City Council backs tour bus permit and fine increases for peak season
City Council backs tour bus permit and October fare hike. The Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs and the Committee of the Whole approved ordinances establishing a $50 daily parking permit fee for tour buses, rising to $100 in October, with a $150 fine for standing or idling buses.
City Council · Meeting of May 14, 2026
SALEM — City Council backs tour bus permit and October fare hike. The Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs and the Committee of the Whole approved ordinances establishing a $50 daily parking permit fee for tour buses, rising to $100 in October, with a $150 fine for standing or idling buses. Director of Transportation David Kucharsky said the system, using the existing Passport Parking app, is modeled on programs in Cape May, Savannah, and Kennebunk and is expected to generate roughly $44,000 in annual revenue from an estimated 804 tour bus groups.
Implementation is targeted for end of June or early July. Both ordinances passed on second reading with votes of 3-1.
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Source: the City Council meeting of May 14, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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