SEATTLE — Seattle just became the first city in the nation to provide artists with 24/7 parking and loading space outside venues.
This means that artists will no longer have to park blocks away and risk someone stealing items from their vehicles.
The areas are designated with a white sign that reads, ‘MUSIC VENUE ZONE VALID PERMIT ONLY.’
“While it may be a simple parking sign, we heard loud and clear from venues and artists that these signs are going to make a huge difference,” said Virginie Nadimi, a Strategic Advisor with SDOT. She also manages the music venue zone program.
Mayor Bruce Harrel signed the legislation back in November, and the city now has an application portal up and running.
“This new permit is expected to save up to $46,000 a year – money that can go right back into the artists and the venues to help this industry,” Harrell said during today’s news conference.
Before— venues had to visit the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) website, request parking spots for each event, pay, and wait for approval.
KIRO 7 spoke with Sam Smith, the Production Manager at the Crocodile, who said approval could sometimes take weeks. His other worry? Making sure people didn’t move the signs once given the go-ahead.
“I don’t think people realize how easy this makes the show go,” he told KIRO 7. “They roll right up, I give them a permit, and they put it in their window.”
Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson said this move is more than just about the parking spaces themselves.
“Most of all, it’s about keeping Seattle on the must-play list for bands. We don’t want them going to other cities because it’s too much of a hassle to find parking.”
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