City to Offer Free Holiday Season Parking

Portsmouth residents and visitors received an early Christmas present on Tuesday night in the form of free downtown parking during the holiday season.

City Councilor Ken Smith, who chairs the Parking and Traffic Safety Committee, said that from Dec. 14 through Jan. 2, city residents and visitors can park for free in any of the metered spaces downtown. As long as they don't park in any one space longer than the two-hour time limit, they will not be ticketed, he said.

Smith said the city does this to encourage downtown shopping during the holiday season. The free holiday season parking will also be offered from three weeks before the increases in downtown parking from $1 to $2 per hour take effect on the highest demand streets.

City residents and visitors who want to park downtown longer than the two-hour limit should utilize the High/Hanover Parking Garage, which will continue to charge 75 cents per hour for the rest of the year and after Jan. 2.