Hybrids Get Break on Parking

The City of Baltimore, Maryland is offering parking discounts for drivers of hybrid electric vehicles. The discounts, up to 45 percent off parking fees or an average savings of $55 a month, are available for hybrid drivers holding parking contracts at any of 15 of the city's participating parking garages. The program is limited to 200 vehicles and only applies to the Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, and Toyota Prius.

Although there are only 17 hybrids with monthly parking contracts in Baltimore, the city expects interest to increase with the new discount. Over 1500 new hybrid vehicles registered in Baltimore in 2004, representing an 80 percent increase over 2003. Also under consideration are reduced parking meter prices for hybrid drivers. Obviously, if incentives like these will work in one city, they will be attractive in other cities as well.