New parking meters, price increase in effect at Zilker Park
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's going to cost you more to visit one of the most popular parks in Austin.
The last couple of free parking lots within Zilker Park will soon have parking meters. Some of the lots have already charged people to park.
New parking meters are up near Stratford Drive, north of Zilker Botanical Garden, and in the south Barton Springs Pool lot near Azie Morton Road.
Another big change is the cost. The price to park all day at Zilker will increase Monday, May 1, from $5 to $7.
The city started installing meters in 2016 but stopped short of installing them in every lot. That is until they ran into a problem.
A spokesperson for the Austin Parks and Recreation Department said, "Since that time, parking challenges in these two lots have increased, leading to a need for consistency across the park for parking."
The city wants to keep parking rules consistent throughout the area.
When will you have to pay?
Paid parking will not happen all year long.
People will have to pay to park at Zilker on weekends, holidays and special events.
Those rules only apply for times between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March 1 through Labor Day.
Using the parking meter
Using the machine is simple.
You'll press start, purchase your ticket with coins or a credit card, print out a ticket and put that ticket on the dashboard of your vehicle.
All funds from the parking meters will go toward improvements and safety measures at Zilker Park.