Moda Center permit system aims to combat parking chaos by end of 2024
The Eliot neighborhood in Portland is proposing a new permit system to restrict parking during peak entertainment season, requiring permits for parking longer than two hours from October through May between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Parking around the Moda Center can be tricky. That’s something Blazers fans know all too well.
Starting next season, the Eliot neighborhood plans to restrict how fans park with a new permit proposal, making it so no one but residents can park in the area for more than two hours.
For years, a task force of residents and business owners have been trying to find a solution to a parking nightmare with the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
During peak entertainment season, residents say finding parking can be a daunting task that sometimes takes up to 30 minutes.
"I have friends sometimes park half three blocks down, you know what I mean? Because there's no parking,” Henry Schoonover said.
If PBOT’s proposal is approved by the Portland City Council, everything in blue on the map featured above will require a permit to park for longer than two hours from October through May between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Those in the yellow areas won't need a permit, but will be able to get one if they choose to.
"The results of that vote tried to create and plan a district map that was consistent so that if you are visiting the neighborhood, it's fairly easy to understand which streets are permitted and which are not,” PBOT spokesperson Hannah Schafer said.
The permits will cost $80 with two discounted rates based on median family income, but some say there is a downside to paying for the parking spaces in the area.
"The way I look at it, you really shouldn't have to pay to park in front of your own house,” Schoonover said. “That seems kind of ridiculous."
Other residents, like Dominick Villegas, empathize with those coming to see a Blazers game.
"On the one hand, as a resident, I would appreciate having access to easy parking. On the other hand, if I lived out of the neighborhood, I would love to be able to find easy parking for the Moda Center,” Villegas said.
If approved, the permit system will go into effect in October 2024. For now, it's heading to the Portland City Council on June 5.