Utrecht city council approves plans to make the whole city paid parking

The Utrecht city council has agreed to apply paid parking throughout the city. This will happen neighborhood by neighborhood and will take 12 years.

Before this, it was only in busy areas where you had to pay for parking. Now, there is a plan to have the whole city paid for parking starting in 2034. alderperson of mobility Lot van Hooijdonk called it “A milestone” while she is also aware of the unpopularity of the decision. However, it is essential for the city to prevent “tens of thousands of cars being added” to the city while they are usually stationary.

The goal of the measure is to prevent parking nuisance and to clear space for green areas, playing areas, or bicycle parking places, Van Hooijdonk added. They also want the measure to stimulate a different kind of travel, something that the municipality is investing in.

The neighborhoods of Hoograven and Ondiep will be the first to have paid parking this year, with areas closest to the city centre, like Oog in AI and Kanaleneiland, to follow. From 2026 to 2030, the city will work on the ring just outside the area in neighborhoods like Lunetten and Zuilen.

The areas furthest away from the centre will have paid parking at any time between 2031 and 2034, including neighborhoods like De Meern, Vleuten, and Overvecht-Noord.

Many neighborhoods will still only have paid parking during so-called basic window times, which are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. This is to prevent people who do not live in the area from parking their cars there.