Parking Program Updates

Effective October 1, 2026, the City of Portsmouth is updating several parts of its parking program, including on-street and parking lot rates, the Resident Access Parking Program (RAPP), Parrott Avenue, Parrott Avenue Parking Lot, and the Downtown Workforce Parking Program (DWPP).

Parking Rates

• On-street and City-operated parking lots: $3 per hour for the first three hours, $6 per hour after that.
• Registered residents using the ParkMobile app continue to receive discounted rates of $1.25 per hour for the first three hours and $2.25 per hour after that. See the Resident Discount Program page for details.
• RAPP rates for nonresidents: $3 per hour, with no rate increase after three hours.

Parrott Avenue

• Parrott Avenue from Richards Avenue to Rogers Street has free parking, with a four-hour maximum. *
• Parrott Avenue from Rogers Street to Junkins Avenue is part of the RAPP zone. Parking is free for registered residents, $.30 per hour for registered Downtown Workforce Parking Program participants, and $3 per hour for nonresidents.

* Registered Library, Middle School, and Recreation staff members may still park for free on any part of Parrott Avenue without a 4-hour limit.

Parrott Avenue Parking Lot

The Parrott Avenue parking lot is free and available only to registered residents and Downtown Workforce Parking Program participants, and keeps the 72-hour time limit.

Downtown Workforce Parking Program (DWPP)

The Downtown Workforce Parking Program (DWPP) provides reduced parking rates for downtown employees and business owners in the restaurant, retail, hospitality, and personal service industriesincluding hair, nail, massage therapy, and tattoo businesses.

• The $.35 ParkMobile transaction fee is eliminated for DWPP participants on Parrott Avenue. The rate remains $.30 per hour
• The Foundry Place Garage pass now covers a 12-hour shift (previously 10 hours), and remains $3 per 12-hour session
• The number of 12-hour passes available per month at Foundry Garage has increased from 20 passes to 26 passes and those passes can be purchased in daily, weekly, or monthly increments.

Alternative Free Parking Options

The City also offers more than 250 free parking spaces downtown. See the Rates and Locations page for more information, including maps of free parking lots.