Cost of Parking in West Hartford To Go Up Due to New Laws

The amount of money that people visiting West Hartford will pay for parking will go up next month because of new state laws.

The town released a statement on Monday, saying that as of Feb. 1, people parking in town will be paying an additional 10 cents per hour. There will also be an additional fee for people paying by credit card.

This is due to new state legislation that went into effect on Jan. 1 that requires the addition of a 6.35 percent sales tax on parking services, including self-service metered parking facilities, according to West Hartford officials.

To be clear, parking rates in Town have not increased; the 10-cents per hour increase is for the State-mandated sales tax.
West Hartford town manager Matt Hart

''The Town has determined that the most efficient way to collect this tax is to add 10-cents to the base hourly parking rate. To be clear, parking rates in Town have not increased; the 10-cents per hour increase is for the State-mandated sales tax. Posted parking rates will now read $1.60 per hour, as opposed to the prior charge of $1.50 per hour,'' town manager Matt Hart said in a statement.

The town will collect the sales tax, which goes to the state, and they said the town won’t receive a share of the tax proceeds.

West Hartford is working with vendors to adjust the kiosks and signage.

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CREDIT CARD CONVENIENCE FEE

The town will begin to charge a convenience fee of 25-cents per credit card transaction.

Anyone who pays with cash won’t be charged a convenience fee.

West Hartford officials said they previously absorbed merchant service fees and each time a consumer pays with a credit card, the town must pay the bank fees, which impacts the town's parking fund.

A news release says that in the fiscal year 2019, the Municipal Parking Division paid $298,000 in bank fees and staff expects those fees to increase.

PASSPORTPARKING APP

Anyone who uses the PassportParking app will pay $2.10 per hour, which includes the $1.60 base hourly rate, plus a 25-cent app fee and the new 25-cent convenience fee.