Free Weekend Parking at City Garages
*UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, THE WEEKENDS FREE PILOT HAS BEEN EXTENDED; CHECK BACK SOON FOR MORE INFO!
The Gates Are Up On Weekends!
Until further notice, public parking is free in the two 5-story parking garages in Downtown San Rafael, all weekend long! These parking garages are near 4th & A Street and 4th & C Street. The "free weekend parking" pilot program is for the A Street and C Street garages only and does not apply to surface lots or parking meters. Look for the new, blue parking wayfinding signs or check out this map.
The Downtown Parking/Wayfinding Study, completed in Fall 2017, indicated that the Downtown parking reality isn't as challenging as many believe it to be. Without a doubt, occupancy rates are high (at around 90% for 4th Street meters during much of the day). However, the A Street and C Street garages located in the core of the Downtown San Rafael, have plenty of empty parking spaces.
The Downtown Parking/Wayfinding Study included significant public outreach. A Community Working Group was convened for 8 months to discuss the draft final report. Through outreach & discussions, one of many recommendations was a 6-month pilot program to provide free parking in the A Street and C Street Garages on Saturdays--thus providing free parking all weekend long, since Sunday is already free. The goal of this pilot program is to increase awareness of garage parking as a cheap, easy, and guaranteed parking option: no stress required! Here's our new motto: “For a Change, Try a Garage.”
Thank you to all who helped bring this project together, including our stakeholders groups, community members, the BID, City staff & local vendors.
