According to the City of Orange, paid parking in the Orange Plaza area is expected to begin sometime in January. The city vows to provide at least 30 days notice in advance of the start date for paid parking so it could be pushed back even further as many questions about exactly how it will work are yet to be decided as of mid December.
No cost permits for residents living in the Plaza commercial area will be made available. Once implemented, paid parking will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m..
The operation of the paid parking system will be handled by an outside vendor and not by the City of Orange. Many residents and business owners have voiced concerns at City Council meetings that this is simply a money grab by the city, and that not enough was done to enforce existing parking laws before going to this complicated and expensive paid parking model.
With only a month or so to go, the city and its vendor still have left a lot of questions unanswered.
You can view the map of paid parking areas and free parking options at cityoforange.org/parkingmap or see it below.
