This past May, the City of Orlando and the Orlando Police Department suddenly decided to restrict city parking garages after 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. At the time, City Hall defended the move by saying it was part of its ongoing efforts to fight crime downtown and shift the district away from late-night bar uses.
The City of Orlando quietly put the new policy into play on May 10, 2024, without any real public announcements, leaving downtown goers and business operators both scratching their heads as cars were being turned away from downtown garages without warning.
Businesses immediately reported a drastic drop in patrons and took to social media to challenge the new policy.
But just as suddenly and quietly as the policy was put into play, it has evaporated like it never happened. Downtown visitors can now use city parking garages as they were before, with no restrictions after 11 p.m.
According to the Public Information Officer, Orlando Police abandoned the restrictions that same month, soon after they launched.
They must have forgotten to tell anyone about it.