The following is a release from the city of Kirkland:
There are two important changes to downtown parking taking effect in Kirkland: 1) The downtown employee parking program is receiving an upgrade and requires an annual renewal; and 2) paid public parking will only be available during evenings and on weekends in the Park Lane and Main Street parking lot.
Downtown Employee Parking Program:
To help maximize parking for downtown Kirkland visitors and customers, the City of Kirkland is updating its approach to managing downtown employee parking. The City’s Downtown Employee Parking Program provides free parking to employees who work for businesses in the core district of downtown Kirkland. The City will now collect vehicle license plate information for each of the employees who will be registered and the employees will be provided with a new parking decal that is to be displayed on the registered vehicle. Benefits of the change include improved tracking of registered vehicles, easier employment verification, and annual renewal. Previously-issued permit stickers do not have an expiration date making it difficult to determine if vehicles parked in designated employee areas are valid. As our downtown business district continues to grow and the demand for public parking increases, it is important that Parking Enforcement Officers be able to verify that all vehicles using the employee designated areas are downtown employees.
With a valid registration, employee parking is available within designated spaces at the Kirkland Municipal Garage, located under the Kirkland Library, 308 Kirkland Avenue and on Lake Avenue West. Eligible employees can obtain the registration form at Kirkland City Hall, 123 Fifth Avenue during regular business hours or download the form (PDF) at kirklandwa.gov/parking. Registrants are asked to submit the form to the Public Works Department and bring license plate information when submitting the registration form. Kirkland’s Employee Parking Program is voluntary and free. For specific questions about the changes, please email employeeparking@kirklandwa.gov or call425-587-3800.
Park Lane and Main Street Parking Lot:
Recently, the City and the owner of the former Antique Mall property have agreed to designate the lot as permit only during the day. This lot, known as the “Park and Main Lot,” will continue to allow paid public parking Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. The lot is designated as permit only parking from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during weekdays. Permits are issued by the City to downtown businesses to provide parking for their employees.
Download the “Guide to Downtown Kirkland Public Parking” brochure at kirklandwa.gov/parking.