AUSTIN, Texas — If you've ever been to Austin's South Congress Avenue, you know the iconic street is almost always bustling with visitors, both locals and tourists, who visit its many businesses every day. Normally, parking in the area is free as long as you can find a spot, but that's set to change as the city implements a paid parking system that is already taking effect.

What You Need To Know

  • Parking at Austin's South Congress Avenue will no longer be free

  • The paid parking system is part of the city's new parking strategy in the South Congress area

  • Visitors will need to download the ParkATX app to park, as there will be no meters

  • Paid parking will be available Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday 1 p.m. to midnight

The City of Austin's paid parking plan for South Congress — and its surrounding areas — is part of a new parking strategy the city hopes will create more space turnover in the ever-busy area.

Normally, most parking spots on South Congress are not designated for specific personnel, so anyone can park in any spot for as long as they want, as long as it's not 15-minute parking. But with the new system, spots will be marked by zone with some reserved for visitors and some shared with residents of the area and employees of nearby businesses.

Paid parking will be available Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday 1 p.m. to midnight.

Public paid parking will also be available in resident/pay-to-park zones Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Outside of these hours, only residents or those with visitor permits can park in these zones.

There will also be a zone for employees of nearby businesses to park with a permit. Details on this zone's hours have not yet been released.

If you need to park on South Congress, do not expect to find parking meters. Parking will be completely digital through the ParkATX app.

For those who frequent South Congress and downtown areas often, the city has an Affordable Parking Program with which you can purchase a monthly pass for different parking garages to avoid paying each time you need to park.

Paid parking signs are already starting to be installed on South Congress. By Oct. 2023, the city plans to begin updates to neighborhood street parking.

According to the city, funds from paid parking will go towards improving infrastructure in the South Congress area.

For more information, visit the City of Austin's website.