It’s Cheap to Park at Honolulu Parks
When it comes to the price of parking at public parks, Honolulu residents are getting a good deal.
At popular parks in other cities around the country, parking is rarely as cheap as it is at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki.
But a bill before the Honolulu City Council could have changed that. proposed doubling meter fees from 50 cents to $1 per hour and charging for parking overnight at Kapiolani and Aala Parks.
After community members took issue with the fee hike, council member Stanley Chang announced on Tuesday that the council would not pass the bill. Instead, the measure will be sent back to committee for more discussion.
Still, all things considered, Honolulu residents park for cheap at public parks.
How cities charge for public parking at parks varies greatly. In Honolulu, the rules are straightforward. At least at Kapiolani Park, the city charges 50 cents per hour, but 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. is free.
In some cities, parks charges as much as $19 for three hours, while others have some free lots but don’t allow parking overnight.
At Chicago’s Millennium Park, drivers are largely limited to the Millenium Park Garage, where the cheapest rate is $14 a day — but only if you come and leave early.
Parking in the garage, which is directly under the park, costs a flat $19 for up to three hours, after which rates increase incrementally. But parking isn’t free overnight: For 12 hours and up, it costs $24.
Visiting San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park isn’t quite as expensive. Most drivers use the Music Concourse Garage, which is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and costs $3.50 an hour during the week and $4 an hour on weekends.
In all of these cities, Honolulu included, there’s always some free parking on nearby side streets. But those stalls are sparse.
Public parking systems at Miami Beach and Santa Barbara parks are more on par with those at Kapiolani and Aala Parks.
| City | Hourly Parking Rates at Public Parks |
Overnight Parking |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Beach | Limited free parking | Limited, not free |
| Honolulu | 50 cents per hour | Free |
| Santa Barbara | From $2 per hour | Limited, occasionally free |
| San Francisco | From $3.50 per hour | Not allowed |
| Chicago | From $14 a day | $24 per night |
Parking for some of Miami’s most popular parks is free at all times — in a few designated lots. Other municipal garages only charge on weekends. The free lots are closed at night and overnight parking is hit or miss, and always for a fee.
Santa Barbara’s parking prices are most comparable to those in Honolulu. Parking for some parks, such as Alameda Park, is available in city lots for about $2 an hour, or $12 a day. But there’s no free overnight parking.
And during the city’s off-season between October and April, revenues from those public lots rely on an “honor fee:” $3 for three hours and $7 maximum a day.
It’s worth noting that Honolulu falls short in meter technology. Most metropolitan cities have upgraded to modern meters, many accepting credit cards and payment via cell phone. Some meters are equipped with technology that helps drivers find empty stalls.
Even if Honolulu upped its parking fees as outlined in Bill 30, overnight parking would still be a relative steal.
