New rates, end of ‘First-Hour Free’ to take effect on October 1st in Downtown Clarksville
Clarksville, TN – On October 1st, 2019, first-hour free parking in Downtown Clarksville will end according to the City of Clarksville.
The Parking Commission voted in July to set new parking rates for the 196 metered spaces in the City’s core.
Beginning October 1st, the first hour of parking will be $1.00 and each additional hour will be $2.00 for up to three hours total.
Officials said the first-hour free program was introduced about five years ago in an attempt to bring more visitors and shoppers to downtown.
But problems with the meters and sensors caused outages, which created frustration for the public, and enforcement challenges and decreased revenues for the City.
With the goal of presenting “frustration-free parking,” meters will display messages about the new rates and enforcement officers will distribute informational flyers for a few weeks after the new rates take effect.
Downtown parking meters offer payment by coin or with credit and debit cards. Parking will continue to have a 3-hour limit. A general parking violation carries a $10.00 fine, and other violations, such as parking in unauthorized spaces, can carry a higher fine.
