Council Approved Pricing and Program Modifications to Parking Programs

Published on December 01, 2021

City Council has recently approved pricing and program modifications to its Employee Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) programs to better align parking fees with transportation and mobility goals, and to incentivize employee garage and lot use over parking in adjacent neighborhoods. Additionally, as the City strives to minimize the environmental impacts of single-occupancy vehicle driving, parking pricing needs also to relate to transit pricing and other peer municipalities’ parking prices. The adopted increases (see following), compare reasonably with other monthly and annual municipal public parking rates in the region, as well as with Caltrain pricing, and will become active for the new permit cycles in 2022.

Current Employee RPP permit holders are encouraged to purchase an off-street parking permit as soon as possible. Additional permits will be made available in the off-street parking garages and surface lots within the University and California Avenue commercial districts to accommodate these adjustments.

New Off-Street Parking Garage and Surface Lot Rates

University Ave. District employee parking permits: 

• Per Quarter Rate: $225.00 / Full Annual Rate: $900.00 / Reduced Rate: 75% off* 

California Ave. District employee parking permits:

• Per Quarter Rate: $162.50 / Full Annual Rate: $650.00 / Reduced Rate: 75% off* 

Please contact Revenue Collections, beginning December 6, by phone at (650) 329-2317 or e-mail RevColl@cityofpaloalto.org, for availability of off-street parking permits.

New Sales Cycle for On-Street Employee Parking

A new sales cycle for Employee RPP permits in Downtown, Evergreen Park-Mayfield, and Southgate will begin in January, with sales starting in December. On-Street permits are available online for sale as of December 6.

Go to the RPP Payment Portal

New Employee RPP Rates

Downtown RPP employee parking permits:

• Six-Month Rate: $525.00 / Reduced Rate: 75% off*

Evergreen Park-Mayfield and Southgate RPP employee permits:

• Six-Month Rate: $375.00 / Reduced Rate: 75% off*

As the City is also transitioning to digital permits, beginning with this new employee permit sales cycle, employee permits will be vehicle specific and no longer transferable, and daily RPP employee permits will also be eliminated. Visitors are advised to park in a public parking garage or surface lot where available. Daily permits for these locations are available at pay stations in select locations or from Revenue Collections at City Hall.

*Individuals earning less than $50,000 per year qualify for reduced rates. Proof of income required.