New parking spots added to downtown: Crossing 900 building now open in downtown Redwood City

Rates will be $2.50 an hour Mondays through Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The public can access the garage on Fridays from 5 p.m. to midnight and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. until midnight. The rate to park in the garage will be 25 cents an hour after 11 p.m.

With validation from the Century movie theater, parking is free for four hours.

The city has also recently modified parking hours on Broadway.

In October, the City Council approved an amendment to the parking ordinance to limit parking on Broadway between Main Street and El Camino Real to two hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pricing, however, did not change.

The ordinance officially went into effect Nov. 26 but enforcement of the time limit will not begin until Jan. 1, 2016, as Councilman Jeff Gee suggested at an earlier council meeting.

The move was praised by many merchants on Broadway who say the new rules will create greater turnover of the parking spaces which will in turn make it easier for shoppers to visit the area’s retailers.

Some who work in downtown park on Broadway now for the full day.

Fox Theatre owner Eric Lochtefeld, who sits on a city parking committee, said it was crucial to reach out to office workers in the area to make sure they are aware of the new rule.

Early on, warnings will be placed on cars that violate the rule until police enforcement officially begins.

“As our lively downtown neighborhood continues to grow, it’s crucial that our visitors can easily access all we have to offer,” Lochtefeld, the Redwood City Improvement Association’s president, wrote in a statement.

Currently, there are about 4,000 parking spaces in Downtown Redwood City. Below are the newest parking-related actions that were announced this month:

• 900 new downtown parking spaces are available for the public to utilize on week nights and weekends at the new Box headquarters (Crossing 900 building);

• Free parking in all public lots before 10 a.m. and on weekends — in select areas;

• New two-hour parking limit on Broadway between El Camino Real and Main Street from 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays;

• An 88-space garage at 815 Hamilton St. to be open to the public on weeknights and weekends, set to open in the fall of 2017; and

• New parking meters to be installed, equipment upgrades to be made and brand new digital signs at city-owned parking garages to be implemented to inform drivers of how many spots are available at the garages.

In addition to these new parking improvements, the Redwood City Improvement Association also has valet parking available at different locations:

• Redwood City Library, Friday and Saturday nights; and

• The corner next to Sakura Teppanyaki & Sushi, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Please visit visitRWC.org for more information about the Redwood City Improvement Association.