ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — Starting in January, free parking in downtown Ithaca will end. 

Mayor Robert Cantelmo tells 607 News Now it’ll help keep the city competitive. 

Increasing parking garage fees by 75 cents to $2.25 and charging to park on downtown streets every Saturday is expected to generate over $300,000 in added revenue. Mayor Cantelmo says the change means lifting a burden off city residents.

The elimination of free Saturday parking was added to the 2026 budget, which was approved Wednesday, Nov. 12 by the Common Council in a 9-1 vote.

FULL INTERVIEW: Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo on Ithaca’s Morning News