May 3, 2010 -The operators of seven private parking facilities in Downtown Santa Monica are offering the spaces to the public for a monthly fee during off-peak hours in a new program created by the City and the Bayside District Corporation. The program is geared toward downtown employees who use public parking structures in an effort to increase the area’s downtown parking availability.

The program costs $30 plus tax per month and is available on weekends and after 5 p.m. on weekdays. Downtown workers currently using the public parking structures either pay $7 per day or park in a facility for just less than two hours for free, and then move the vehicle out and back into the structure to restart the cycle.

“This program supports the goal in LUCE (draft Land Use & Circulation Element of the City’s General Plan currently under review) of making efficient use of valuable parking resources,” Annette Colfax, Santa Monica’s transportation demand program manager, said in a press release issued by the Bayside District.

“Downtown employees will be able to park with peace of mind at economical rates, while shoppers will find more spaces available in public structures and on the street. The partnership between private garages, Bayside District and the City made this possible without the need to construct additional parking spaces.”

The new system is part of the City’s parking plan to increase parking availability without much actual construction of new spaces. The plan is based mostly on a study released last year by Walker Parking Consultants. Next week, the City Council is expected to finalize other features of the plan, including a rate increase to the public parking structures’ maximum daily cost from $7 to $9 and monthly cost from $82.50 to $121.

Parking passes for the new private facility program can be purchased directly from any of the participating private facilities. Space is limited and based on availability. A map identifying each of the structures is available at www.downtownsm.com.