Downtown parking enforcement begins

ASHEBORO — Asheboro police are about to ramp up enforcement against downtown parking violations. After an educational period that prioritized warnings over citations, they will shift to handing out citations with $5 fines, beginning Feb. 16.

Stricter, consistent enforcement was one of the recommendations from Walker Consultants. The city hired the firm in 2024 to review downtown’s current space inventory and recommend ways to improve parking availability and safety for drivers and pedestrians.

“They determined that we’ve got plenty of parking spaces,” said Capt. Byron Hill with the Asheboro Police Field Operations Division. “There’s no need to build parking decks or anything like that. They found some issues with how we’re managing and turning over our parking spaces.”

In its report shared on July 16, 2025, Walker Consultants noted that “…current time-limited signs are not enforced consistently, and some stakeholders believe curbside regulations are not enforced. Enforcement representatives with the City expressed concerns that parking citations are frequently voided.”

“It’s more about trying to be consistent and trying to educate the public who may not have known where their options are to park,” Hill said.

After receiving the report, police and city staff rolled out an educational campaign, updating and clarifying downtown signage while officers and the city public information officer used social media to raise awareness. Meanwhile, the downtown zone officer left yellow warning cards with the violation, a map of limited-time and all-day parking, and a QR code for more information.

Downtown Asheboro, Inc., in its February newsletter, advised that while Feb. 16 is the date for moving on to tougher enforcement, police can hand out citations at any time before then.

Hill said city violations — such as staying over the time limit, parking too far from the curb, or facing the wrong way and impeding traffic — come with a $5 fine. 

However, state violations like blocking a fire hydrant or unlawfully taking a handicap spot come with more expensive fines and court fees.

In its listening sessions with property owners, business owners, residents, Asheboro police and government staff, Walker Consultants said it heard many people say they want more enforcement for on-street, time-limited parking. Some said the $5 fine was too low or recommended an escalation for repeat offenders.

Hill said there is no plan to roll out escalation pricing right now, but they may consider stricter penalties on a case-by-case basis if they find the $5 is not enough of a deterrence.

Walker Consultants also suggested passing an immobilization law for vehicle owners with multiple overdue citations and using high-tech tools like license plate recognition and parking guidance systems.

Hill said they are not booting vehicles, but they already call in tow trucks on occasion. “If they’re blocking a fire hydrant, if they’re blocking the road or a side street, that’s not really changed,” he said. “We’ve always had that power to do that through state law.”

He encouraged residents and visitors to look up all the parking locations on the City of Asheboro website before they drive downtown.

“If you think you’re going to be there a longer period of time than two hours,” he said, “consider parking in all-day parking. It’s free, and you don’t have to worry about moving your car or anything like that. 

“Wherever you’re at downtown, it’s not a long walk. Everything’s walkable and safe.”