Q1.

What is ProjectSPACE?

A1.

ProjectSPACE does four things.

1. RESERVES on-street parking for people with disabilities in metered areas.
2. INSTALLS single-space parking meters at the reserved spaces.
3. RETROFITS existing meter kiosks to meet most current ADA standards
4. REQUIRES payment from everyone parking at accessible meters

ProjectSPACE is a joint project between the Parking Authority of Baltimore City and the Mayor's Commission on Disabilities. In addition to the above, ProjectSPACE also increases the duration limit for parking at the meter to at least four hours.
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Q2.

Where is Project SPACE currently?

A2.

Phase 1 (Central Business District) is bordered by:
North – Franklin Street
East – President Street
South – Pratt Street/Key Highway
West – Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
View a map of Phase 1 with meter locations

Phase 2 of ProjectSPACE (Harbor East/Fells Point) is bordered by:
North – Eastern Avenue
East – Wolfe Street
South – Thames Street
West – Inner Harbor water near Pier Six
View a map of Phase 2 with meter locations.

Phase 3 (Federal Hill) launched on April 17, 2017, and is bordered by:
North - E. Montgomery Street
East - Light Street
South - Ostend Street
West - Sharp Street
View a map with Phase 3 and meter locations.

Phase 4 of ProjectSPACE (Mount Vernon) went into effect on October 30, 2017, and is bordered by:
North – Mt. Royal Avenueview a map of individual meter locations. 

Maps (PDFs) outlining each area and the locations of reserved spaces are available via the links below.

• View Phase 1 map 
• View Phase 2 map
• View Phase 3 map 
• View Phase 4 map
• Phase 5 
  • Hampden
  • Mt. Washington
  • Station North/Midtown
  • Johns Hopkins Hospital/Northeast Market/Parole & Probation 
  • Highlandtown 

Additional areas will be added in the future so please continue to visit our website for updates.
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Q3.

Who does it impact?

A3.

Anyone who parks in Baltimore City, particularly in the areas included in Phases 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of ProjectSPACE, includes employees, patrons, business owners, residents, and visitors.

As of 2013, cars displaying disability hang tags or license plates are subject to posted residential permit parking restrictions. Download the press release from the Department of Transportation for more information.

In the areas where ProjectSPACE has launched, parking meters at both the reserved spaces and the EZ Park meters are equipped with parking meters that meet the newest Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Payment is required at any meter that meets ADA requirements.
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When did Project SPACE go into effect?

• Phase 1 (Central Business District) - July 2014
• Phase 2 (Fells Point & Harbor East) - September 2016
• Phase 3 (Federal Hill) - April 2017
• Phase 4 (Mt Vernon) - October 2017
• Phase 5 
  • Hampden and Mt. Washington - April 20, 2018
  • Mid-Town and Station North -  July 23, 2018
  • Johns Hopkins Hospital/Northeast Market/Parole & Probation - (Launching July 21, 2023)
  • Highlandtown - March 2023 - May 8, 2023

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Q5.

Why was ProjectSPACE created?

A5.

ProjectSPACE was created to help alleviate Baltimore’s parking problem by making it easier for people with disabilities to find available parking spaces and reducing disability placard theft.

Before Phase 1 was launched, it was extremely difficult to find available on-street parking Downtown. The city’s policy of allowing free parking to vehicles displaying disability placards proved too tempting for some without disabilities to resist, leading to the widespread theft and abuse of these placards. While census data from 2010 show that approximately 10% of Baltimore adults are eligible to apply for disability placards, vehicles with these placards sometimes occupy 100% of the parking spaces on some downtown blocks, often parking all day.

By removing the free parking associated with disability placards and license plates, the incentive to steal and abuse them was eliminated. Before the launch of Phase 1, the average number of disability placards reported stolen to the Baltimore City Police Department was 23 per month. Since the launch, the average has plummeted to just three. View the data showing that the number of stolen placards has dropped significantly since the launch of Project Space.

Faced with the prospect of paying full price for parking at metered locations, those who were abusing disability placards to obtain free parking in Phases 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (Mt. Washington, Hampden, Station North, and Midtown) now park elsewhere. This has freed up hundreds of on-street metered parking spaces every day. Before the launch of Project SPACE, 95% of the parking spaces on some of the busiest downtown blocks in Phase 1 were occupied, making it nearly impossible to locate an available parking space. Since the launch, 77% of the same blocks are occupied, increasing the number of parking spaces available by 18%.

People with disabilities now find it easier to locate a parking space, either at a multi-space parking meter or at one of the single-space meters reserved for people with disabilities. In many cases, they are also paying less than before ProjectSPACE because they were previously paying to park in a garage, which would cost three times as much.

Future areas will expand the areas of accessible parking for people with disabilities.
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Q6.

Isn’t free parking for those with disability placards or license plates mandated by law?

A6.

No. There is no Baltimore City or Maryland state law requiring free parking for people with disabilities. It was a policy. This policy began in 1990 with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which required equal access to services for people with disabilities. Parking meters at that time were not accessible. They were too tall and a crank-turn to drop the coins into the meter. Because of this, people with disability placards and license plates were exempt from paying the parking meters. Newer parking meters had no crank-turn mechanism and could be lowered to an acceptable height. We did this in Phases 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (Mt. Washington, Hampden, Station North, and Midtown) to meet the newest ADA standards. We also added a single-space meter on each block and reserved the space for people with disabilities throughout Phases 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (Mt. Washington, Hampden, Midtown, and Station North) to meet ADA standards and be more accessible for those with disabilities.
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Q7.

What was Baltimore City’s policy for vehicles parking with a disability placard and/or tag?

A7.

Baltimore City, like many other cities, had a policy (not a law) that allowed vehicles displaying a disability placard or tag to park on-street for free, as traditional parking meters did not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. This policy will no longer be in effect in Phases 1 (Central Business District), 2 (Fells Point & Harbor East), 3 (Federal Hill), 4 (Mount Vernon), and 5 (Hampden, Mt. Washington, Station North, and Midtown) of ProjectSPACE. All parkers in these areas, including those with a disability placard and/or tag, will be required to pay for on-street parking.
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Q8.

Does ProjectSPACE impact off-street parking, including parking garages and private lots?

A8.

Off-street parking options such as private garages and lots will not be directly affected by ProjectSPACE. However, as a result of the program, more commuters may choose to park off-street, which will create more on-street parking spaces.
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Q9.

What is the policy for parking at meters that do not meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines?

A9.

If you are parked at a meter that does not meet ADA guidelines and you are displaying disability plates or a disability placard, you are allowed to park for double the meter's duration, up to four hours.
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Q10.

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and how does it affect ProjectSPACE?

A10.

The ADA is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990 to increase access for people with disabilities. The ADA provides requirements for accessible parking options for people with disabilities, and ProjectSPACE meets all of these requirements.  Click here to view more information about the ADA. Visit the Office of Equity and Civil Rights' website and its ADA information webpage.
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Q11.

Where can I find information about obtaining a handicap placard and/or tag?

A11.

People with disabilities can contact the Motor Vehicle Administration. 
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