Free parking is coming to some parking lots in downtown Chico this summer.
The city council made the decision Tuesday. They’re hoping it will encourage more people to come downtown.
The free parking will be for two hours in long-term city lots only. It will start in July and run through September, though the council will have the option to extend it through the end of year.
Brendan Ottoboni, the city’s public works engineering director, said the city is working on putting up signs that direct people where to park.
“That's definitely a prudent thing to do to improve accessibility and knowledge of where lots are and parking opportunities,” Ottoboni said, “so that people can be patrons of downtown.”
The idea of free parking has surfaced repeatedly in council discussions over the years.
The current pilot program was brought forward by the Downtown Chico Property-Based Improvement District (PBID), which says free parking could help boost local businesses.
But some people at the meeting doubted how effective it’ll be. That included Jesse Horgan, parking services manager at Chico State.
“Free parking does not eliminate the need to improve the environment downtown, to improve safety, to improve lighting, to improve sidewalks, to make it a more fun place to hang out,” Horgan said.
But council members ultimately decided the potential benefits outweighed the cost. They directed staff to return in the fall with a report on whether the program is working.
