcapacity would lead to chronic gridlock and delivery double-parking.
A no parking sign in downtown Bellevue.
The city of Bellevue currently operates roughly 55,000 off-street parking spaces inside garages and private lots, but only controls about 600 on-street parking stalls.
What they're saying:
The city says all funding acquired through paid public parking will be reinvested to cover the cost of installation, equipment maintenance, parking enforcement, and future transportation and traffic studies. City leaders also hope to expand the operation of Bellhop, the city's app-based free shuttle service.
The Bellevue Collection, which operates major commercial properties in the downtown core, previously opposed the city's plan after it was announced they were considering paid street parking back in early 2025.
"Offering free parking for our retail, dining, and entertainment customers at The Bellevue Collection has always been foundational to our core values," the organization told FOX 13 in a statement. "We do not support the decision to implement paid street parking in Bellevue, and we are committed to maintaining our current free parking policy for our retail guests."
What's next:
It's currently unknown when Bellevue plans to begin the program, but signage and mobile app payment instructions will be systematically rolled out across the urban core before enforcement begins.
The Source: Information in this story came from an ordinance from the Bellevue City Council and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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