Estimates show that over the nearest 5 years a number of cars will increase even up to 400 - 500 cars per 1000 inhabitants.

In order to increase street capacity in the centre of Riga, it is imperative to remove parked cars off the carriageways and to insure multi-parking lot or underground parking facilities. Historical buildup in Riga city center and existing street network only allows construction of dispersed parking lots with limited capacities, i.e. 100 - 400 parking spaces.

Presently in Riga both on-street parking is allowed (1656 paid parking spaces), as well as parking in underground parking lots, and in multi-story parking lots.

According to legal regulations on parking municipality takes responsibility for paid parking within the limits of street red lines (on street roadways).

During preparation of Riga Traffic Policy for 1999 - 2003, territory of Riga in the direction from the Old Town to Jugla suburb has been split into three zones - A, B and C (see Zonal division of Riga ).

In accordance with this zoning and based on the principle - the closer to the city centre, the higher the parking charge, various hourly tariffs were set.

All paid parking spaces in zones A and B are for limited parking time only in order to insure maximum circulation of cars at one parking space.

In many places of the world park&ride (park your car and ride) system is used as a system of car parking. In order to analyze possibilities of introduction of this system in Riga, there are plans to undertake a deeper analysis. A pilot project "creation of the parking lot at Jugla" will be prepared along with construction of a high-speed tramline.