The City of Paso Robles is beginning the process of implementing paid parking downtown. This process includes the installation of parking pay stations and associated signage, a practice period with free parking, and the launch of paid parking downtown.
This week the City will begin the installation of the pay stations and signage; parking downtown will remain free, however, until the target launch of paid parking on August 14. Paid parking will be implemented from 10th Street to 14th Street and from Spring Street to Pine Street. Spring Street will only have paid parking on the east side between 12th Street and 10th Street. There will also be a merchant validation program to enable customers downtown to validate parking with participating businesses and to encourage businesses to use the validation process as a way to help build customer service and loyalty.
A number of free parking locations will also remain available, such as along 14th Street, Railroad Street, Pine Street south of 10th Street, the west side of Spring Street, and within certain public parking lots.
The goal of the paid parking program is to create more convenient on-street parking availability for customers, residents, and visitors by encouraging employees to participate in the City’s downtown business permit parking program, which reserves parking spaces for permit holders in five public parking lots downtown. After a six-month employee permit parking pilot program from December of 2018 through May of 2019, the City found that a large number of employees were still utilizing on-street parking in front of businesses, thereby precluding visitor and customer parking. The paid parking program has been customized for Paso Robles to offer a customer-friendly program that will improve the overall parking experience downtown.
Prior to the launch of paid parking, there will be a practice period where visitors can begin to use the pay stations. Parking will remain free during the practice period. The intention of the practice period is to allow the public to get familiarized with the technology before paid parking is introduced. The City encourages those who park downtown to practice entering their license plate number into the pay stations. During this time the City will be offering training sessions and providing information about an upcoming merchant validation program, the permit parking program, and a new mobile application.
Employees who have not yet signed up for a downtown parking permit are encouraged to do so before the launch of paid parking. The downtown employee parking permit will remain at $5 per month. The City will make adjustments to the permit parking supply based on demand.
Once paid parking is launched, parking will be free for the first two hours, followed by a $1 per hour rate. Pay stations will require payment between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Offering two hours of free parking is a customer convenience that will provide customers downtown with the ability to park short-term free of charge, while allowing them the ability to stay longer, without a time limit, for a very modest fee. Drivers will input their license plate number into the pay station or mobile application to initiate a parking session. Each license plate number will be eligible for two free hours of parking per day.
Moviegoers at the Park Cinemas will also be able to watch their full movie, eat at a downtown restaurant, and shop, without having to pay for parking, thanks to a special program being jointly offered by Park Cinemas, the City, and Paso Robles Main Street.
To learn more about parking in downtown Paso Robles, visit www.prcity.com/361/Downtown-Parking or email parking@prcity.com.
