The City Just Announced the Parking Changes. Make Your Voice Heard Where They're Listening.

Friends,

The City of Orlando just posted its downtown parking changes on Instagram, calling them a way to "park smarter, not harder." They take effect October 1.

👉 Read the post and leave a comment: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd3-h0ikbhH

We've fought these changes from the day they were announced. We warned that higher rates, paid parking until 8 PM, and pushing people onto an app with no cash option would hurt the residents, workers, and small businesses that keep downtown alive. Those are the exact impacts we tried to prevent, and now they're happening.

And people are MAD. The comments are full of residents asking what this actually improves. Some of the points getting the most support:

More cost and fewer free hours, with no new parking added
Removing cash locks out seniors, people without smartphones, and anyone who doesn't want another app tracking them
Quick stops, like grabbing a coffee, now come with an app download and a higher bill
Making it harder and pricier to come downtown means fewer customers for businesses that are already struggling
Here's what you can do today:

Comment publicly on the City's post. Keep it respectful and specific. Say who you are (resident, worker, business owner, visitor) and how this affects you. Public comments on the City's own page are visible to everyone, including our commissioners.

Tag your commissioner, and like the comments that say what you're thinking so they rise to the top.

Share this petition with anyone who lives in, works in, or loves downtown: https://tinyurl.com/ChangeDowntownParking

Signatures matter, and so does public pressure. When hundreds of people say the same thing in the same place, it's hard to ignore. Let's make sure the City hears us loud and clear.

Thank you for standing with downtown.