The City of San Luis Obispo will begin installing new on-street parking pay stations next week as part of its ongoing effort to make parking easier and support a thriving downtown.

The upgraded stations feature an accessible touchscreen interface and accept coins, credit and debit cards, and mobile wallets. Drivers will also have the option to extend their parking sessions via text message.

This project is the final phase of the City’s Downtown Parking Technology Roadmap, a major investment in improving the parking experience through modern, user-friendly technology. The roadmap was created after months of input and feedback from community members and businesses. Earlier upgrades included installing new gated systems in the parking garages and adopting PayByPhone as the single on-street parking app.

“Convenient, reliable parking is key to downtown vitality,” said Donna King, Parking Program Manager. “We have heard from businesses and their customers and we are doing our part to make the changes that make it easier for everyone to visit, shop and dine downtown. We invite community members to visit downtown and try out the new on-street parking pay stations.”

The City invests millions of dollars each year to keep downtown San Luis Obispo clean, safe and welcoming. These investments include daily maintenance and cleaning; regular power washing, sidewalk and bike lane sweeping; and street sweeping on most weekdays. The City also supports programs such as Downtown SLO’s Clean & Safe Program and downtown events, seasonal promotions like ARTober and Buy Local Bonus that contribute to a lively, enjoyable downtown experience.

Installation Timeline:
Installation of the new pay stations will begin on Wednesday, October 29 and continue through early November. During this transition, staff will be available to assist users with the new system.

Key Features of the New Pay Stations:

• Multiple payment options: coin, credit/debit, mobile wallet
• Step-by-step touchscreen interface with multilingual options
• Secure, reliable transactions
• Text message receipts with remote time extension capability

Click here for more information and an instructional video. 

About City Parking Services
The City of San Luis Obispo continues to invest in technology and service improvements to make parking downtown easier, more affordable, and more accessible.

In May 2024, the City Council approved changes to improve parking services by simplifying payment options, reducing costs, and enhancing the overall customer experience. These updates include a single parking app (PayByPhone), upgraded on-street pay stations and consistent gated systems across all City parking garages.

For assistance or questions, contact Parking Services at (805) 781-7230 or email us at parkinginfo@slocity.org.

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