By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Starting January 1, 2025, parking fines in Seattle will see their first increase in over a decade, Current fines, which range from $29 to $53 depending on the violation, will rise to $43 to $78 under the new ordinance.
According to city officials the adjustment aligns penalties with inflation and aims to discourage behaviors that violate parking rules. The fines were last adjusted in 2011, when all fines were increased by $5.
Under the new legislation, fines will increase as follows:
• Fines currently at $29 will rise to $43.
• Fines at $44 will increase to $65.
• Fines at $47 will go up to $69.
• Fines at $53 will jump to $78.
Officials from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) stated that current parking fines are too low to discourage problematic parking behaviors.
Research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows that inflation in the Seattle area has risen by 50% from 2011 to 2024. The Consumer Price Index measures changes in the average prices paid by consumers over time, providing a basis for the adjustments.
“The current fine amounts compared to parking rates are leading to parker behavior that disregards payment and parking rules,” SDOT officials said.
They pointed to areas like South Lake Union and major events at Lumen Field and T-Mobile Stadium, where drivers frequently ignore parking rules, creating challenges for traffic flow and enforcement.
The fine increases, however, have raised concerns about their potential impact on vulnerable and historically disadvantaged communities. While Seattle does not collect demographic data on individuals receiving parking citations, court documents revealed that geocoding—a method that analyzes geographic locations—has provided insights into the distribution of citations across neighborhoods.
Using geocoding, analysts evaluated citations by Seattle neighborhoods and cross-referenced them with the Racial and Social Equity Index (RSE Index). The findings showed that unpaid citations are more common in high-priority RSE Index areas, which often correspond to lower-income neighborhoods.
Violations with the lowest payment rates in these areas include expired or improper plates (65% unpaid), sign-posted locations (56% unpaid), and commercial load zones (56% unpaid). These data points suggest that certain parking violations disproportionately affect residents in lower-income neighborhoods.
SMC officials acknowledged that increasing fine amounts could further burden those who already struggle to pay. However, they pointed to existing infraction mitigation processes and debt reduction hearings as options to address these challenges.
“The equity analysis recognizes the infraction mitigation process and the debt reduction hearings at the court provide a path for those who lack the ability to pay to resolve their citations,” said SMC officials.
In a preliminary review, SMC compared Seattle’s parking fines with those in other major cities, factoring in population, income, cost of living, and city budgets. Among the top 25 most populous cities in the U.S., Seattle ranks 18th in population but 3rd in median household income.
City officials defended the increases as a necessary measure to address inflation and improve compliance with parking rules. Still, the data highlights the financial strain these changes may place on lower-income neighborhoods.
“The current fine amounts compared to parking rates are leading to parker behavior that disregards payment and parking rules,” SDOT officials reiterated.
As Seattle prepares to implement the updated fines, officials continue to emphasize the need for equity in enforcement and support for those unable to pay.
“This data indicates that certain ticket types impact lower-income neighborhoods more significantly,” SMC officials said. “While acknowledging an increase to the parking fine amount can only increase the burden for those who do not have the ability to pa