Annapolis business owners, employees, residents frustrated over downtown parking issues

Parking frustrations in downtown Annapolis are boiling over ahead of one of the city's busiest weeks of the year, with business owners, employees, and residents calling on city leaders to reform the current parking system.

Dozens of people raised concerns during public comment at last week's Annapolis City Council meeting, saying parking has become too expensive, confusing, and difficult to navigate.

"It is definitely going to have an effect on how long I maintain my business on Maryland Avenue," said Joe Flemming, a downtown business owner.

This week, Annapolis is preparing for increased crowds during Blue Angels events and the U.S. Naval Academy Commissioning Week.  

Concerns over parking fees, confusing technology

Several speakers pointed to high parking fees, strict enforcement, and confusing technology as major concerns.

"I constantly hear from customers in our business, 'I'm never coming back, you don't park, the fees are so expensive, why did I get fined when I still had time for parking,'" said business owner Abigail McBride.

Parking enforcement in Annapolis is currently handled by two outside vendors — Premium Parking in the downtown historic district and Metropolis in the rest of the city.

Drivers downtown also rely heavily on mobile payment apps and gateless garages, including the Mills-Hillman Garage near Main Street.

Employees working downtown said the system has become stressful and difficult to manage.

"The combination of limited spaces, strict time limits, high demand, and confusing parking layouts creates a situation where parking can become unnecessarily stressful and difficult to manage," said Cara Lynch, an employee at Level.

The city encourages visitors and downtown employees to park farther away in garages like Park Place and use a free downtown shuttle service.

Still, some business owners say customers are avoiding downtown altogether.

"Since the launch of the new parking program and opening of Hillman Garage in June 2023, my business has declined 12%," said Jennifer Sowers, owner of Level.

Flemming also said she has noticed "a significant reduction of foot traffic on Maryland Avenue."

City leaders admit to parking improvements

Ward 1 Alderman Harry Huntley responded to concerns in a statement, saying the city needs to improve the parking experience while better promoting existing programs.

"We need to do more to make our garages more seamless for residents and visitors to park in, so they can enjoy walking to all that beautiful downtown Annapolis has to offer," Huntley said. "The city also needs to do a better job marketing the generous programs that exist for downtown employees ($5/day) and our free 2-hour parking for Annapolis residents."

Mayor Jared Littmann has also recently announced new parking initiatives, including a "Golden Parking" program for older adults.