Where's the Cheapest Parking in Downtown Royal Oak?

As great as downtown Royal Oak can be, trying to find a parking space can be just awful. And, discovering you have little or no change when you do find a spot can be even worse.

Good thing there's some cheap and even free parking in town.

Free parking
Did you know the first two hours are always free before 5 p.m. in Royal Oak's parking structures?

The city operates three parking structures. They are located on Center Street at Third, Lafayette Avenue at Sixth and Lafayette north of Fourth.

Parking is always free on Sundays, national holidays and daily from midnight to 11 a.m.

Parking is also free during regular hours at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, located at 316 E 11 Mile Rd., in the lots adjacent to the market.

Cheap parking
Before 5 p.m. metered parking is only 25 cents per hour in the lots adjacent to the Royal Oak Farmers Market, after 5 p.m. it goes up to 50 cents per hour. (The lot west of the Farmers Market on Troy Street takes credit cards, if you forgot to bring change.)

Parking is also 50 cents per hour all day in the Sherman Drive lot near Fourth Street and Washington Avenue.

If you are planning to spend the day downtown, consider the parking structures. Both structures on Lafayette have a $3 flat rate; the Center Street structure has a $5 flat rate.

What to do if you get a parking ticket
If your meter expires while you are eating, shopping or playing downtown, you'll get a parking ticket. You can count on it. Royal Oak ticket officers are extremely good at what they do.

Should you find a ticket on your windshield, credit card payments can be made online at Government Payment Services, Inc or here for Mobile Users, or by calling 1-888-604-7888. You will need to provide the following:

• The 44th District Court 4-digit Pay Location Code # (3031)
• Your ticket or case number
• The amount owed

For those who grumble about parking tickets, just check out maps on the city website and park in one of the three structures for the flat fee.

For more information, visit the City of Royal Oak's website.