The Chattanooga Parking Authority, in partnership with the City of Chattanooga, will launch a three-month pilot program beginning Aug. 1 that will provide parking credits to Chattanooga residents who currently hold valid city stickers. The program is designed to remove barriers to downtown access while supporting local economic activity, officials said.
Registration opens Friday, July 11, and will close on Thursday, July 25, for a two-week registration period. Chattanooga residents with valid city stickers can sign up at www.chattanoogaparking.org by entering their license plate number.
The program will not accept late registrations or reopen once the program is active.
All vehicles registered to addresses within Chattanooga city limits must pay a $5 city sticker tax, except motorcycles. Vehicle owners who don't pay this tax may receive a police citation or court fine. For convenience, residents can pay this $5 fee when they register or renew their vehicle registration with the state. When paid at registration time, the state decal will display "TP" letters to show the tax has been paid.
Program Details:
• Eligibility: Valid Chattanooga city sticker holders (look for "TN TP" on your license plate registration sticker)
• Registration Period: July 11-25
• Credit Validity: Aug. 1 – Oct. 31 (three months)
• Usage: All metered street parking spots, CPA-managed parking lots and CARTA Shuttle Park North garage (211 Broad St.). Credits must be used in the month they are allocated and will expire at months end.
• Redemption: Monthly promo codes emailed to participants and activated in the ParkMobile app, or an emailed barcode if the Shuttle Park North Garage option is chosen
• Options: Four different parking credit packages ranging up to $24 total in value for the three months
Available Options:
• 6 – (30 minute) On-Street sessions via ParkMobile;
• 3 – (1 hour) On-Street sessions via ParkMobile;
• 2 – (2 hour) Sessions at CPA/CARTA managed lots via ParkMobile; or
• 2 – (1 hour) Sessions at CPA/CARTA Shuttle Park North (211 Broad St.) via barcode.
Participants may choose one option to use throughout the three-month pilot. The option you select will be applied consistently for August, September and October.
"We want to explore ways to reward city residents and help drive more foot traffic to our amazing downtown restaurants, shops and local businesses,” said Charles D. Frazier, CARTA chief executive officer. “The best part is that it doesn't cost residents anything extra – they've already paid for their city sticker when they got their license plate."
Officials said, "The initiative is another component of CARTA’s multi-phase effort to improve downtown parking accessibility and supports broader goals of enhancing economic activity and support for local businesses. Other aspects of the effort include the First Hour Free program in CARTA garages and the recently introduced Weekend Parking Pass."
“For decades, residents who got a city sticker didn’t get any benefit for their expense,” Mayor Tim Kelly said. “I’ve been adamant about changing that. Making it easier to park across the city for sticker holders and in doing so, helping support Chattanooga’s businesses and promote more economic activity. This three-month pilot program will inform the ways we go about improving parking to make it more consumer-friendly in Chattanooga.”
To explore parking options and learn more about the program, visit www.chattanoogaparking.org.