SAN JOSE — Santana Row in San Jose has launched a parking pricing program, in response to an influx of shoppers and employees looking to avoid paying for parking at a massive nearby shopping center.
The new paid parking program went into effect this week in Santana Row, a mixed-use destination neighborhood near the corner of Stevens Creek Boulevard and South Winchester Boulevard in San Jose.
In 2022, Westfield Valley, located at Stevens Creek and North Winchester in San Jose, implemented a parking program for customers – and workers – at the mall.
Yet since Valley Fair instituted its parking program, it appears that Valley Fair customers and employees have taken steps to avoid parking fees, according to Federal Realty Investment Trust, the primary owner and developer of Santana Row.
“We are implementing paid parking due to the increasing number of Valley Fair employees and customers using our parking spaces,” Collette Navarette, senior director of marketing at Federal Realty, said in an email to this news organization.
Santana Row officials implemented parking fees to prevent the influx of shoppers and workers seeking free parking at Westfield Valley Fair.
“The parking regulations benefit our customers trying to shop and dine, as well as the businesses on Santana Row,” Navarette said.
Here are some details on Santana Row’s parking fees, which are similar to those at Valley Fair:
— The first two hours of parking are free.
— After the first two hours, the fee will be $2 per hour.
— The maximum daily parking fee is $10.
“This approach maintains consistency across the region and ensures fairness for all visitors,” Navarette said.
Santana Row employees looking for an alternative to paying $2 a day are being offered a $20 monthly parking pass, according to Federal Realty.
Federal Realty pointed out that when parking is not regulated or payments are not required, motorists have less incentive to move their vehicles for an extended period of time.
Over the past two years, excessive traffic flow into Santana Row parking lots appears to have taken up spaces that Valley Fair customers and workers were seeking to use.
“Our goal is to provide an easy, hassle-free parking experience for our guests who want to shop, dine and enjoy Santana Row,” Navarette said.
