Visitors to Carbon County will soon see an increase to pay in the county-owned parking lot in Jim Thorpe. However, officials say that residents using the lot during business hours Monday through Friday will see no changes.

On Thursday, the county commissioners officially adopted the ordinance updating the parking fees.

The new changes only affect weekend and holiday rates, while keeping daily rates Monday through Friday the same.

Beginning in 2025, Saturday and Sunday, as well as all holiday parking in the county lot will increase to $25 for all day parking for cars and trucks. Buses, campers and vehicles towing trailers will now pay $75 on those days.

In addition, metered spots will also increase to $1 instead of 50 cents for 30 minutes.

From Monday through Friday, the parking lot rate remains $8 for cars, with 2-hour free validated parking if you are visiting a county office for business purposes.

Commissioners’ Chairman Mike Sofranko said that while weekends will be more expensive, the goal is to generate revenue from visitors to the county who flock to Jim Thorpe on weekends, while trying to keep the rates steady for residents who use the lot for work during the week. The money collected from parking fees goes to help with parking lot paving projects at county properties like Mauch Chunk Lake Park, as well as to support operations at the lake and the train station and Josiah White Park.

“What we’re trying to do as commissioners is take what is a revenue source to offset the cost to the taxpayers here in the county,” Sofranko said earlier this month when the commissioners voted to advertise the parking fee changes.