PASO ROBLES — On February 21, the Paso Robles City Council approved updates to the downtown parking program which will take effect March 1.

The following is a summary of the updates:

All patrons will be provided two free hours of parking per day (a license plate must be entered prior to receiving free parking);
The rate will increase to $2 per hour after the free two hours; which reflects an increase of $1 per hour from the previous rate;
A new mobile app will be launched to replace the WaytoPark app; existing WaytoPark users will be notified of how to transfer account information to the new app once it is launched;
Customers can pay or start their parking sessions using:
- The new Flowbird mobile application or
- The new Pay by Text feature (no app needed) or
- Any of the 34 pay stations (Cash is accepted at 3 pay stations in Downtown)
All downtown parking signs will be updated with the new information;
How to guides and videos are being created and will be released to the public to assist with commonly asked questions regarding use of the mobile application, kiosks and parking locations (free, paid, permit).

There are no proposed changes to the Senior Downtown Parking Permit Program at this time. The annual Senior Downtown Parking Permits will go on sale starting March 1. Seniors 65 and older can purchase a permit for $30 per year. Permits are valid from April 1 – March 31. With the Senior Permit, seniors can park in any paid parking space Downtown without payment.