The following message has been provided by the San Bruno Police Department on June 5, 2024:
Hello San Bruno.
We are pleased to announce several updates to our paid parking program, effective today, aimed at further improving your parking experience in our community.
New Short-Term Parking Option
In response to community feedback, we are introducing a new 20-minute parking option for 75 cents for on-street parking. This shorter-term option is designed to accommodate quick visits, such as picking up an order or running a brief errand. Please note that this option is available exclusively at the parking kiosks and not through the app or QR code. Unfortunately, the transaction fees associated with app or QR code payments make it impractical to offer this lower-cost option through those channels, as passing these fees along to the customer would negate the value of this short-term parking.
Pre-Payment Capability
Additionally, we are implementing a feature that allows you to pre-pay for parking. This means that if you arrive before the paid parking period begins but plan to stay into the paid parking hours, you can pay in advance at the kiosk. This enhancement aims to provide greater convenience and flexibility, ensuring you do not need to return to a kiosk to pay once the paid parking timeframe begins.
Program Achievements and Ongoing Evaluation
As stated in our previous communication, while the program is still early in its rollout, it is currently achieving its core objectives. These objectives, part of a City Council Strategic Initiative and stemming from the 2019 Downtown Parking Study, include increasing parking turnover on the Avenue, encouraging longer-term parkers to utilize City parking lots, and maintaining an 85% occupancy rate for on-street parking. Any potential adjustments to the program will be carefully analyzed to minimize unintended consequences that could compromise these successes.
City staff have been working on these changes for weeks, based on meaningful feedback from business owners who generally support this program and want to see it succeed. We will continue to evaluate the available data and make adjustments as appropriate. However, it is important to give the program time for parking behaviors and data to normalize, ensuring our decisions are driven by competent, informed analysis.
We appreciate the community’s ongoing support and feedback as we strive to make downtown San Bruno a more accessible and vibrant place for everyone.