Parking Enterprise
Parking Enterprise manages on-street parking to balance mobility and access needs for residents, businesses and visitors to our city, while promoting compliance with all City parking ordinances. This includes parking meters, parking and valet enforcement, and specialized zones such as commercial delivery, residential parking permits, car-share parking and more. The City of Austin does not manage private off-street parking lots and garages.
Services provided by Parking Enterprise
- Affordable Parking Program
- City-owned garages
- Commercial Vehicle Loading
- Paid Parking and Parking Enforcement
- Parking and Transportation Management Districts
- Permitted Ground Transportation Providers
- Residential Permit Parking
- Shared Mobility
Other resources
- Pay for parking with the Park ATX Mobile pay app.
- Pay a parking fine or apply for a waiver if you took a responsible ride home.
Bike Lane rules and guidance
- Bike lanes are travel lanes. Keep them clear.
Parking, stopping or standing a motor vehicle in a bicycle lane is prohibited and may result in a citation. The restriction applies to bicycle lanes throughout Austin, even when a “No Parking” sign is not present.
A quick stop with hazard lights on - including a stop to pick up or drop off passengers, food or other deliveries - does not make it permissible to block a bicycle lane.
When a vehicle blocks a bicycle lane, someone riding a bicycle may be forced to leave the lane and enter motor vehicle traffic. Keeping bicycle lanes clear helps make Austin’s streets safer and more predictable for everyone.
- Where should drivers stop?
Drivers should use a location where parking or loading is permitted, such as:
- A designated passenger pickup and drop-off area
- A commercial loading zone, when authorized
- An available legal parking space
- Another location where stopping or parking is permitted
Drivers should not use a bicycle lane for routine passenger pickups, drop-offs, deliveries, staging or waiting.
- Why did the City update the rule?
Austin City Council adopted Ordinance No. 20250213-026 in February 2025. Among other parking-related changes, the ordinance prohibits stopping, standing or parking in a bicycle lane unless a limited exception applies.
Previously, parking in a bicycle lane was generally prohibited only where regulatory signs were present. The updated City Code applies the restriction to bicycle lanes regardless of whether a “No Parking” sign is posted.
The change was initiated through Council Resolution No. 20240404-040, which cited the safety goals of Austin’s Vision Zero program, Austin Strategic Mobility Plan and 2023 Bicycle Plan. The resolution recognized that vehicles parked in bicycle lanes can create dangerous conditions by forcing people riding bicycles into motor vehicle traffic.
- Exceptions provided by City Code
City Code provides limited exceptions for:
- A motor vehicle performing permitted work in accordance with applicable temporary traffic control procedures
- A motor vehicle stopped or parked at the direction of a police or peace officer
- A motor vehicle stopped to collect solid waste, recycling or yard debris
- An inoperable motor vehicle stopped for less than two hours while the vehicle is being cleared from the lane
- A motor vehicle involved in an emergency
- Other authorized uses where regulatory signs indicate that parking is permissible
A vehicle may also need to temporarily enter a bicycle lane to yield to an emergency vehicle. These limited circumstances do not permit bicycle lanes to be used for routine parking, passenger pickups or drop-offs, deliveries, staging or waiting.
- Additional information