More parking is now available near Lynnwood’s light rail station, but drivers will have to pay for the convenience. The change is part of a temporary city progr
More parking is now available near Lynnwood’s light rail station, but drivers will have to pay for the convenience. The change is part of a temporary city program aimed at easing demand around transit and major Seattle events.
The Lynnwood City Council’s Interim Surface Paid Parking Ordinance allows private property owners to charge for parking on existing paved lots in the city center and other designated areas through Dec. 4.
The measure does not allow construction of new parking lots. Instead, it lets owners temporarily use already-paved private property for paid parking. Owners must first meet city requirements for accessibility and business licensing.
At Northline Village, a 19-acre site that will eventually be converted into a mixed-use development, parking is now offered for $3 a day. The lot is serving regular commuters and people taking light rail to sporting events and other large gatherings in Seattle.
The program offers a short-term answer to a persistent parking squeeze near the station, according to city leaders, who are considering a possible permanent policy.
Parking around the transit station can fill quickly even though Sound Transit included a parking garage and adjacent surface lot offering nearly 1,900 spaces. In October, dozens of people returning from a Seattle Mariners playoff game found their vehicles had been towed after parking in what appeared to be a vacant private lot near the station.
The new ordinance is intended to give drivers a legal alternative while helping private owners make use of paved lots that may otherwise sit vacant as longer-term development plans move forward.
The owners of these lots may offer hourly, daily, monthly, or event-based parking.
The city does not operate the lots and will not receive the parking fees, but does collect sales-tax revenue and licensing and inspection fees.
