LEXINGTON PARKING AUTHORITY (LPA)
The Lexington & Fayette County Parking Authority (LFCPA), known as LEXPARK, is “a public body, corporate and politic, and shall act as an agency, instrumentality and constituted authority of the urban county government in the provision, maintenance and operation of adequate and reasonably priced parking facilities, structures, and meters along with the enforcement of non-moving traffic violations, including the residential parking permit program, to protect and promote the safety, comfort, convenience and welfare of the people of Lexington-Fayette County.”
For more information, see Charter And Code Of Ordinances Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, ARTICLE XIII – Parking Authority.
LEXPARK operates over 1,000 metered parking spaces throughout Downtown Lexington and nearby Chevy Chase neighborhood, as well as four parking garages:
- Victorian Square Garage | 350 W. Short St.
- Transit Center Garage | 150 E. Vine St.
- Helix on Main Garage | 156 E. Main St.
- Courthouse Garage | 105 Barr St.
For more information, visit Find Parking.
LEXPARK is increasing the cost of citations in September of 2024 due to rising costs of maintaining the aging garages in Lexington. With annual costs up to $1,000,000 per year and nearly $12,000,000 in planned maintenance for the garages, this increase provides much-needed revenue to ensure our parking structures provide quality parking for our community and visitors.
This is the first increase in the meter citation rate since the inception of LEXPARK in 2008.
Pricing increases are frustrating; inflation is frustrating; and LEXPARK is not immune to those rising costs. This will be the first increase in the meter citation rate since the inception of LEXPARK in 2008. We’ve done everything we can to keep costs affordable for as long as we have.
We are not raising the rates for street parking, only the citation. Compliance with parking regulations will mean you can avoid the increase altogether, with no change or impact on your interactions with the meters.
No, LEXPARK is putting all of the earnings raised from this back into the garages that support the economy of downtown.
We pay no dividends, we have no shareholders, and our board of commissioners is made up entirely of volunteers who all live in Fayette County. We are owned and operated by Kentucky residents and are truly Kentucky Proud.
Yes. The price for monthly parking at the Transit and Helix garages are going up by $5.00 per month. This is not for everyday parking, only for monthly parking passes. Even with this price increase, the costs are well below market and contribute to the structural integrity, upkeep, and cleanliness of our structures.
Our primary mission is to keep our community affordable, accessible, and a top destination for visitors. We manage 1,206 on-street metered spaces, 2,200 garage spaces, and ensure access to fire lanes, ADA spaces, loading docks, valet spaces, driveways, etc. In addition, we also provide a $20 monthly rate for hospitality workers who need to park to work.
Also notable is our Food for Fines program, entering its 10th year in 2024. The program has erased $56,000 in citation fines and provided over 35,000 pounds of food to the community.
We create jobs for local residents with wages and salaries in our community totaling $1,427,420.57 in the last fiscal year. We pay livable wages, provide healthcare, time off, and flexible hours for increased quality of life for those who make LEXPARK possible.
LEXPARK added smart security cameras in all structures (except the Courthouse) investing over $600,000. We also pay to have these cameras integrated into the Lexington Police Department so they can deter criminal activity.
PARKING CITATIONS
Citations are issued by LEXPARK, the Lexington Police Department, and in less common instances, the Bluegrass Airport.
If your citation has six digits and starts with 5, it was issued by the Lexington Police Department. These citations are entered into our system manually, so there may be a delay between when the citation is issued and when it populates online so that you can pay it or appeal it. Please reach out to us at info@lexpark.org if your citation has not been uploaded in five business days.
If your citation has eleven digits and starts with 2, it was issued by LEXPARK and will populate in our online system immediately.
To pay or appeal a LEXPARK citation, visit LEXPARK Parking Portal and follow the prompts.
Citations are meant to alleviate congestion and ensure fair access to parking spaces for our community. If parking wasn’t managed, finding a space to park would be nearly impossible. Adequate parking can increase the value of residential, retail, multi-family, and commercial property as parking is directly correlated to economic development. One open on-street parking space is valued at $20,000 per year in revenue in revenue to local businesses and the local government.*
As customers find it easy to park their vehicles, they are more likely to visit and explore a business establishment.
CITATION LOOKUP
If your plate is registered in a state other than Kentucky, you must change the state accordingly. If this does not resolve the issue, please contact us at info@lexpark.org or 859-231-7275.
Your primary ID is the username you create, or have previously created, for your account.
PARKING GARAGES
The simplest way to pay for parking in the garage is to utilize your phone.
If you are in Helix, Victorian Square, or Courthouse Garage, text “PAY” to 859-710-5413 and follow the prompts.
If you are in Transit Center Garage, text “TRANSIT” to 25023 and follow the prompts.
You will need to know your license plate number. There are also payment kiosks in the exit lanes and POFs (Pay on Foot machines) in the garages. POFs take cash and credit cards. Exit lanes take credit cards ONLY with the single exception being the Main Street exit of Helix Garage.
Yes! LEXPARK uses a few apps to make parking easier for everyone. These apps allow you to reserve a spot in advance, pay for your parking, get notifications about your street parking meter, and enables the ability to renew street parking up to the maximum allotted time limits.
- PayByPhone – Is the app used for our street parking meters and allows you to pay for your spot, receive push notifications when your time is almost up, and is a simple and easy way to pay for parking.
- Spot Hero – Allows you to reserve spots in our garages in advance and simplify your search for parking.
- ParkWhiz – This can be used both as an app or via their website to pay for parking at our garages from your phone or device.
We also have Text2Pay, an easy and reliable process that simplifies the act of paying while you’re on-the-go. If you are in Helix, Victorian Square, or Courthouse Garage, text “PAY” to 859-710-5413 and follow the prompts. If you are in Transit Center Garage, text “TRANSIT” to 25023 and follow the prompts. To complete the transaction, you will need to know your license plate number.
There is a 5-minute turnaround grace period for those who enter the garage and, for whatever reason, need to leave immediately without parking. After paying for your parking in a garage facility, you have 20 minutes to exit the facility before incurring additional charges.
The hospitality rate is a discounted rate of $20 + tax per month for individuals who work or live downtown that need evening and weekend parking. Customers may enter the facility after 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and must leave by 9:00 a.m. the following morning. Parking is also permitted from 3:00 p.m. Friday through 9:00 a.m. Monday morning.
Victorian Square Garage, Helix Garage, and Courthouse Garage have a maximum daily rate of $12. Transit Center Garage has a maximum daily rate of $10.
LEXPARK has 2,200 parking spots under our management in garages:
- Helix Garage – Placed in service 1966 (58 years old)
- Transit Garage – Placed in service 1990 (34 years old)
- Victorian Square Garage – Placed in service 1984 (40 years old)
- Courthouse Garage – Placed in service 2000 (24 years old)
IMMOBILIZATION (BOOTS AND BARNACLES)
- Any vehicle that has two or more citations which have been assessed a late fee is eligible for immobilization. A notification letter is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle, who then has eight days from the date on the letter to pay the past due amount. If the balance remains unpaid, the vehicle will receive a barnacle or a boot if it is observed parked on a public street by our staff, and a $90 immobilization fee will be added to the account. If the balance remains unpaid 24 hours later, the vehicle will be impounded.
- If a vehicle has a boot, please call our office at 859-231-7275 during office business hours, which are Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., to make your payment. Once the payment is processed, a staff member will remove the boot.
- If a vehicle has a barnacle, please follow the directions on the sticker left on the vehicle. Once payment is made, you will receive a 4-digit code to enter on the barnacle to release it. After it is released, it must be returned to the barnacle drop box that is located inside the Victorian Square Garage on 350 W. Short Street.
This is a letter to notify the registered owner of the vehicle that said vehicle is eligible for immobilization. The balance listed on the letter must be paid within 8 days of the date on the letter to prevent immobilization. You may use the citation portal on our website to pay the citations or view any available pictures.
If you have two or more citations that are 10 days or more past due, you are eligible for immobilization. Be sure to pay your citations in a timely manner.
Anyone with two or more unpaid citations as indicated in the prior question is eligible for immobilization.
PARKING METERS
Our hours of enforcement have recently been updated. All metered spots are enforced Monday-Friday, from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Meaning, tickets are issued for any payment failures or parking violations during this time. Saturday and Sunday remain free. Enforcement for all other violations can be done on any day, at any time.
All meters accept coins, credit/debit cards, and the PayByPhone app. Select meters accept bills.
Yes! LEXPARK uses a few apps to make parking easier for everyone. These apps allow you to reserve a spot in advance, pay for your parking, get notifications about your street parking meter, and enables the ability to renew street parking up to the maximum allotted time limits.
- PayByPhone – Is the app used for our street parking meters and allows you to pay for your spot, receive push notifications when your time is almost up, and is a simple and easy way to pay for parking.
- Spot Hero – Allows you to reserve spots in our garages in advance and simplify your search for parking.
- ParkWhiz – This can be used both as an app or via their website to pay for parking at our garages from your phone or device.
We also have Text2Pay, an easy and reliable process that simplifies the act of paying while you’re on-the-go. If you are in Helix, Victorian Square, or Courthouse Garage, text “PAY” to 859-710-5413 and follow the prompts. If you are in Transit Center Garage, text “TRANSIT” to 25023 and follow the prompts. To complete the transaction, you will need to know your license plate number.
If you come across a broken or malfunctioning meter, please contact LEXPARK and let us know at info@lexpark.org. Be sure to include the meter number in your message, which can be found on the post directly below the meter head on the street side of the meter.
According to Lexington-Fayette County Ordinances, Sec. 18-123, “No person shall park a vehicle between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., except in emergency situations, on the following paved streets of the urban county within the described boundary, when indicated by appropriate signs.”
East and west direction
Vine Street to Main to Main Street
Main Street from Jefferson to Midland Avenue
Short Street from Spring to Esplanade
Barr Street from North Limestone to Martin Luther King Blvd
Pleasant Stone Street from North Limestone to Martin Luther King Blvd
North and south direction
Broadway from High Street to Second Street
Mill Street from High Street to Second Street
Cheapside from Short Street to Main Street
Market Street from Short Street to Church Street
Upper Street from High Street to Second Street
Limestone Street from High Street to Third Street
Martin Luther King Blvd. from Main Street to Pleasant Stone
Quality Street from Main Street to Vine Street
Deweese Street from Main Street to Short Street
(Ord. No. 146-76, § 1, 7-22-76; Ord. No. 34-87, § 1, 3-5-87; Ord. No. 166-94, § 1, 8-25- 94)
We set time limits on street parking to encourage our customer base to shop local to the spot where they park. As we often say, “Curbs are for Customers.” If you park in front of any retail or hospitality businesses and stay there all day, other customers cannot easily access the business. Often, we allot two hours for parking so that you have plenty of time to shop, get food, or visit downtown.
Of course, we have 2,200 parking spaces that don’t have a two hour limit within our garages. If you need to be downtown for longer than two hours, the garages allow you to not worry about time expiring. This is a great option for going to a meeting, attending a game or concert, hanging out at the park, or going to the Farmers Market.