ROCKLAND, Maine — The city collected about $50,000 from parking meters at three municipal lots as well as a small stretch along Tillson Avenue during 2025.
City Manager Tom Luttrell offered an update Monday evening to the Rockland City Council on the revenue source. City leaders have been trying to find other sources of revenues to reduce the need to increase property taxes.
The city charged for parking from May 1 through Oct. 15. This year was the first full year when the meters were in operation.
Rockland residents are allowed one free hour of parking each day in the metered areas, which consist of the Custom House lot, the Winter Street lot, the Thorndike lot and a strip of angled parking spaces between Captain Spear Drive and the entrance to the Thorndike lot.
The cost for parking in these areas was $2 an hour.
The Winter Street lot took in the most revenues at $17,621. There are 73 spaces in the city-owned lot.
The Custom House lot took in $16,205. There are 73 spaces there, but 30 are reserved for downtown employees who pay $40 per month or $400 per year.
The 22 Tillson Avenue strip of spaces generated $8,422 in revenues.
And the 83-space Thorndike lot took in $7,359.
The city manager said the Thorndike lot, although the largest, took in the least because the city also issues parking permits to downtown employees and people who live downtown. The city issued 194 such permits this year, which cost $25 annually.
The city manager said the comprehensive parking study commissioned by the city recommended that downtown workers should park outside of the downtown lots that are high in demand. Those employees could park in places within a five-minute walk, such as Harbor Park.
In addition, the study called for the annual cost for a downtown parking permit at $240 per year rather than the $25 the city charges.
The city could also extend the metered parking to the remainder of downtown streets. Residents would still get the free one hour of parking during the day. The parking could be free after 6 p.m., the manager said.
The manager said he will come up with recommendations to the council by its January meeting.
The council voted in February 2024 to spend up to $80,000 on the metered parking system.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.
