Carmel steps up parking enforcement to serve businesses, residents & visitors

Submitted by City of Carmel

Parking enforcement will be enhanced in the City of Carmel in the coming months in support of business needs and improved access for residents and visitors.

“Parking issues can create numerous challenges for residents, local businesses and patrons,” Carmel Police Department (CPD) Chief Drake Sterling said. “Excessive parking violations contribute to traffic congestion, reduced accessibility to commercial areas and create challenges to our small business-friendly downtown model.”

Business owners and residents have expressed concerns over parking compliance, noting an increase in parking violations, including unauthorized parking in marked disability spots and loading zones, or remaining in a three-hour or 15-minute parking spot past the posted time limit.

CPD researched methods to best enhance parking compliance, examining multiple options before determining that the most effective ways to address enforcement include:

• Equipping CPD vehicles with technology that assists with enforcement.
• The addition of two positions for part-time enforcement officers to address day-to-day parking violations. The officers will be scheduled at peak times when violations are the highest.

Initial costs for the increased enforcement are covered by CPD’s current budget, with no additional appropriations needed in 2026 and revenue from violation fines supporting continued enforcement.

Chief Sterling said prior efforts to increase enforcement have been successful, pointing to an increase of 58 percent in identification of violations following the addition of a single officer in March 2025.

“We are eager to see how the additional attention to this issue improves compliance,” Sterling said. “With enhanced equipment, I am confident that we can make a positive impact for livability in our great city.”

CPD will additionally be working with the city’s engineering department and the City Council as part of their ongoing parking study, anticipating further recommendations in the future.