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1. Back-In Parking

Parking on Washington Ave. has transitioned to back-in parking so that the new system can read a vehicle’s license plate number. The spaces are also wider making it easier for motorists to park. Additionally, back-in parking provides motorists with a better vision of bicyclists, pedestrians, and other vehicles as drivers exit a parking space and enter the roadway.  Visitors MUST back into spaces designated as such or risk being ticketed for improper parking. 

For more information on back-in parking, including tips and instructional videos, please visit https://www.romi.gov/1553/Parking-in-Downtown-Royal-Oak. 

We also encourage you to park in one of Downtown Royal Oak's parking garages - they are clean, spacious, and well-lit. When parking in a garage, your first two hours are FREE, and then just 75 cents per hour in the City’s 4 public parking structures, which are located at Center and Second, 11 Mile Road east of Main,  Lafayette north of Fourth, and Lafayette and Sixth. 

And you can always park in a surface lot or in any number of traditional on-street parking spaces located throughout the downtown area. 

2. 3-Hour Max Limits

On-street parking has a 3-hour maximum limit for all motorists to regulate space turnover, and to ensure parking is easy and accessible for everyone who visits Downtown Royal Oak. 

Motorists who exceed the maximum limit will receive a parking violation in the mail. 

If you will be in Royal Oak longer than 3 hours, we recommend parking in a surface lot, where the maximum time limit is 4-hours, or in one of our four parking structures. The structures offer FREE parking for the first 2 hours and then it's just 75 cents per hour. Parking structures are located at Center and Second, 11 Mile Road east of Main,  Lafayette north of Fourth, and Lafayette and Sixth.  

3. Grace Periods

The new parking system provides motorists with a 15-minute grace period. This gives motorists the time they need to pay for parking when using the pay stations or the Sentry Mobile app - the app available on both iPhone and Android devices.  

The intention of the grace period feature is not for parkers to use it for quick in and out visits.  

4. Communication

The new parking system has been in place since September of 2021. Information has been shared on the City’s social media pages, the City of Royal Oak’s website, in weekly emails, in Royal Oak’s Insight magazine, which is sent to every household in Royal Oak, and with local media.  

The on-street pay stations have information on how to use the new system, including what the maximum parking limit is, how to identify your space, parking rates, and how to pay. 

Additionally, the City of Royal Oak has parking ambassadors on the street helping motorists navigate the new system. Brochures and information about the new system are being distributed by the ambassadors and can also be found at City Hall and the Royal Oak Police Department.  

We are constantly evaluating the system -- trying to make it more intuitive and easier to use. Your feedback in this regard is very important to us as we work to make the system as user-friendly as possible. 

5. Violations/Tickets

Tickets are now sent to motorists via mail, and are no longer left in yellow envelopes under a vehicle’s windshield wipers. 

A motorist can tell if their vehicle is in violation by observing the meter stick closest to the rear of their vehicle. A green light means you are paid up and a red light means you are in violation mode and could receive a parking ticket. 

If you find your meter stick is red, you can true-up -- that is, pay for any 'expired' time before you leave the parking space. Doing so ensures that you will not get a ticket, as long as you have not exceeded the maximum time limits.  

More information can be found at https://www.romi.gov/1553/Parking-in-Downtown-Royal-Oak