Anyone seeking on-street parking Downtown or on the North Side during the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh later this month can expect to pay extra.
City Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, this week introduced legislation that will raise the cost for coveted on-street parking spots near the event footprint. The spots will cost $5 per hour.
The additional cost will only apply to parking spots Downtown and in the North Side. The measure excludes the North Side’s East Ohio Street, Middle Street, James Street, California Avenue and Perrysville Avenue.
Metered parking rates vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. Some areas have dynamic pricing, where costs change based on when those spots see the highest demand.
On-street meters Downtown Wednesday afternoon were charging $4 per hour.
Council members unanimously supported the proposal in a preliminary vote Wednesday. A final vote is expected next week.
“As we are all painfully aware, the only revenue stream the city has that will benefit from the draft is parking revenue,” Councilman Bob Charland, D-South Side, said.
He hoped that an increased charge for parking spots could give the city “a little more revenue to offset our costs.”
“I don’t think any level is too high,” he said. “I think all those spots will be full.”
Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, said $5 an hour for on-street parking “seems fair to me.”
Wilson’s bill also sets the fine for parking violations during the three-day event at $120. That matches the penalty for violating parking rules in the area on Steelers game days, the councilman said.
The goal, Wilson said, is to deter people from illegally parking at meters without paying or in residential parking permit districts without the required permit. He worried that some people would flout the rules if the fee wasn’t high enough, figuring it would still be cheaper than parking in a private parking garage where rates are expected to skyrocket during the draft.
Wilson said private garages in the vicinity may charge upwards of $120 per day due to the event’s large influx of visitors.
Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, also encouraged people to consider biking, carpooling or using public transportation to get to the event.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit will offer additional options to help ferry fans to and from the draft. A partnership between the transit authority and Sheetz will allow riders to use the T and the Monongahela Incline for free throughout draft weekend.