Free parking in Fayetteville to end in July

Parking in downtown Fayetteville will cost visitors starting in July. The city has installed kiosks across downtown that accept cash, credit cards or coins.

Around 200 signs will be placed throughout downtown reminding people to pay for parking.

The city approved this parking plan in November 2019 and it was originally going to begin in April 2020. The pandemic forced this plan to delay until July 1 of this year.

Thirty-four of these parking kiosks will be scattered throughout downtown.

It will cost $1 per hour to park on the street, Monday though Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Special event parking will be different, according to Lee Jernigan, assistant public services director.

"Theoretically, you could stay parked there those entire 12 hours, and that's something we're going to monitor, because our interest here is turnover parking," Jernigan said. "We don't feel people are going to do that a lot."

The new parking requirements are supposed to help local businesses see more customers, Jernigan said.

Parking decks and lots will be available for special event parking — like for Fayetteville Woodpecker games or the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival.