Bowling Green has different rules and regulations depending on where your vehicle is parked. Whether the vehicle is parking on the street downtown, in a public parking lot, on your residential street, or even in your driveway in some instances – there are laws in place that regulate parking.
Parking within the City of Bowling Green is regulated by Chapter 76 of the Codified Ordinances. These laws may be accessed from the city’s homepage, www.bgohio.org. Chapter 76 spells out the rules for everything parking related – ranging from on-street parking within the downtown, parking rates within public parking lots, parking on the grass, and much more.
Below, is just a brief highlight of some of these regulations.
Parking within the Downtown:
• On-street parking on Main and Wooster within the downtown is limited to 2 hours.
• Public parking lots are divided into two main areas – short term parking and long term parking. Short term parking is limited to 3 hours, while the long term parking is limited to 10 hours.
• The rate to park in a public parking lot and in a parking stall that has a meter is 50 cents an hour. Once the new kiosks in Lot 2 are installed, users of the parking lots are encouraged to download the free mobile app – ParkSmarter – in order to make parking within a parking lot that has kiosks convenient.
• Handicap parking within public parking lots is free. The public is asked to observe and refrain from parking in a spot parked and signed for a user with a valid handicap placard.
Residential Parking:
• Various residential roads allow for on-street parking; however, there are sections where parking is prohibited or limited. These parking restrictions are identified by signs identifying where parking is prohibited – in some cases during specific days or hours. One sign may apply to the entire block, so watch for signs placed ahead or behind your location.
• Vehicles may not be parked for more than 24 hours along a residential street.
• Parking across a sidewalk is also prohibited, even if that sidewalk runs through a driveway.
Residents are encouraged to visit the city’s website and read these laws. Questions about parking may be directed to Parking Enforcement at 419-352-1131.
