More metered parking? Seattle transportation director is considering it

Seattle Department of Transportation Director Scott Kubly recently asked his staff to put together a list of the top five places without metered parking, or those that should have extended hours, and indicated he wanted to make money by charging for parking in part of Ballard.

“Riding down Shilshole – we could make a mint on weekends,” he wrote in a note to staff.

Kubly’s comments, which were obtained by KIRO 7 through a public disclosure request, were part of a transportation mobility weekly report.

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In a Wednesday interview with KIRO 7, Kubly said he was simply encouraging staff to look at different areas and ensure parking is working optimally. He claimed the city had no plans to add paid parking to the Shilshole area of Ballard, but said they are considering adding it to other places that are currently free.

The city is studying whether to add paid parking in parts of Uptown/Lower Queen Anne, Columbia City and in the Pike-Pine corridor that are free street parking right now.

This comes as Seattle – the nation’s fastest-growing big city – has lost hundreds of parking spaces to bus and bike lanes, according to a Seattle Times analysis.

“We use paid parking to ensure that people can access local businesses,” Kubly told KIRO 7. “That’s really what paid parking is for.”

SDOT is also examining extending paid parking hours past 8 p.m. in the Pike-Pine corridor and on Capitol Hill and reviewing whether the city should increase the current hourly cap of $4 an hour.