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1. Do I have to use the pay station closest to my car?

No. You may pay for any numbered parking space at any of the pay stations. Simply go to the nearest one on the way to your destination.

2. Do I have to put a receipt on my dash?

No. The receipt will show your expiration time and parking space, so you can check it to see when the payment expires. It is also handy to have your parking space number for adding time if you need to extend your visit.

3. Do I have to go back to the original pay station to extend time?

No. You can go to any pay station in downtown and add time to the space.

4. How is the City enforcing the pay stations?

The enforcement personnel is carrying handheld equipment that shows which parking stalls are paid for and which aren't. When they get to the beginning of a block they check to see which stalls are paid for and which ones are not. If a non-paid stall has a vehicle in it, a citation will be issued.

5. Where is the free parking?

All of the off-street parking lots will remain free as well as all of Santa Clara Street, Poli Street, Thompson Boulevard, and the side streets south of Santa Clara Street. New signage will direct customers to free parking areas. In addition, there are several free motorcycle parking spots around the downtown.

6. I am disabled and can’t walk from the free parking areas. How is the City going to accommodate my needs?

All on-street parking is free and without time restrictions for anyone who has an accessible parking placard or accessible license plate issued by the State of California.

7. I am a resident and live in or adjacent to the downtown core area where the parking pay stations are placed. People are parking in front of my house so they don’t have to pay. How can I address that?

This is a concern that the City shares. As a part of the program, the City Council has set up a program for residents to obtain a residential parking permit. This allows residents to park on-street as they did before if they have limited on-site parking at their residence. The permits will be issued for a 2-year period and can be obtained at City Hall in the Engineering Office. Up to 2 permits are allowed per unit.

8. Is there enough parking in the Downtown area?

There is! As a part of the Downtown Specific Plan we looked at this issue and found that there always has been and continues to be enough parking Downtown for current and near-future needs. We have a plan in place to ensure that we provide enough parking as the Downtown continues to grow through future public-private partnerships that will add structured parking as it is needed.

The City is currently working on preliminary planning on new structured parking and is looking at 3 potential sites.