Top Tips for Hassle-Free Austin Parking

Parking is always a hassle when it comes to peak tourist season and event days in Austin. It’s not that there aren’t enough parking spaces across Austin. The problem is that most of the good spots get sold out like pancakes as they are in great demand. Regulars who park in a particular location of Austin know where the good spots are for Austin parking and park at these spots as soon as they become available. Unless you are familiar with Austin, it can be really difficult to get your hands on a secure spot for parking in Austin. Being one of the central hubs in the entire city of Austin, Downtown is known to have the most issues with inadequate parking spaces. As the location is one of the most sought-after, there are always people who get left out in the cold without downtown Austin parking. If you are someone who can relate to these issues, continue reading. We are going to make sure that you will never have worries related to Austin parking ever again. If you are short on time, you can download the Way App from Way.com and book Austin parking at the click of a button. There are plenty of downtown Austin parking garages listed on the website and app. Regardless, here are some great tips to make your parking experience in Austin a little better.   

Spend time to research before heading out  

Having a general idea about where all the good spots for parking in Austin help you save time and money on parking. If you head out to popular places like downtown, which are always in high demand, chances are pretty high to end up with no parking spaces. On the other hand, if you do your research right, you would know that there are plenty of websites that let you pre-book downtown Austin parking well in advance before heading out. This ensures that you have a parking spot ready when it’s time. Spending time to research also lets you understand which areas of the town are in high demand. Usually, spots that are in high demand always tend to have expensive parking rates than those located farther away. You can also get an idea about where all the good alternatives for parking are if the spot you wanted does not have any vacant spots for parking.   

Street parking should be a last resort  

Austin street parking should be considered as a last resort if it’s a secure parking spot that you seek. The majority of the street parking spaces in Austin do not offer any cover from environmental hazards like adverse weather conditions or oncoming traffic. With rates ranging anywhere from $2 to $6, they offer one of the cheapest options for Austin parking, but it is never the safest option. If you are ok with the idea of paying a dollar or more per hour, you can get plenty of parking garages that offer excellent facilities like contactless parking, covid-19 compliances, around-the-clock security, and camera surveillance for rates as low as $3 - $7 per hour. Street parking is also probably one of the easiest ways to invite yourself a parking ticket if you ignore parking signboards (which brings us to our next point)  

Follow the parking rules and regulations 

There are specific rules and regulations for Austin parking, which is difficult to apply in busy locations like downtown. However, unless you pay attention to these rules and regulations, it’s pretty easy to stack yourself up with expensive downtown Austin parking violations and tickets. Always follow the rules and regulations, and pay attention to the signboard for warnings related to residential parking, street cleaning, or back-in-angle parking. If you park at a residential parking zone without properly displaying a residential parking permit, you’ll be ticketed. If you park with your front wheels facing the curb in a back-angle parking zone, you’ll be ticketed. If you park at a metered parking space and don’t move your vehicle out when it’s time, you’ll be ticketed. Why go through all these unnecessary when you can reserve a parking garage instantly!  

Download a parking app for easy parking reservations  

Drive-in parking was a thing of the past when vehicles were relatively lower in numbers. With the number of vehicles sharing the road breaking all existing records regularly, it’s high time you started downloading parking applications that are meant to make this task easier. Way App developed by Way.com is an easy-to-use parking app that can be downloaded for free from Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store. Once you log in to the app, search for the car service you need. If it’s Austin parking, search for the location you want, choose the parking garage of your choice or go for the closest garage, check parking availability, and click on add to bag. Complete the payout procedure, and you’ll have a parking space booked in less than 5 minutes. It’s that simple.  

Always settle your parking tickets instead of stacking them.  

It’s pretty easy to stack up on parking tickets, one after the other, if you are not careful enough. That’s why it’s always best to settle your Austin parking tickets at the soonest. The city of Austin also has two different rates with a lowered rate available for those who pay early. While the standard fines come at $30 for parking at an expired meter, the same can be settled by paying $15 if you go for early settlement. Regardless of whether it is $15 or $30, it’s always best not to wait until they become $200 or $300. What’s even better is to not go for illegal parking and avoid parking tickets in the first place. Alternatively, you can park off-street across the many parking garages and avoid Austin parking tickets altogether.   

Even if you follow all these top tips, you can still find it challenging to access a secure Austin parking space. Being a hub of activity, there are just too many people, even more cars, and very few Austin parking garages to accommodate everything at the same time.