Vancouver is preparing to extend seven-day paid parking north of Evergreen Boulevard into Uptown, with the change not expected until at least July 2027.
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The city of Vancouver, Washington, plans to expand seven-day paid parking north of Evergreen Boulevard, including into Uptown Vancouver, with the change not expected to take effect until at least July 2027.
Jose Rayo, who works at Tiger’s Garden in downtown Vancouver, said the current paid parking rules can discourage some people from stopping, even during busy events like the Jazz and Wine Festival. He told KATU that strict enforcement can affect businesses because some customers do not stop if parking requires payment.
Rayo said added parking costs can matter for working-class customers, noting that even small savings can help people manage everyday expenses.
The city says Evergreen Boulevard is currently the dividing line for on-street parking fees. North of Evergreen, on-street parking is paid from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. On and south of Evergreen, drivers pay during those same hours seven days a week.
As of the current system, the city’s on-street parking rate is $1.75 per hour, with a higher rate in the Waterfront District. Vancouver began requiring payment on weekends on and south of Evergreen in June 2025, after city officials pointed to parking data showing high demand on Saturdays and Sundays.
Vancouver’s Downtown Access, Mobility and Parking Plan aims to change how downtown parking is priced, expand access to shared parking, and provide other ways to travel downtown without a car. The city has said the broader plan is intended to accommodate future growth while limiting congestion.
The city also reported that weekend fees have not slowed downtown visits. City data cited by The Columbian indicates parking on downtown streets has remained as popular, or more popular, since Vancouver moved to seven-day paid parking.
KATU reported that Gabriel Montez, the city’s parking district manager, told the Vancouver Parking Advisory Committee that the changes have helped spread vehicles more evenly across the district and that complaints dropped, including along the waterfront, where the city has seen fewer problems with vehicles parking in prohibited areas or remaining overnight for multiple days.
The parking discussion comes as Vancouver plans for continued population growth. The city’s population increased from about 170,000 in 2014 to more than 202,000 by figures cited from the U.S. Census Bureau, with more than 10,000 added after 2020. City leaders are planning for the possibility of another 81,000 residents over the next two decades.
A 2025 city redevelopment assessment cited by KATU found downtown may have more parking capacity than drivers see from the street. It cited an earlier study that no more than 54% of about 7,687 off-street spaces were occupied during a typical weekday or weekend day, leaving roughly 3,500 spaces available. The assessment identified shared parking agreements and potentially a district parking garage as options to support future development.
For the next phase, The Columbian reported the city plans to gather feedback from about 1,000 people who live, work, visit, or operate businesses north of Evergreen before implementing the expansion. Weekend street parking north of Evergreen is expected to remain free for now, and the timeline for the northward expansion has been delayed from what the city previously anticipated.
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