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King County Council passes guaranteed spots at 10 park-and-ride lots for $60 to $120 a month

KING COUNTY, Wash. — The King County Council approved a pay-to-park permit plan Wednesday for ten of the busiest park-and-ride lots in the county.

The fee structure will vary between $60 and $120 a month for a guaranteed parking spot between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Parking permits for the Northgate Transit Center will be the most expensive at $120 a month, with Aurora Village, Bear Creek, Bothell, Kenmore, Redmond, South Kirkland and Tukwila at $90 a month.

Parking permits for the Issaquah Highlands and Shoreline park-and-ride lots will be $60 a month.

The idea behind the plan is to make taking public transit more reliable at the busiest park-and-rides by being able to count on a parking spot being available for those who buy a permit.

Up to half the spots at the often crowded lots may be reserved for permit holders from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Any remaining spots will be open for general use on weekends and after 10 a.m.

Car poolers will get the permits for free, and lower income people who use the Orca Lift program will get a permit for $20.

King County Metro has described the demand for parking at the ten lots as “extreme.”

Before the vote, an amendment to the plan was added that will direct part of the money earned from the permits to fund the building of new park-and-ride facilities or the expansion of current ones so more parking will be available.

Councilmembers said the program will be closely monitored to ensure it works the way it was intended to and that there's not a lot of empty permit-only parking spots.