Parking Politicians are approving a new program to raise the price of parking in Helsinki

Helsinki the urban environment board will discuss changes to parking policy at its meeting this afternoon. According to HS, the program to increase the price of parking will be approved by the board. The program is still progressing for approval by the city government and city council.

This is an extensive program which is being approved in its entirety by the Board.

However, the parties have not found consensus on price formation and the share of parking in the city’s productivity targets. These have been negotiated until the last minute. Several counter-submissions and votes are expected.

Read more: Parking in Helsinki’s city center is inevitably getting more expensive – these things are now being turned behind the scenes

According to a floor plan prepared by officials, the price of parking for residents could rise to a maximum of € 90 by 2029 if the price remains at the current € 30 until 2024. From 2024 onwards, parking could rise by up to 20 per cent a year.

However, the prices would not have been decided in advance and would have been set on market terms. The price of a parking space would therefore depend on how busy it is: the higher the occupancy rate, the more expensive the space. The goal is that the pricing model would dissipate oversupply, making it easier to find a parking space.

Roof price would, however, set a maximum price. However, a proposal is likely to be made at the meeting that could raise the maximum prices from the figures previously presented.

According to HS, the Sdp intends to propose that the return on the city’s parking policy be included in the productivity targets agreed in the city strategy. The goal would be that the transition to market-based parking should generate EUR 2.7 million for the city.

According to the strategy, the productivity measures implemented by the city aim at an annual benefit of at least EUR 50 million by 2025, and the revenue from parking would therefore be part of this pot. The Greens and the Left Alliance are behind the show.

To the Coalition Party such a high productivity target was not achieved at least on Tuesday. The productivity target would require the starting price for residential parking to be raised from the current € 30 to € 50 before 2024. This would mean that ceiling prices would rise from the figures now – if prices could rise by no more than 20% a year after 2024.

The Coalition Party is running a model in which prices would rise by a maximum of 15 per cent a year instead of 20 per cent.

The Greens, the Demar and the Left Alliance have a majority of 7 out of 13 members on the board. After the Urban Environment Board, the parking program will proceed for approval by the city government.