Tucson extending Downtown parking meters until 7 pm, plus Saturdays

No more abandoning your car Downtown on a Friday night after one too many Mexican candy shots at Hotel Congress — Tucsonans will soon have to pay for parking on Saturdays, and throughout the week until 7 p.m.

Beginning June 2, the hours for paying the parking meter will change to 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the city’s Department of Transportation and Mobility announced Friday.

Previous paid parking hours lasted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The changes will take effect at parking meters in the Downtown, Mercado and Main Gate Square/University districts.

Parking hours will not change on Fourth Avenue due to construction, though after development is finished in the fall, city officials will decide whether or not to implement the new hours, according to a press release.

The new hours were designed to increase the availability of parking in high-demand spots, and to “promote the opportunity to reinvest additional revenue towards an improved parking experience for customers,” city officials said.

The extended hours are projected to earn the city an additional $460,000 per year, according to TDOT spokesperson Erica Frazelle.

New signage is being made in-house, so the cost to change the signs is minimal, Frazelle said.

City officials proposed the idea to extend paid parking hours in October and decided to move forward after a public comment period.

Rates will remain the same at $1 per hour and time limits, which range from a half hour to six hours, will not change, city officials said. The fine for parking at an expired meter is $42.