Old Orchard Beach raises hourly parking rate

If you’re headed to Old Orchard Beach this summer, prepare to budget a little extra for parking.

The Old Orchard Beach Town Council on Tuesday voted to increase fees for metered parking from $4 to $5 an hour.

Parking in downtown Old Orchard Beach is metered in town lots as well as along First Street and other streets from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day. For those who frequent downtown or the beach, resident and non-resident seasonal permits, including a reduced rate permit for seniors, can be purchased at Town Hall. Parking on Old Orchard Street is free in the summer, but limited to 30 minutes.

How does Old Orchard Beach’s pay-per-hour parking rate compare to other Southern Maine coastal communities?

Kennebunkport

• Parking in Dock Square is $6 an hour from May 1 to Oct. 31.

Ogunquit

• Hourly parking ranges from $2.50 to $9 an hour. Some lots also have daily rates. Paid parking is enforced from April 17 to Oct. 31.

Wells

• Metered parking season runs from Memorial Day Weekend to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and parking is $5 an hour.

York

• Paid parking is enforced from April 15 through Oct. 31 and is $4 an hour.

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.