Portland parking prices are clearly diverting visitors to other markets.

I have lived nearly my entire 60-plus years in the greater Portland area and worked for 30 years near the Portland Jetport. I hadn’t been out on the Casco Bay Islands in years. This summer, I decided to take the mail boat run, for the first time ever, to spend some time on Long Island, visit the beach and spend some money there – all of which I did.

For years, my go-to parking place when going to the Old Port area has been eastern portions of Fore or Thames Streets. If you went far enough east, you would find free on-street parking in non-residential areas and walk to the Old Port. No more. The City of Portland has put up parking time limit signs in that entire area that funnels parking to garages or private lots. There is still plenty of available free on-street parking in that area, but it is now all limited to 1 or 2 hours. So, failing to find parking with time running short, we parked at the Casco Bay Lines garage. Bam! $50 to park in that garage! Between the $50 parking cost and the recent 82% price hike for day tickets on the ferry, my local tourist dollar is going to go be spent somewhere else other than downtown Portland or on the islands.

Carl Wilcox
Minot