Higher parking fees in Jena at the start of the new year
The City of Jena continues to implement the budget resolution 2021/2022 confirmed by the City Council and, as a result, gradually increases the parking fees. In Thuringia, these are set by the Lord Mayor in the transferred sphere of action.
Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche explains the decision: "Here we are implementing the city council's decision to collect 200,000 euros more annually in the budget through parking fees. At the same time, we are creating an incentive to increase the use of multi-storey and underground car parks in order to relieve the pressure on public road space and in the interests of a city centre with a high quality of life. Direct access to the city centre remains possible for all modes of transport. For motor vehicle traffic, the dynamic parking guidance system provides quick and efficient orientation. The consistent expansion of parking locations - for example at the Gries, in the Wiesencenter or in future also in the Inselplatz car park - pays just as much into this strategy."
Mayor Christian Gerlitz added: "Especially in Jena's city centre, every space is a valuable asset. In the adjustments to parking fees that became necessary with the budget resolution, we have thus also made sure that highly utilized parking spaces in the city center are more heavily used to finance municipal transportation expenditures, whereas less frequented parking spaces are not increased in fees. We also believe that parking fees on the outskirts of the city centre of 3 euros a day are still affordable compared to other cities. Especially considering that local transport fares have also increased by over 20 per cent since 2013, the increase in parking charges that has now taken place is also not disproportionate."
Increase in two stages
In order to take into account the corona-related negative impact on retail and catering businesses in the city centre, the increase will take place in two stages:
1st stage from 01/01/2022: outside town centre
- Zones 2-5 and railway stations Jena West and Paradies from currently 0,80 €/h to in future 1,0 €/h
- Day ticket Seidel parking lot, parking lot Wiesenstraße, (interim) parking lot Am Gries from currently 2,0 €/day to 3,0 €/day
2nd stage from 01.07.2022: city centre (zone 1)
- from currently 1,50 €/h to 2,0 €/h
The fees for parking zone 6 (rest of the city) remain unchanged at 0.50 €/h.
No parking fee increase since 2013 - alignment with cities such as Erfurt or Gera.
The parking fee regulations were last changed in 2013. Since then, there has been no parking fee increase. Due to the development of the Inselplatz and the upcoming development of the Eichplatz, the parking space available in the city centre has been reduced or will be reduced further. The multi-storey car park at Inselplatz, which is currently in the planning stage, is not yet available as a replacement.
The adjustment of the parking fees is intended to take this into account, even though a replacement has been created in the meantime in the form of the Am Gries car park. The increase in parking fees is only planned for zones 1 to 5 (extended city centre). The parking fees for zone 6 (rest of the city) remain unchanged. This means that the increase will only take place in the central areas with high parking demand. It is also intended that by aligning the parking fees with the user charges for local public transport, incentives will be created to increase its use.
In most privately operated car parks in the city centre, charges of €2.00 are currently levied from the 3rd hour of use. In the first two hours, parking fees in the multi-storey car parks vary between €0.50 and €1.00 per half hour or part thereof.
With the proposed increases in parking fees, Jena is on par with comparable cities such as Erfurt and Gera and remains below the parking fees of such cities as Dresden or Freiburg.
At €2/hour, the parking ticket in zone 1 also remains cheaper than a single journey by local public transport (€2.20).