Savannah Considers Paid Parking in Booming Neighborhoods

City Council endorses study recommending new meters in Victorian and Thomas Square areas.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 9:07am

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Savannah City Council has informally endorsed a study that recommends implementing new paid parking meters in the city's Victorian and Thomas Square neighborhoods. The goal is to ease parking pressures in these booming areas and protect residents' ability to park near their homes. The study proposes expanding the city's residential decal program to allow residents to park for free in metered spots.

Why it matters

As Savannah's core neighborhoods continue to grow in popularity, the city is seeking ways to manage the increased demand for parking. Unregulated on-street parking has made it difficult for residents to find spots near their homes, prompting the city to explore paid parking as a potential solution.

The details

The study calls for new parking meters surrounding Forsyth Park and along the Bull Street corridor in the Thomas Square Neighborhood. The proposed boundaries would expand from Anderson Street to 37th Street, with meters primarily along Bull Street between Whitaker and Drayton Streets. In Thomas Square, the meters would start at 40th Street, with the railroad tracks as the eastern boundary and Barnard Street as the western boundary.

  • In March 2026, Savannah City Council informally endorsed the city's latest Parking Matters study.
  • The city will now move forward with a resolution for council to officially adopt the plan, which will then lead to ordinance changes and capital expenditures to implement the recommendations.

The players

Savannah City Council

The governing body of the City of Savannah, which informally endorsed the parking study recommendations.

Ralph DeNisco

A senior principal at project consultant Stantec, who presented the study's findings to the city council.

Sean Brandon

Savannah's Director of Parking and Mobility, who discussed the city's efforts to balance the competing demands for on-street parking.

Van Johnson

The Mayor of Savannah, who expressed support for the parking study recommendations as a way to ensure the city works for its residents.

Jay Melder

Savannah's City Manager, who said the city is working through the capital and personnel investments needed to implement the parking plan.

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What they’re saying

“The vast majority of on-street spaces (in the study area) are unregulated, and one of the challenges is it offers no protection for residents. Anybody can park anywhere for essentially as long as they want, so many of the residents are continuously squeaked out of their parking.”

— Ralph DeNisco, Senior Principal, Stantec

“The curb, so to speak, is sought after by people who live on that block, visitors who come into that block, and delivery services like FedEx and UPS. Our job is to try to balance that as best as we can, understanding that in many cases, everyone has to give a little.”

— Sean Brandon, Director of Parking and Mobility, Savannah

“It's about making sure our city works for the people who live here.”

— Van Johnson, Mayor of Savannah

What’s next

The city will now move forward with a resolution for the city council to officially adopt the parking study plan, which will then lead to the necessary ordinance changes and capital expenditures to implement the new paid parking meters and residential decal program.

The takeaway

As Savannah's core neighborhoods continue to grow in popularity, the city is proactively addressing parking challenges by exploring paid parking as a way to balance the competing demands for on-street spaces and ensure residents can park near their homes.