Archived News Release from 2005

For Immediate Release

City Council to Discuss Downtown Parking Management Plan at June 6 Meeting

Redwood City, CA - June 2 , 2005 - For over a year, Redwood City staff have been studying the potential impact that the new retail-cinema project will have on Downtown parking patterns, and are now ready to present the Council with recommendations contained in the Downtown Parking Management Plan. This plan will be presented at the Council meeting on Monday, June 6, 2005. The meeting begins at 7 pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road.

The Council will not be taking any action on the plan at this meeting – rather, the meeting’s purpose is for the Council to provide input and direction related to the plan, which staff will incorporate and bring back to the Council in July for consideration of implementation. The public is invited and encouraged to attend and bring their questions and comments. Council meetings are also broadcast on cable within Redwood City on RCN (channel 26) and Comcast (channel 27).

It’s estimated that the new retail-cinema complex will draw over well over one million new Downtown visits per year, and of course there are significant parking needs associated with that influx. There are a great many economic and community benefits to be derived from the opening of the retail-cinema complex, but Downtown’s current parking management system was not designed to handle the new parking patterns that will occur. The Downtown Parking Management Plan is designed to fully address this imminent situation.

The Plan itself is the result of a great deal of work and research by City staff, including review of academic studies, and parking strategies used elsewhere, review of the latest in parking technology and tools, consultation with parking experts, and discussions with local cities about their approaches to downtown parking issues. Additionally, multiple workshops were held with Downtown stakeholders to gain a complete perspective of their needs and desired solutions.

The goal of the City’s research and outreach was to craft a workable program that will ensure adequate parking spaces, good urban design, and sensitivity to both Downtown visitors and businesses. The Plan and associated documents are available online (by Friday morning, June 3rd).

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, and City government.

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Contact:
Dan Zack
Downtown Development Manager
650-780- 7363