REACTION TO THE INCREASE AND IS JOINING US NOW FROM THE NORTH SIDE AS PITTSBURGHERS BRACE FOR AN INCREASE IN VISITORS AND TRAFFIC, THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH IS INCREASING THE COST OF STREET PARKING AND THE NUMBER OF PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE DRAFT. NORTH SIDE NEIGHBOR KIRSTEN SHEFFEY, BRACING FOR UNPRECEDENTED TRAFFIC ON HER STREETS DURING THE NFL DRAFT. I LIVE ON THE NORTH SIDE AND THERE’S ALREADY SO MUCH TRAFFIC OVER THERE JUST PREPARING FOR THE DRAFT. I’M LITERALLY GOING OUT OF TOWN BECAUSE I THINK IT’S JUST GOING TO BE TOO MUCH. DELILAH BOURQUE GETTING OUT OF TOWN BEFORE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HEAD INTO THE CITY. AND IF I WEREN’T, I WOULD PARK MY CAR ON WEDNESDAY AND NOT DRIVE IT UNTIL SUNDAY. PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL TEMPORARILY UPPING THE PRICE OF STREET PARKING ON FOURTH STREET. MUCH OF THE NORTH SIDE AND DOWNTOWN, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW RESIDENTIAL NORTH SIDE STREETS. THE HOURLY COST TO PARK DOWNTOWN WILL JUMP FROM $4 TO $5, WHILE ON THE NORTH SIDE A SPOT TYPICALLY COSTING $1.50 PER HOUR, WILL MORE THAN TRIPLE IN COST. BUT COUNCILPERSON BOBBY WILSON SAYS WITH THE INCREASE IN PRICE COMES AN INCREASE IN ENFORCEMENT. WE WANT TO INCREASE ENFORCEMENT DURING THAT TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHO HAVE A PERMIT, THAT THEY ARE NOT SEEING THEIR WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD BEING OVERRUN BY CARS FROM OUTSIDERS COMING INTO PITTSBURGH. SHAFI, WHO WORKS DOWNTOWN, IS CONCERNED FOR THE SERVICE WORKERS WHO WILL BE PARKING TO GET TO THEIR JOBS. THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF SERVICE WORKERS COMING DOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE GOOD SERVICE FOR THE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE CITY, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LOCAL SHOULDN’T HAVE TO ENDURE AN UPCHARGE FOR THINGS THAT THEY DO EVERY DAY. WILSON ENCOURAGING TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. HOPEFULLY YOUR EMPLOYER EITHER HAS A WORK FROM HOME POLICY, AND IF NOT, IF YOU HAVE TO BE IN PERSON, THAT IS A TIME TO TRY AND DO A RIDESHARE OR TAKE THE BUS. THERE’S DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION YOU CAN GET TO DOWNTOWN. ANYONE WHO FAILS TO PAY THE COST OF PARKING WILL NOT BE TOWED, BUT WILSON SAYS THEY WILL RECEIVE A TICKET FOR $120 IN T
Pittsburgh raises parking meter rates to $5 an hour during NFL Draft
Temporary higher rate for Downtown and North Side street parking
Updated: 6:16 PM EDT Apr 7, 2026
Street parking rates will be increased to $5 an hour in Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Side during the 2026 NFL Draft.City Council passed legislation to temporarily impose the higher rate for parking meters. It will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. on April 22 through 12:01 a.m. on April 27, with violators facing a $120 fine.Five streets on the North Side are exempt from the higher rate: East Ohio Street, Middle Street, James Street, California Avenue and Perrysville Avenue.The NFL Draft will be held in Downtown and the North Shore from April 23-25. Crowds in the hundreds of thousands are expected for the event.”Parking has been an issue in this neighborhood for quite a while because it’s so close to Acrisure Stadium, and also PNC Park,” one North Side resident told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4. “So it’s not uncommon when there are big events for people to come in and park their cars here in spaces that are normally permit parking or residents’ parking, and then the homeowners come back and they’ve got no place to park around their house.”With garages charging higher rates during the draft, many drivers may look at street parking as a cheaper option.Council member Bobby Wilson says the purpose of the rate increase is to balance the cost of more parking enforcement staffing during the draft and to prevent residential streets that have permit parking from being overloaded with draft attendees.”This is to increase compliance. And to increase compliance, we have to increase the amount of officers that are actually going out and enforcing that,” Wilson said.Kirsten Sheffey, who works downtown, is concerned for service workers who will be parking to get to their jobs. “There’s going to be a lot of service workers coming down to make sure that they can provide good service for the people coming into the city. And the people that are local shouldn’t have to endure an upcharge for things that they do every day,” Sheffey said.Wilson encouraged taking advantage of public transportation. “The draft happens probably once ever in Pittsburgh. So, you know, during that time, you know, hopefully your employer either has a work from home policy, and if not, if you have to be in person, you know, that is a time to try and do a rideshare or, you know, take the bus. There’s different modes of transportation you can get to downtown,” Wilson said.Wilson said drivers who fail to pay the cost of parking or violate parking rules will not be towed, but they will receive a $120 ticket in the mail.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
PITTSBURGH —
Street parking rates will be increased to $5 an hour in Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Side during the 2026 NFL Draft.
City Council passed legislation to temporarily impose the higher rate for parking meters. It will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. on April 22 through 12:01 a.m. on April 27, with violators facing a $120 fine.
Five streets on the North Side are exempt from the higher rate: East Ohio Street, Middle Street, James Street, California Avenue and Perrysville Avenue.
The NFL Draft will be held in Downtown and the North Shore from April 23-25. Crowds in the hundreds of thousands are expected for the event.
“Parking has been an issue in this neighborhood for quite a while because it’s so close to Acrisure Stadium, and also PNC Park,” one North Side resident told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4. “So it’s not uncommon when there are big events for people to come in and park their cars here in spaces that are normally permit parking or residents’ parking, and then the homeowners come back and they’ve got no place to park around their house.”
With garages charging higher rates during the draft, many drivers may look at street parking as a cheaper option.
Council member Bobby Wilson says the purpose of the rate increase is to balance the cost of more parking enforcement staffing during the draft and to prevent residential streets that have permit parking from being overloaded with draft attendees.
“This is to increase compliance. And to increase compliance, we have to increase the amount of officers that are actually going out and enforcing that,” Wilson said.
Kirsten Sheffey, who works downtown, is concerned for service workers who will be parking to get to their jobs.
“There’s going to be a lot of service workers coming down to make sure that they can provide good service for the people coming into the city. And the people that are local shouldn’t have to endure an upcharge for things that they do every day,” Sheffey said.
Wilson encouraged taking advantage of public transportation.
“The draft happens probably once ever in Pittsburgh. So, you know, during that time, you know, hopefully your employer either has a work from home policy, and if not, if you have to be in person, you know, that is a time to try and do a rideshare or, you know, take the bus. There’s different modes of transportation you can get to downtown,” Wilson said.
Wilson said drivers who fail to pay the cost of parking or violate parking rules will not be towed, but they will receive a $120 ticket in the mail.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.