The Ultimate Guide for Parking Downtown
Written by Emma Schramm
Image courtesy of Michael Fousert on Unsplash
We know that parking Downtown can get a little complicated. Workers, school commuters, and even just those visiting the city all need space to hold their car. Thankfully, there are many parking options Downtown, and this guide will go through all the best parking garages for your needs!
Best Location
Right across the street from the Benedum Center, the Benedum Lot is perfect if you’re coming into Downtown for any show in the Cultural District.
Another stellar location is the Ft. Duquesne and Sixth garage. Not only is it close to award-winning performance halls, it also gives parkers great access to restaurants down Sixth Ave.
Visiting Downtown and staying in a hotel? Park at Mellon Square! This garage is super close to top hotels like the Omni William Penn, Kimpton Hotel Monaco, and Embassy Suites. The Oliver Garage is also close to Embassy Suites.
If you want to drive into Downtown to take public transportation, park at the First Ave Garage for accessing the T, Pittsburgh’s light rail system. The Grant St. Transportation Center is best if you’re catching a Greyhound bus or Amtrak train.
Best Rates
For short-term parking (around 3 hour visits), the Oliver Garage and First Ave Garage are $8.
For over six-hour parking, the Grant St. Transportation Center and First Ave Garage are $13.
There are also flat-rate parking lots: the Monongahela Wharf lot ($10 flat rate) and Second Ave Plaza ($9 flat rate).
Full parking rate information can be found here, including day and night leases. Evening and weekend rates may vary.
Best Amenities
First Ave Garage has 21 ADA-compliant/handicapped parking spaces — the most out of any Pittsburgh Parking Authority garage! It also has 15 electric vehicle charging stations. Smithfield-Liberty and Third Ave Garage are also good spots to charge your EV, with 8 stations each.
For large vehicles, try to use the Oliver Garage off of Wood St; it has an entrance clearance of 8 feet 2 inches.
Finally, the biggest garage owned by the Pittsburgh Parking Authority is the First Ave Garage with 1,243 spots. So, if you’ve been circling the streets for a while, check out that garage to see if you can snag a spot.
I hope this guide was helpful!
