The City of Long Beach announced street parking will be free throughout downtown Long Beach this weekend with their institution of a parking meter holiday beginning Friday, July 24 at 12:00AM and ending Sunday, July 26 at midnight.

IMG 5474A release issued by the city Thursday said they were collaborating with the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) for the holiday, where residents will not have to pay for hourly parking. However, two-hour parking limits at the meters will remain in effect, in addition to 24-minute limits at green curbs and red, white, yellow and blue curb limits. Parking at the Pike is not included; only parking in downtown proper will be free. 

“We know that the power outage negatively affected all who call Downtown Long Beach home, including our businesses that contribute to a thriving Downtown. By having a parking meter holiday, we are encouraging everyone to come shop, eat, and enjoy all that Downtown Long Beach has to offer,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement.

According to the DLBA, the loss in estimated gross sales for downtown Long Beach stores during the three-day blackout was $2,671,622. This number excludes wage loss, product loss and hotel revenue, and is based on the amount in sales tax the city received during the same period in 2014.

The parking holiday comes after Southern California Edison announced expedited claims and $100 bill credits to affected residents and as organizations host resource fairs for small businesses seeking an opportunity to mitigate losses

“We came together as a community during the crisis, and it’s time we come together again and bring our dollars Downtown,” said Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal in a statement.

Parking within the City Place garages downtown will continue to remain free for the first two hours, without validation for that time period. 

“By coming together over this weekend, we celebrate our community that weathered this outage together, and show our support for our businesses,” said Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez in a statement.

Above, left: photo by Keeley Smith.