Help with parking rules (Portland: credit card, neighborhood, where to buy)

[Twinkletoes2008]

Hi! I've just moved to Portland and I love it here! I'm having a little trouble with parking in the city. How can you tell where it is okay to park? Can I not park if the curb is painted yellow? And do they really enforce those time limits? I hate going to the trouble of parallel parking, only to find out that I'm in the wrong spot, or I can only park there for 15 minutes. It seems there's a different rule on every block, and I can't read the signs until I've parked and gotten out of the car. If I get a parking permit can I quit putting money in the meters? Thanks a lot!

[Nell Plotts]

Don't park were the curb is painted yellow, don't even hang into a yellow curb. Also, the time limit means exactly that, you can't stay longer at that spot. The purpose is to turn over street parking. You can, however, use the remaining time on a parking receipt in another spot.

The only permit that I can think of that exempts you from meeter fees are handicap permits issued by DMV, and they do not work in 15 minute zones.

The best deals are Smart Park garages for 4 hours or less. You never pay for more time than you stay.

[suncat]

Parking downtown can be tricky, and you're right that the rules seem inconsistent. There are two parking structures that I've found aren't too expensive:

1) The one kitty corner to the library
2) The one with the fish sculptures

Sorry I can't be more specific. I just call them the "fish structure" and the "library structure."

There are some longer term meters west of downtown, too.

[EnricoV]

suncat - those are both Smart Park garages, which are all a good value. Another one is two-blocks south of the "fish structure," near Pioneer Place. Avoid the private parking structures - you'll have to give them your first-born child. There's been a pretty firm monopoly on Portland parking lots, so prices have gone unchecked. But that looks like it might have changed.

I don't think the rules are inconsistent, but the timing on the meters is. For very good reasons. They want a mix of 1-2 hour spots for longer visits. But most importantly, some 15-minute spots, so people can "run it" and get some business done.

You can never park at a yellow curb, in a driveway. Downtown will all have "marked off" parking spaces. Stick to those. And the signs will tell you how long you can park there.

Downtown meters need to be "fed" until 7 p.m. Over in the Rose Garden/Lloyd Center area, they go until 10 p.m. (gotta fleece those Rose Garden attendees!). And you will very likely get a ticket if you don't comply. They're pretty vigilant about it.

[oldtintype]

You can buy cards for the meters with prepaid amounts on them so you won't have to worry about having the right change or using a credit card. If you go to the city website it shows locations of where to buy them. You can buy a parking permit only in residential areas that aren't metered.

[Nell Plotts]

Residential permits: only if you live in the neighborhood. There is a limit on the number per household too.

[Twinkletoes2008]

OK, thanks for the info. I wen to 3 different places yesterday, spent a lot of time circling around looking for a spot, and paid about 5 bucks for parking. I guess that's the price you pay for going to great places that lots of other people want to go to.