No.2 Sportsground is city's best parking secret

Newcastle City Council is shining the spotlight on the CBD's best-kept parking secret in its ongoing bid to reduce the strain on all-day parking for inner-city workers and visitors.

Council's No.2 Sportsground off-street car park has 200 parking spaces, including six disabled spaces, just a few minutes' walk from Marketown, the King St fare-free bus stop, Hunter St and Honeysuckle's business centre.

Yet a usage survey last year found that only about 15 vehicles on average were using the car park each weekday.

"At just $6 a day, this is one of the cheapest paid parking options anywhere in the city centre," Council CEO Jeremy Bath said.

"With reduced CBD parking options due to the unprecedented level of development under way in the city, No.2 Sportsground is an affordable, handy, viable option for commuters."

The campaign is timed to coincide with the next stage of light rail construction from Auckland Street to Worth Place, and the beginning of the 2018 school year.

"The next stage of the construction of light rail is likely to create more pressure on all-day parking in the city centre," Mr Bath said.

"The No.2 Sportsground car park is underused because it's hidden behind Marketown. However it's just six minutes' walk from King Street, seven minutes to Hunter Street and eight minutes to Honeysuckle's business precinct."

"Importantly, it's also only six minutes to the closest fare-free bus stop, providing an easy gateway to the rest of the CBD."

The No.2 Sportsground car park on Smith Street is part of a $7 million upgrade of the site completed in 2012.

Parking Monday-Friday costs $3/hr up to a maximum $6 a day. The car park is free on weekends.