Albany Parking Authority

There are nearly 22,000 parking spaces for visitors and employees in downtown Albany, capital city of the Empire State. The Albany Parking Authority manages more than one-third of the public parking inventory, including on-street meters.

The Authority provides leadership in its responsibilities for public parking by:

Sustaining economic development for the City of Albany;
Achieving improved solutions to parking challenges;
Elevating service and convenience for parkers;
Enhancing smooth traffic flow and pedestrian safety; and
Supporting planning for transportation alternatives.

The Authority was established in 1983 as a public benefit corporation under the New York State Parking Authority Law. The Law authorizes the Authority to construct, operate and maintain locations in the City of Albany for public parking facilities. In order to achieve its planning and design goals to meet parking demand, the Authority is authorized to issue tax-exempt bonds. The bonds must be self-supporting from user fees. The Albany Parking Authority receives no tax support or Federal, State, City or private grants.

Over $28 million in tax-exempt bonds were issued in 2001 to fund construction of the new Quackenbush Square Public Parking Facility and for the advance refunding of two earlier Authority bond issues. The 900-space Quackenbush Public Parking Garage opened July 1, 2002, on time and within budget.

The Parking Authority is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, which has the powers and responsibilities customary to the board of a private corporation. The Board employs 26 staff who operate and maintain its three public parking garages and who manage the on-street parking meter system under contract for the City of Albany.

Citations for parking meter violations are issued by the Albany Police Department. The Parking Authority receives no revenue from parking tickets.

For more information about the Albany Parking Authority garages and meters please visit their website at www.parkalbany.com.
To view the appointed members of the Albany Parking Authority, please visit the Boards and Commissions page.