CLEVELAND, Ohio — It may seem counterintuitive, but Mayor Justin Bibb believes higher rates and enforcement into nights and weekends will make downtown parking easier to find and help businesses — not hurt them.

The problem, city officials and business owners argue, is that drivers often occupy short-term parking spots for extended periods, limiting access for quick visits.

That’s why drivers will pay more to park and why paid parking will extend into nights and weekends starting in 2026. It’s also why Cleveland wants to use cameras to catch those who illegally park — if City Council approves the technology.

The changes are part of Bibb’s broader plan to modernize street parking, which began in late 2023 when Cleveland — finally — installed new parking meters that allow drivers to pay via app or at pay stations, instead of coins only.

Cleveland has not said how much revenue it has collected since the new meters became available in October 2023.

The city’s long-term goal is a data-driven system with different rules and rates by street and neighborhood, based on demand, explained Matthew Moss, Bibb’s senior strategist on transportation, during a Planning Commission meeting in November.

In January, parking will rise from $1 to $1.50 per hour. Drivers will be allowed to park for up to four hours at escalating rates — $1.50 for the first and second hours, $3 for the third hour and $4.50 for the fourth — for a total of $10.50.

Enforcement will also change. Downtown meters will be enforced from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, including weekends. Ohio City will see the same expanded enforcement, except on Sundays.

The change means many drivers used to free parking after 6 p.m. in parts of Cleveland will now have to pay in the evenings and on weekends.

The changes have drawn criticism from some, who complained in emails to cleveland.com and in comments on social media. Critics called the parking changes a cash grab and warned that charging for parking nights and weekends could hurt downtown businesses.

Enforcement zones will also expand, meaning some areas that are currently free or lightly enforced will now have parking rules and fees.

One major change, however, is that two-hour zones will be replaced with four-hour limits, giving drivers more flexibility to stay longer when needed.

Lucas Reeves, the mayor’s senior adviser, said the goal is to make parking more reliable and predictable so drivers can find spots when they need them.

Ideally, Reeves said, drivers going to work or spending the entire day downtown or in Ohio City would park in garages or lots. At the same time, the city is increasing four-hour street parking to meet demand.

“We’re trying to thread the needle,” Reeves said. “We want more turnover so spaces are available, but we also heard from users that the old two-hour cap could be too restrictive.”

Reeves said the city repeatedly hears from business owners that spaces directly in front of shops and restaurants aren’t available. Extending enforcement into the evening and weekends, he said, is meant to prevent those spots from effectively becoming long-term parking.

Matt Ashton, who owns Lekko Coffee in Ohio City and downtown, said the lack of open curbside spots is hurting businesses like his. Those spaces are meant for quick stops, not for someone to claim at 8 a.m. and never move.

People have learned they can use these spots as long-term parking, Ashton said. Airbnb guests or Browns fans may keep a spot all day, or someone may leave a car while they work or explore the neighborhood.

There will certainly be some people who won’t come if they must pay to park, Ashton said. But businesses like his rely on customers making short, frequent stops

“Is it going to be bumpy at first? Absolutely,” Ashton said. He said he hopes Cleveland will take feedback and adapt over time.

City Council first approved these rate changes and increased enforcement back in 2023, when they granted Bibb more flexibility over parking rules.

Cleveland can use dynamic pricing, if it wants, but rates are capped at $8 downtown and $5 in Ohio City per hour. Council also gave Bibb the option to extend weekday enforcement as late as 10 p.m., and during the day on Saturdays. The new rules allow paid street parking on Sundays downtown, but nowhere else in Cleveland.

The proposal to enforce parking rules using cameras, however, requires separate legislation.

Moss told the Planning Commission in November that downtown streets see too much double-parking, blocking of bus lanes and overstaying in short-term spaces.

Because many violations last only a few minutes, Moss said, traditional enforcement often misses them. Double-parking and illegal stops can block travel lanes and crosswalks, creating safety issues for drivers and pedestrians.

“The goal of on-street parking is for it to be available, for it to turn over, for you to have a space to pick up your food order, to pick up your lunch and go,” Moss said at the meeting. “That is difficult in some of these areas, especially on Euclid Avenue downtown.”