What Do You Think of New Downtown Parking Rates?

Here are three words that some Portsmouth area residents have used to describe the city's new downtown tiered parking rates: expensive, confusing and frustrating.

On Thursday morning, the city's Parking and Transportation Department introduced the new parking rate system that was approved by the City Council and despite the city's best efforts to do public outreach, any changes prove unsettling for some.

The initial reaction on the Portsmouth Patch Facebook page wasn't very positive.

Chris Therrien wrote, "They're too confusing. The Portsmouth City Council needs to get a life."

Tara Walker Sullivan posted this comment: "We have the most expensive street parking in the region. Even Boston doesn't charge this much or make things this complicated, which is saying something. I think our city council have lost their damn minds."

On the city's high occupancy downtown streets, city residents and visitors now see red stickers displayed on parking machines and meters that indicate those spaces cost $1.50 per hour for up to three hours. On other streets where blue stickers are affixed to parking machines and meters, it costs $1 to park for up to three hours. Obviously, it will take time for everyone to get used to the new parking rates.

In the meantime, join the conversation and tell us how you feel about the new downtown tiered parking rates so far in the comments below.