Parking changes are on the horizon for those visiting Zilker Park as the Austin Parks and Recreation Department is shifting from flat rate parking to hourly parking, as data collected found that many visitors parked for two hours or less.

The details

Starting May 25, parking will be $3 an hour instead of the $7 flat rate for a day; however, the $7 flat rate will remain in place on the weekend and designated holidays from March 1-Labor Day.

The change is based on a recommendation from the city's Transportation and Public Works Department, according to city documents, and aims to increase car turnover.

The Parks and Recreation Department will be collecting data to help drive future parking changes and rates.

What else?

The money collected from parking fees goes directly back to the park for maintenance and improvements. The fees are also used to hire Transportation and Public Works staff to enforce parking regulations.