Parking for Downtown Employees
If you are a Downtown employee, BID asks that you do NOT park at the prime metered parking spaces in the heart of Downtown. These spaces should be for customers, not employees.
Consider riding a bike to work, walking, or taking the Main Ave Trolley or the City buses. All buses are FREE in summer, and only cost $1 per ride in other months. Riders can also get a monthly pass for only $30 a month or $1 per day.
If you have to drive to work, the most affordable way to park Downtown is to purchase a monthly pass for any of the four City lots Downtown. These passes cost only $30 (or $1 per day) and are discounted by 15% when you buy three months or more. The three lots on E. 2nd Ave fill up quickly each workday morning, but the Transit Center lot ALWAYS has available spaces. If walking from the Transit Center to your business does not work for you, the City also sells a parking permit for ANY metered space on Narrow Gauge Avenue for $75 per month. NEW - all-day passes for the Transit Center are now available for only $5 and are good Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.
If you have to drive and park at a meter, do not park at a meter on Main Avenue or on a cross street in front of your shop or your neighbor's shop. Instead, park off Main where it is cheaper. Look for the 10 hour meters on the edges of Downtown. Save the prime parking for customers of our Downtown businesses. See the City's website for the location of the 10 hour meters. Many of the 10 hour meters only cost 50 cents an hour! These meters are located on the 1300 block of Main, both sides of 13th Street just north of Buckley Park; 7th, 8th and 9th Streets between Narrow Gauge and Camino del Rio; and the 400 block of E. 2nd Ave.
The parking meters only need to be paid Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. Weeknights afer 6 pm and all day on weekends are free.
The City parking lots are also free after 5 pm on weekdays and all day on weekends.