Parking
What’s New?
Effective January 2, 2023 the following changes will be implemented:
- Increase meter rates from $.25 to $.50 for Meter Zone A (Periphery zone)
- Expand meter hours to 8 am – 8 pm
- Jefferson Garage – parkers continue to get the first 1.5 hours free or 4 hours with theater validation, increase non-peak hourly rate from $.25/hour to $1/hour to match the current rate for Marshall Garage
- Add Juneteenth (June 19) as a holiday
There will be no change to monthly permit rates, Meter Zone B (Core zone) hourly parking rates, or the peak hour rates in the City garages.
Why the change? To reduce General Fund subsidy of the parking program, which preserves General Fund revenues for core City services, and to better manage parking throughout the downtown, the City Council of Redwood City approved at their October 24, 2022 meeting several changes to the Downtown Parking Program.
TRYING TO FIND PARKING? WE HAVE AN APP FOR THAT!
Download the Cleverciti parking app for up to date parking information in downtown Redwood City.
Downtown Parking Guidance System Project
In December 2020, the City Council approved a contract with project vendor, Cleverciti , for a new Parking Guidance System project. The project was designed in partnership between the Redwood City Improvement Association and the City of Redwood City, and will provide real-time parking information and guidance to visitors to Redwood City’s Downtown. The project involved the installation of parking sensors and digital signs throughout the Downtown. The signs will consist of several small format circular signs on light poles, to guide downtown patrons to available parking. Additionally, five large format gateway signs will be installed at entrances to the greater downtown area, to provide advance parking information to visitors. The locations of the gateway signs will be Veterans near Middlefield, Veterans near Maple, Broadway near Maple, Broadway at El Camino Real, and the Jefferson undercrossing of the railroad tracks. All sigs will provide real-time parking information so parkers can quickly and efficiently identify where parking is available at that time.
Initial construction will start at the library parking lots and the downtown garages. The impacts to the public will be minimal and only limit access to a handful of parking spaces at a time. The construction will progress through all downtown parking lots and a few central streets. No road closures are anticipated at this time. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of July.
For more information or any questions please contact Christian Hammack, Parking and TDM Manager, at chammack@redwoodcity.org.
ADA-FRIENDLY PARKING: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) allows any person with a valid placard to park on-street or in any surface lot without having to pay a meter or be limited in duration. This applies to both designated ADA spaces and any standard parking spaces. However, anyone parking in the City garages, including those with ADA placards, must pay a parking fee. Throughout the downtown you will find many designated ADA spaces for use by anyone with a valid ADA placard.
VALIDATION: Patrons of the Century 20 Downtown Redwood City movie theater receive four hours of free parking in the Marshall Street Garage, the Jefferson Garage, and the lower levels of Crossing 900 (Box) with a validation from Century Theater.
HOLIDAY PARKING: Parking is FREE for on-street parking spaces and in the surface parking lots on holidays only. Parking is not free on holidays in the parking garages.
Recognized Holidays/Festivals
- New Years Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Presidents’ Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- July 4th
- Labor Day
- Veteran’s Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
- Redwood City’s Salsa Festival
- Downtown Redwood City’s Hometown Holidays
Parking Meters
Redwood City’s downtown area features both standard parking meters and pay-by-space meters. For spots that use pay-by-space meters, you can use any meter in the City to pay using your space number.
You can pay for pay-by-space parking with cash or a credit card. Go here for parking meter pay instructions.
To report meter problems call:
- (650) 780-7498 (pay-on-exit and pay-by-space meters)
- (650) 780-7464 (standard meters)
If you’re a frequent downtown parker, click here for more information about monthly parking permits.