A customer-focused approach to downtown parking.

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Purpose

The Park & Go Initiative is a PBID effort to support Downtown Chico businesses by making the parking experience simpler and more customer focused. Local businesses are facing increased competition, changing customer patterns, and growing public perceptions that can discourage visits to the downtown district. While parking is not the only factor affecting downtown activity, it is one of the most frequently mentioned barriers from customers and businesses.

Chico has substantial parking capacity, but the experience of payment kiosks, parking rules, and uncertainty about how the system works can create friction for customers, particularly those making short visits to shop, dine, or run errands.

The Park & Go Initiative is intended to help reduce that friction and support downtown economic vitality through two connected efforts:

1. A temporary parking pilot program designed to remove common barriers and make it easier for residents and visitors to park and enjoy Downtown Chico as a “shot in the arm” and test.

2. A broader conversation about what customer-focused parking in Downtown Chico could look like in the future, including potential improvements to parking management, signage, technology, and infrastructure.

 

Together, these efforts are intended to help ensure that downtown parking supports the success of local businesses and continues to serve Downtown Chico as the heart of our community.

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Park & Go – Downtown Parking Pilot

Working with the City of Chico, the PBID Parking Committee has proposed a short-term downtown parking pilot program that removes common barriers to parking while maintaining responsible management of parking spaces. The goal is simple: make it easy to park and enjoy Downtown Chico.

 

Proposed Pilot Program

The PBID Parking Committee has recommended a three-month parking pilot program designed to improve customer access to downtown businesses.

Key Elements

• First two hours of parking free

• No kiosk interaction required

• No registration or mobile app required

• Time limits enforced to maintain turnover

• The pilot would focus on the core downtown commercial district (Zone A) including:

  • 1st Street – 5th Street

  • Salem Street – Wall Street

  • First floor of the Downtown Parking Structure

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If approved by the City Council, PBID will support the pilot through a “Be Our Guest” media campaign inviting residents, students, and visitors to rediscover Downtown Chico. The campaign highlights the beauty, character, and businesses of the district and encourages the community to “Park and Walk” downtown to explore shops, restaurants, and gathering places.

Through partnerships with local media, the campaign is expected to generate significant public awareness and encourage new visitation valued at over $50,000.

Expected Outcomes

The Park & Go initiative is designed to:

1. Remove friction from the parking experience

2. Encourage short visits to downtown businesses

3. Protect retail turnover in core parking areas

4. Reinforce positive perceptions of downtown

5. Support business retention and economic vitality

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Long-Term Conversations: A Customer-Focused Parking Strategy

 

The Park & Go pilot program is intended to be more than a short-term parking adjustment. It provides an opportunity for the City, PBID, and downtown stakeholders to begin a deeper conversation about how parking can better support downtown economic vitality.

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The goal is to move from “pay-to-park” to “managed access” focused on the customer, removing friction and perception for many of the customers parking downtown. There will be concern about “student” parking in places intended for customers however with possibly a revised management model with the customer in mind and testing in the summer this could minimize that concern. Parking needs to become an economic vitality tool. Other cities such as Redwood City, Pasadena, Ventura, Napa, Boise, Fayetteville (University Town) have remodeled their downtown parking to focus on customers most using a Ripple Model, such as the Case Study in Fort Collins, Co.