Orlando partners with restaurants on new downtown free parking program

Orlando has launched a program to provide downtown shoppers and diners with free parking.

ParkMobile ParkDTO will allow you to park for two hours free at any metered spot or nonmetered space in the city starting May 15. Orlando will also offer a validation program to downtown restaurants that use valet parking between 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm.

What this means: Parking is free downtown. This may encourage more people to visit restaurants and other businesses located in the city center.

Customers will pay for time spent in excess of the four-hour limit. The program is similar in nature to the one that the city launched in May 2020, during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

David Barilla is the acting director of the City's Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency. He told Orlando Business Journal that the program was part of Project DTO 2.0. "It's just one part of the puzzle."

Barrilla said that the city is working with Artisan's Table, Kres Chophouse, Hamburger Mary's and Thrive for the valet portion of the program. Barrilla stated that the city has partnered with Artisan's Table and Kres Chophouse for the valet part of the program.

Businesses can still apply to the valet program and are not required to be on Church Street in order to participate.

The program will come to an end when the funding is exhausted or December 31st, whichever comes first. Downtown Development Board funding of more than $100,000 is available for the program.

Rob Tazioli, owner of the Dovecote restaurant in downtown, told OBJ that his business has already provided some free parking. However, he is interested to learn more about valet parking. Tazoli says the program would likely work in conjunction with other initiatives to improve the perception of safety downtown. For example, he said, a new requirement that bars and clubs directly downtown obtain alcohol permits after midnight.

I am in full support of the city's efforts to make downtown safer and more enjoyable.

A survey conducted by the City District Main Street District found that parking was No. The third factor that is holding back downtown's growth in economic terms, after homelessness and criminality, is parking. The survey of 1,707 respondents centered on the perception of downtown as well as other factors that impact the central business district.