The city of Pasadena has begun installing parking meters in its Playhouse Village as part of an expansion of paid street parking in that neighborhood.
Don’t worry, the new rates don’t take effect until January.
Last year, the Pasadena City Council voted to expand the boundaries of the Playhouse parking meter zone and to start an escalated parking meter rate. Playhouse Village includes major Pasadena businesses, including Vroman’s Bookstore, Urth Caffé and Landmark Theatres.
“The current overlapping demands from employees, customers, buses, delivery vehicles and food pickup services create severe constraints on limited curb space,” Playhouse Village Association President/CEO Brian Wallace said in an email.
“Paid parking is one tool to help balance the needs for customer and business access.”
Vroman’s Pasadena CEO Julia Cowlishaw, who also serves as a volunteer commissioner on the Pasadena Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Advisory Commission, said street parking has been convenient for their neighbors, customers and employees
“We see the paid street parking as an inevitable change for the Playhouse Village,” Cowlishaw said.
The parking zone has been separated into two sections: Zone A (high demand area) and Zone B (lower demand area). Zone A covers areas with high parking demand, ensuring turnover and availability for short-term visitors. Zone B will offer more affordable rates for longer stays.
Zone A includes Colorado Boulevard and Green Street, between Madison and Hudson avenues, as well as Madison, El Molino and Oak Knoll avenues between Union and Green streets. Hudson between Union and Colorado is also included in Zone A.
In a two-hour plus zone, the escalating rate model would have a base cost for the initial two hours, and if a driver chooses to stay for an additional hour, there would be an increased cost per hour.
The city provided the example of the first two hours in Zone A being $2 and the third hour being $3. By comparison, the first two hours in Zone B would be $1.25 with the third hour costing $2.
“Paid street parking will increase turnover of prime parking sites for better availability, particularly for local customers, and will allow visitors to park for longer than the current 1-hour limit to maximize their time, enjoyment, and ability to frequent multiple businesses,” Wallace said.
Crews will continue installing new multi-space pay stations along sidewalks throughout October and November ahead of the changes taking effect. Between now and the new year, the equipment will be tested but no payment will be required, according to the city.
City crews will be testing for functionality and network services, which will include ensuring that the Green Street pay station solar panels get sufficient sunlight.
The stations will feature pay-by-app, allowing people to pay via smartphone or credit card. Changes to the parking system, according to the city, will benefit the Playhouse Village by supporting ongoing maintenance and upgrades to parking infrastructure, enhanced pedestrian and streetscape amenities, funding for local mobility programs and contributions to neighborhood beautification and public safety initiatives.
Local businesses within the parking meter zone will not receive a percentage of the revenue from parking. Funding will remain in the Playhouse Parking Meter Fund and the Pasadena Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Advisory Commission will make recommendations to City Council on how net revenues are spent.
“Although Playhouse Village is the last area in Pasadena’s downtown area to adopt paid street parking, it should help provide a more predictable and comparable experience that visitors have come to know in other parts of the city, the LA area and indeed around the country and the world,” Wallace said.
“It’s one further step to help manage demand and provide unique benefits to the area like the employee parking opportunities as well as enhanced parking and pedestrian experiences, making Playhouse Village an even more attractive and enjoyable experience,” Wallace said.
For more information, visit cityofpasadena.net.