Expanding Residential Parking in Rostock: Higher Fees on the Horizon
It seems like Rostock, the fifth-largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has got its sights set on expanding its residential parking zones and possibly bumping up the fees. After a state ordinance in September 2022 authorized cities and municipalities to set their own regulations, several other areas have already seen an increase in resident parking permit fees.
Schwerin, the state capital, plans to quadruple the annual permit cost, rising from 30.70 to 120 euros by 2024. Despite this, the city has no current plans to alter the existing residential parking zones. As of mid-November, around 5848 resident parking permits had been issued in this bustling town, with around 1178 parking spaces availably dedicated to residents within the city center.
Moving towards Rostock, the city council has set its sights on gradually expanding the residential parking areas. The suburbs near the city center, particularly Steintor, are looking forward to two new resident parking zones by the end of 2024. Implementation in the Kröpeliner-Tor suburb is slated for 2025, and later, the Hansaviertel, Südstadt, and Warnemünde are on the agenda. The expansion of residential parking zones in Rostock may potentially contribute to improving traffic flow in these areas by reducing the competition for public parking spaces.
In addition to expanding its residential parking zones, Rostock is also reviewing its parking fee regulations. The administration is looking at various models, such as gradations based on location, vehicle type, or the number of cars per household. The current resident parking fee cap, set at 30.70 euros, does not cover the costs associated with cleaning, maintaining, and managing these spaces. As of now, around 5583 resident parking permits are being utilized in Rostock.
Not to be left behind, the city of Greifswald intends to revise its resident parking fee regulations. In May 2023, the city introduced a sliding scale based on vehicle size and a low-income "social tariff." The high demand for parking permits in the city of Stralsund (around 1700 valid permits) led to an increase in the fee to 108 euros per year per permit on August 1. Despite the increase, the administration currently has no plans to boost the fees further.
The realignment of residential parking in 2020 marked a pivotal moment in this area. The Bundestag and Bundesrat abolished the nationwide cap of 30.70 euros, allowing each federal state to set its own fee limits. The decision to increase the resident parking permits fees has sparked debate, with discussions on potential effects on traffic management and parking situations in various municipalities.
