On Sept. 8, the Atlanta City Council passed a “parking bill of rights” to help drivers understand rates, fees, and enforcement before parking a vehicle.
Council member Jason Dozier said the legislation is about transparency, accountability, and making a frustrating system a little easier to navigate.
“I continue to be an advocate for making sure we reduce our dependence on cars and on parking to make Atlanta more walkable, more transit-friendly,” Dozier said. “At the same time, the parking facilities that already exist in our city must work better for residents, commuters, and visitors.”
Digital pay-to-park companies, like Park Mobile, are required to post signage at entrances to parking lots and decks to make parking rules clear. The goal is to reduce disputes related to towing, according to the resolution.
Park-for-hire facilities are increasingly relying on unmanned, cashless, digital systems like text-to-pay and mobile apps as the primary method for accepting payment and enforcing parking rules.
“Fair business practices at parking facilities are especially important for seniors, people without smartphones, and anyone who has ever been hit with an unexpected parking charge and had no reasonable way to challenge it,” Dozier said.
Other items approved by Council at the Sept. 8 meeting include:
- An ordinance providing $17.8 million for the Atlanta Police Department’s new vehicles.
- An ordinance approving approximately $10.8 million for security and screening improvements at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
- An ordinance for the installation of historical markers at Washington Park, recognizing its more than 100-year history, and the historic Washington Park swimming pool, which provided Black residents access to recreation during segregation.
- A resolution asking the Atlanta Urban Design Commission to consider landmark designation for the Just Us neighborhood, Atlanta’s first Black-owned subdivision located south of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
