Have you ever wondered which Italian cities are where parking on the blue lines is more expensive? Although there is no official ranking in this regard, we observed the prices of the blue car parks in the 10 most populated cities in Italy (respectively: Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Bari and Catania), and discovered which ones have the highest prices. Perhaps you have already guessed the city where you pay the most: Milan. In the Lombardy capital, and in particular in the “Cerchia dei Bastioni” (Area C) the hourly rate reaches €3.00 per hour for the first two hours, and €4.50 per hour for the following hours. A figure that is not surprising, especially considering that the large cities of the North have significantly higher average parking rates (+25/30%) compared to the Centre-South, and prices are more expensive in the urban centres. In Milan, Rome, Florence and Bologna follow in order of price.
How much does paid parking cost in Milan, Rome, Bologna and Florence
Taking into account the limited traffic zones in Area B and C in Milan, beyond the already mentioned Area C, the other areas (area between the perimeter of Area C and the trolleybus circle) cost €2.00 per hour on weekdays, from 8am to 7pm. In the areas outside the trolleybus circle, however, the cost drops between €1.50 and €1.20 per hour.
Rome, on the other hand, saw an increase in the price of parking a few months ago: it ranges from €3.00 per hour for parking in the historic center to €1.50 per hour on the railway ring. The price drops as you move towards the city outskirts, arriving on average between €1.20 and €1.00 per hour.
The costs of the blue lines in Bologna remain high in the busiest areas: €2.40 per hour in the Cerchia del Mille and €1.80 per hour in the historic centre. In the semi-central area of the city the price drops to €1.50 per hour, while in the suburbs it reaches €1.20 per hour. Bologna doesn’t reach the Milanese peak, but at €2.40 per hour it is still among the most expensive cities.
In the Tuscan capital, Florence, the blue stripes are part of the Parking Control Zones (ZCS), located outside the ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) of the historic centre. The hourly price of ZCS 1 is relatively high, with the first hour at €2.40 and from the second hour onwards €3.00 per hour. The ZCS in more peripheral areas (2-3-4-5), however, have a normal price: the first hour €1.00, while the second and subsequent hours cost €2.00 per hour.
But who decides the hourly price of the blue stripes?
It is always and only the Municipality that establishes the price of parking with blue lines, as required by art. 7 of the Highway Code, which attributes the management and regulation of parking on the road to local authorities. It is therefore the municipal council that decides, and not the operator (for example AMA, ATAC, etc.), which only applies the approved tariff.
The rates serve above all to avoid parking too long in the busiest areas, guaranteeing rotation and therefore the availability of parking for everyone. In areas such as the center of Milan, Florence, Rome and Bologna, prices become higher precisely because they are areas of high demand and low availability of land.
Furthermore, the price of the blue stripes can rise significantly from year to year due to inflation, and the Municipality adjusts the tariffs to adapt them to the general increase in prices. Furthermore, when municipal councils have to decide the amount to be paid, they also take into consideration the management costs (parking meters, signs, control).
But parking prices, whether high or not, are also a political-urban planning tool to encourage citizens to use public transport or other means (bikes, scooters, car sharing) rather than private cars, also because doing so reduces traffic and protects monumental areas.
