Parking Doesn’t Have to Be Contentious

Parking is talked about more than the weather these days. Parking is personal, parking is necessary, and regardless of how we solve parking challenges, it is part of our daily lives and will continue to be for the near and long-term future.

Although current parking conversations mostly relate to development code changes and parking minimums, DPAC (Downtown Bend Parking Advisory Committee) is working diligently to specifically address parking in Downtown Bend.

Undoubtedly, Downtown Bend gets busy during the summer and special events, but the Downtown Bend Parking Advisory Committee (DPAC) has worked diligently to educate and inform the public of where locals and visitors can find the right parking space for their specific needs. Our busy downtown district is a testament to the appeal for locals and out-of-town visitors. It is DPAC’s mission to ensure parking in Downtown Bend is easy and convenient.

There are over 2,500 parking spaces in Downtown Bend, and 1,800 of those provide two (2) hours free parking. While no one can guarantee a spot directly in front of the business you’d like to visit, the goal is for you to find parking at one of the parking lots, in the Centennial Garage, or in the outer areas of Downtown. You can find a map of downtown parking options at www.bendoregon.gov/parking .

Recent safety, lighting, and other improvements to the Centennial Garage have enhanced the parking experience. Reports of disruptive behavior have decreased, making parking in the garage more convenient and safely accessible.

DPAC is composed of numerous community leaders and downtown Bend stakeholders and has been working collaboratively with the City of Bend for several years to implement the Downtown Parking Strategic Management Plan that City Council adopted in June of 2017. This approved Parking Plan contains 28 strategies aimed at improving parking in Downtown Bend.  This summer, one of these strategies will be implemented with clearly defined parking zones designated easily by sign color and thus eliminating the confusing 750’ move to evade rule. The goal here is to simplify parking regulations and provide additional options for locals/visitors to choose from, depending on the purpose of your visit to Downtown Bend and your intended length of stay.  For example, on-street parking will remain two (2) hours free, but if you desire to stay, shop, or dine for longer than 2 hours, you may choose to park in the parking lots or Centennial Garage for varying lengths of time in order to enjoy your experience in Downtown without the stress of moving your vehicle every two hours.   

The City recently implemented an open parking environment that utilizes multiple mobile parking apps. Visitors who park in Downtown Bend at our parking lots are able to choose between two (soon to be three) mobile pay apps to pay for parking.  The City installed a pay-station at the Greenwood & Wall parking lot to ensure the majority of downtown parking is accessible to community members who might not have a smartphone.

The North Mirror Pond, Greenwood, and Troy Field lots have been upgraded and restriped to provide over 30 parking spaces that are 22 ft long, which will accommodate owners of lengthy trucks, SUV’s, sprinter vans, and vehicles with large bike racks so they can safely park off-street.

DPAC’s mission is to improve parking in Downtown Bend, diversify parking options and parking durations for locals/visitors to meet different needs, and ensure parking in Downtown Bend is easy and convenient. 

DPAC welcomes you to respectfully share your thoughts and concerns with our committee. Please join us on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 8:30am at the quarterly Downtown Parking Update Meeting.  Meeting link can be found at https://www.bendoregon.gov/Home/Components/News/News/4466/1455 .  We look forward to a civil discourse as we all share a common goal to make Bend a vibrant and welcoming community.