Riverside to unveil downtown parking program

Riverside will introduce a downtown parking program this summer that will allow up to 90 minutes of free parking per day.

Scheduled to begin July 1, “Parking Your Way” will apply to street parking spaces with meters as well as public parking lots and parking garages, according to a statement on the city’s website.

Patrons will be able to use the Park Riverside smartphone app to find 30-minute free parking in an on-street metered space and free 60-minute parking in a public parking lot or garage. Anyone without a smartphone may pay with cash or a debit/credit card.

The city council approved the program last month.

“Parking Your Way mixes the latest innovations in technology with a traditional commitment to customer service,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in the statement. “These changes will make parking downtown easier for everyone, regardless of how you choose to access the new system.”

The council approval of “Parking Your Way” came after the parking services division conducted public surveys, held town hall community meetings, and met with downtown stakeholder groups to determine what the public expected from a downtown parking program, according to the statement.

For more information and to get notified when the app becomes available, visit the city of Riverside website.