In theory, I’m fine with the concept of downtown parking meters. Even so, while I realize things have changed since I was a kid in downtown Redding, I confess I miss the parking meters of my youth: one for every parking space, complete with coin slots. I even miss the former “meter maids”—so called because they were usually women – who buzzed around in three-wheeled carts wielding sticks of chalk to mark tires.
And as long as I’m confessing, I’ll admit that there have been times, when deciding where to meet someone for lunch, that an establishment with free parking sometimes influences the coin toss between downtown or elsewhere.
It’s not that I mind paying $1 an hour for the downtown Redding parking system that went into effect in January of 2023. My biggest complaint is the hassle factor. My nature is to rarely arrive anywhere in a leisurely fashion. Instead, I tend to screech in barely on time by the seat of my pants. That’s why, one of the things I love about living near downtown Redding is that it only takes a few minutes to drive nearly anywhere downtown. The exception is if I’m stuck at a crossing waiting for a passing train, which is why I usually rely upon the Eureka Way overpass, rather than take a chance on a street that crosses the railroad tracks.
On Jan. 20, I left my house around 1:22 p.m. for a 1:30 meeting near the downtown Redding Public Market. No problem. Five minutes later I’d successfully zipped into a parking spot in the big corner lot at California and Placer streets, with three whole minutes to spare. I had a decision: Should I spend my precious few remaining minutes dealing with the rigmarole of the parking kiosk hoops — which would guarantee that I would arrive late for my meeting — or should I skip the kiosk, head straight to my meeting and risk getting a ticket?
I lived dangerously that day and chose Door No. 2. I ignored the parking kiosk and made it to my meeting on time. When I returned, I found a parking citation beneath my windshield wiper. I paid the $24.50 parking fine, but wished a system existed where I could voluntarily pay a nominal annual fee — say $24.50 — for a year’s worth of hassle-free parking.
I expect that the city might scoff and claim that $24.50 isn’t nearly enough for an annual parking pass, but I say that on balance, it’s about critical mass. It would benefit the downtown businesses and the city if more people had annual voluntary parking passes that allowed them to forego the kiosks.
I suppose I should be grateful that this is my first parking citation in a long time. Over several years of attending many court hearings and Shasta County Supervisor meetings, I discovered that the best parking deal is inside the county parking structure on West and Tehama streets, which has some of the few remaining old timey coin-fed parking meters. Although I always dutifully plunked quarters into the meters upon arrival, that was the first and last time I paid for each visit. Even during some of the marathon board meetings, I never left a meeting to replenish the meters. Instead, I stayed put, and Lady Luck was always with me because I never got a ticket.
Now, I suppose, like someone with a lead foot who rarely gets a speeding ticket, I was long overdue for a parking citation.
The thing is, even when I’m not running late, I’m not a fan of the downtown Redding parking kiosk payment system, and I am not alone. Not by a long shot. In the summer people stand in front of the uncovered kiosks, squinting into the sun as they try to read the glaring screen and follow the directions.
Such was the case for Reyna Feusi, who had a small window of time to kill between appointments Tuesday, and decided to head downtown. Feusi said this was about the third time so far this month she’s paid to park downtown.
“It’s not that I mind paying for parking,” she said, “But it’s not always easy. Like now, it’s not letting me put the letters in … OK … I’ve got it.”
Feusi said she appreciates downtown’s improvements, but she doesn’t like the parking hassles, nor attempts to navigate which areas offer free parking, and which areas don’t.
“I went to Gather one day, and I told them, ‘Oh, I don’t like paying for parking,’ and they said, ‘Did you see our free parking spaces in the back?’ ”
“So that’s good for them, but I notice that the restaurant across from them has paid parking. And I’ve been coming down here for the vintage shop on the corner, and I was thinking, ‘OK, I could park at Gather, and could walk over here really quick because I just wanted to check on one thing, but that doesn’t seem fair to Gather, you know?”
Yes, I do know, because I’ve struggled with that moral parking dilemma myself.
While Feusi typed her vehicle information into the kiosk on an unseasonably warm March day, it wasn’t that many weeks ago when it was pouring rain, which left people to stand in miserable, inclement weather as they used one hand to hold an umbrella, and the other to fish out their credit card and pray they they remembered their car’s license plate number.
Tuesday afternoon I spent some time in downtown Redding. I parked on the 6th level of the 6-floor parking garage, which offers some of the best views of downtown Redding and the surrounding hillsides.
Mine was the only car on the 6th level at that time. For that matter, there were no parked cars on the 5th and 4th levels, either.
The 4th, 5th and 6th floors of California/Tehama streets downtown parking garage were all empty Tuesday afternoon.
The first level had a few dozen parked vehicles, including reserved parking designated for Shasta College students and faculty.
There were approximately a dozen vehicles each on both the 2nd and 3rd levels.
But the top three empty levels were so vast and spacious that I thought they would be great locations for special events, since nobody was using them anyway. Just imagine: weddings, farmers markets, even concerts, all sheltered from overhead elements.
The 6th floor of the downtown parking garage on Tehama and California streets offers a view of the new Shasta County Superior Courthouse.
This was my first time parking inside the garage, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was easier than I expected.
A credit card was required for entry. Once approved, the machine spit out a flimsy paper parking voucher.
It didn’t say so on the voucher, but make sure to save it for exiting the garage (or you can also use the credit card again).
The voucher can be scanned for validation inside the Public Market near the Bantum Kitchen restaurant, which discounts the parking fee. Just hold the bar code over the red light located on top of the machine.
An elevator is available on each parking garage level. However, yesterday the first-level elevator was out of commission for a while, which meant walking up to the 2nd level to catch a ride to my 6th level. No big deal.
On the other hand, for many North Staters, the downtown Redding parking situation is a very big, very controversial deal. I know so because I posted a downtown Redding parking question on the Redding Crime and Community Alert/Shasta County and was blown away by hundreds of passionate comments.
At last count there were 324 comments, most of which criticized Redding’s downtown parking system, complete with detailed explanations.
Majority of Facebook commenters blast downtown Redding parking
Here’s a sample of the Facebook feedback, starting with some pro-paid-parking comments:
Danielle Benson: I’m not sure why everyone freaks out to pay $1 or so to park everywhere in America charges for parking lol. Let’s be thankful it’s so cheap and gives us more options to park.
Angela Nicole: If you go to the new Redding market you can get one hour validated I believe. There are only a few cars ever when I park there so it’s always good parking.
When I visit my brother in SF parking is insane and expensive so this really is nothing in comparison. If nothing else I’m at least glad we have the option if there are events down town I want to go to parking can get crazy.
Johanna Anderson: I’m downtown at least once a week, sometimes more. I don’t mind paying to park, but it is a hassle. But honestly what isn’t these days? PS: Don’t forget that parking is FREE after 6 PM!
Kay Weitz: I’m seeing a lot of negative Nancy’s have already, so I hesitate to comment- but here goes: I’ve lived downtown for over twenty years, and can honestly say that the parking garages have alleviated any issues we had previously. Parking in the garages is easy (and safe!), and when I once had to call their customer service the live representative could not have been more prompt or helpful and resolved my issue immediately. Our family enjoys visiting the new whistle stop park for events like Halloween or live concerts, and despite having huge crowds- there’s been very little issues as a result of the increased availability when I compare to previous years in the past. I highly encourage naysayers to come join in the fun and give downtown parking another chance and gently remind everyone that it’s all relative- people complaining here have clearly never lived in a major city where parking is often prohibitively expensive and difficult to access. I think that increased traffic is one of the growing pains that comes with wonderful additions like the new public market space downtown, and Redding seems to be acclimating well to those changes comparatively. I do not miss the days of hiking through zombie town near leatherby’s to get to the Christmas parade (iykyk)!
Taylor Howell: People here are so stubborn, it’s really sad. Downtown is nice now. There’s plenty of amenities and things to do. You can see a change if you drive through on friday or saturday evening. All the lots are brimming. If you want to complain about $1, go ahead, but you’re missing out. And again, paid parking is not a Redding idea to rip off the people. Paid parking exists in dense areas of development all across the world. And if the charge bothers you that much, there are unpaid parking spots throughout downtown that only require an extra block or two of walking – think having to park at the edge of the walmart parking lot. People here just like to complain. Full stop.
Mark Anthony Herrera: You guys wanted a fancy downtown. Pay for the parking.
The positive comments were in the clear minority, as the anti-paid-parking comments far outnumbered the positive comments.
Christine Mitchell: When I visit Redding I try to stay away from downtown. It is too much of a hassle. Because I am a cranky senior citizen, I wouldn’t mind if they were the old parking meters that you put quarters in.
Sara Parsons: The fact you have to walk quite a ways to a meter is beyond annoying and not at all convenient. Can we talk about how they ruined California street, as well, with the ridiculous bike lanes that I’ve never once seen being used?!
Mark Havsgaard: 1. You need a phone capable of using the app. 2. Parking enforcement does not follow their own rules and parks otherwise sidewalk. 3.They went forward with new paid parking garage despite input from the public and businesses located downtown.
Photo source: Mark Havsgaard.
Margaret Garland Carrel: It sucks! 2hr maximum outside the courthouse. What a moneymaker! If you’re not able to get up and leave court to go feed your meter you automatically get a ticket! Yay!
Heather Phillips: I have thoughts regarding the absence of disability parking at the court house. Court house says it’s the city who is responsible. The only handicapped parking is up hill (in the garage behind the old courthouse) and is a significant burden and danger to those in wheelchairs.
Sara Snyder: Its definitely worse now that the public market is open. Those of us working downtown have to fight for parking and you definitely can’t leave for lunch because you may not find a spot when you get back.
Victoria Lundgren: We just don’t go anymore. The cost for parking isn’t nearly as bad as trying to find where to pay and figure out how to pay. Being well into our 70s it’s just not something we want to do. My hairdresser is downtown but they have their own parking lot or I’d be finding a new one.
Cheryl Preston Wilson: My Mom and sister tried to have lunch at Anthony’s Mediterranean, Mom’s 90 sister is 68. They spent 30 minutes trying to figure out how to pay on line. They never did and had to leave and find another place to eat.
Downtown workers criticize parking situation
Professional DJ and special event emcee Mike Flanagan’s downtown office gives him a front row seat to Redding’s downtown parking issues, and Tuesday he quickly recited some of his top parking pet peeves. At the top of his list is the issue that although the alleyway behind his office is designated as a loading zone, vehicles frequently park there.
“Just now, the south portion in front of the Post Office is completely full of cars in the loading zone,” Flanagan said. “(It’s) just unfair that some of us play by the rules and don’t park in the loading zone, but even some business owners are doing it, or encouraging friends and family to to do so.”
Downtown Redding businessman Mike Flanagan points to the sign that designates the alley as a 15-minute loading zones.
Vehicles parked illegally in the loading zones often block Flanagan’s path when he needs to unload heavy sound equipment from his car. He said the situation worsens in the evenings after parking enforcement staff leave for the night. He said that the apartments across the alley are filled with low-income residents who don’t have assigned parking places.
“My hunch is that the city doesn’t enforce any parking around the building, because there’s no place for those people from the apartments to park,” Flanagan said. “I have no proof of this, but I watch them come and go, and I’ve never seen anyone getting tickets there.”
Flanagan said many drivers create their own parking spaces in areas not intended for parking.
Photo courtesy of Mike Flanagan.
And not only do many drivers park illegally in loading zones for extended lengths of time, it’s not unusual for multiple vehicles to be parked simultaneously illegally in different directions.
Further exasperating for Flanagan is when some residents of the nearby apartment complex use the loading zones for car repair.
Tuesday afternoon, three residents who live in the new California Street apartments weighed in on the parking issue while chatting outside their building near the loading zone alley. They explained they all lived in HUD housing units, and pay a range of rents — from the mid $300 range on up to $900 or more, depending upon their incomes.
From left, Ashlee Friedman, Calli Miller, and Charllotte Cory are all residents of the downtown apartment complex.
They said that they moved in before the parking kiosks were enforced, and before some parking places were removed to make room for the California Street bike lane between Tehama and Yuba streets. They’d grown accustomed to free parking. Because they’re low income, their HUD housing is affordable for them, but they often can’t afford to pay for parking.
“When I was working, I ended up paying something like $10 a day for parking,” Cory said. “We are already strapped for cash, so that’s a lot.”
Parking enforcement is a real thing in downtown Redding
City of Redding parking enforcement officer Mason Baarts photo by Doni Chamberlain.
Meanwhile, in the same lot where I received my ticket, City of Redding parking enforcement officer Mason Baarts perused the lot looking for non-paying offenders. A former Redding Police cadet, he’s worked in this position since September of 2025, and said that on average he writes about 40 parking citations a day.
By approximately 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, he’d already written 35. He said his area to monitor extends north and south from Sacramento Street to Shasta Street, and east to west from Pine Street to Court Street. Baarts clarified that he doesn’t patrol or issue citations to vehicles inside the parking garage because it is managed by a private company, Golden Circle Management Group.
He confirmed that sometimes a driver will see Baarts standing near their vehicle, and will ask for mercy.
“I usually give grace to people,” he said with a smile. “I mean, we’re not San Francisco, so I have some discretion, based on how people interact with me.”
Hint: Be nice to parking enforcement officers.
Meanwhile, like it or not, downtown Redding’s parking system shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Although I don’t like the parking kiosks, what I dislike even more is the idea of quality downtown businesses going under because too many prospective customers avoid downtown because of their disdain for Redding’s parking system.
For me, it was easier Tuesday to drive into the parking garage and find a safe, shady spot, rather than stand outside in all kinds of weather and deal with the parking kiosks. It’s a short walk from the parking garage to almost anything downtown. And judging by the looks of the vacant structure, you’ll have no trouble finding available parking spaces.
I’ll let Facebook commenters from two sides of the downtown parking issue have the last word:
Vivi-Anne Thompson: The first time I used the app on my phone and felt good about it, but then… I was having lunch with friends and I needed to extend my parking time. The app wouldn’t allow it. I had to move my car and start the new payment. Ugh! I’m getting old, and I remember thinking that this system isn’t going to work very well for us older folks.
Since then, we’ve changed our lunch place, and I rarely go downtown on weekdays anymore.
Danielle Benson: if everyone avoids downtown over parking, the only thing that disappears is the businesses—not the meters
Editor’s note: Watch for Part 2 of downtown Redding’s parking issues, where city leaders respond to questions and offer updates and explanations.
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