not unusual to find the area is subject to a fixed time limit, often 2-3 hours, or metering requirement
unless the vehicle has a permit.
As a general rule, only individuals meeting certain criteria can apply for and receive a permit. Most
commonly, the applicant must demonstrate proof of residency by providing mortgage documents, a lease
or rental contract, a property tax bill, a utility bill, or some of other defined proof that they reside within
the define parking permit area. Often applicants must also provide a copy of their vehicle registration to
prove it is garaged at their home address and legally registered to operate within the municipality and/or
state. Applicants are also asked to provide contact information such a home phone, cell phone, mailing
address and email address.
The decision on how many permits to allow an applicant and whether they will be subject to any kind of
fee is largely a political one, based on each community’s dynamics. In large urban centers like Boston with
a robust transit system, the municipality may elect to issue a permit to any individual meeting their
criteria, despite the fact are there a very limited number of curbside spaces available in each permit zone.
These permits may be offered to qualified applicants at no- or low-cost, but are in essence a ‘hunting
license’ within the district and not a guarantee of accommodation. In these instances, the leadership for
the municipality may elect to offer permits in excess of capacity without concern for impact as individuals
who cannot find an open space on the street can presumably be accommodated in one of many private
off-street commercial parking facilities in the area and/or elect to store their vehicle or get rid of it in favor
of alternative modes of transportation which do not require parking.
In smaller communities with lesser transit service, the municipality may limit the number of passes issued
to a prescribed limit in attempt to balance the number of permits against the curbside capacity within the
permit area. In these cases, the municipality may fix a maximum number of permits to be issued against
the judged capacity of a defined permit area or zone and distribute the permits to qualified applicants on
a first-come, first-served basis. Alternately, the municipality may limit the issuance of permits to X per
individual or household to maintain balance between supply and demand. These methodologies are most
common among municipalities which offer permits at no- or low-cost.
In more progressive communities, the municipality regulates the number of permits issued through
pricing structures. For example, Town X determines it can comfortably offer one space per household
within a defined parking permit zone, but only one addition space for every 5 households in the same
area. As a prescription of 1.2 permits per household is not achievable, the Town offers the first permit as
a universally accessible price for the community, but additional permits at an aggressively increased cost.
Under such a structure, any household who wants a permit can reasonably purchase the first one, but
each household must determine if the cost of additional permits is warranted. In this manner, the
municipality does not prescribe the number of permits per household, but rather allows households to
determine how valuable additional permits might be relative to their budget and means.
The City of Boston is currently considering such a structure, which would charge $25.00 for the first permit
and escalating costs of an additional $25.00 for each additional permit (e.g., $50.00 for the second, $75.00
for the third, etc.). The City of Fort Collins, Colorado has already adopted this structure, offering the first
permit for free to qualified applicants, but charging $15.00 for the second permit, $40.00 for the third,
$100.00 for the fourth, and $200.00 per permit for each vehicle thereafter.
Other communities, such as Portland, Oregon, control residential permit issue through pricing by setting
the cost per permit at a high-level, $180.00 per permit, but offering a lower cost, $60.00, to households
