From the Eureka Reporter,

Eureka is implementing a parking permit program for downtown residents. Residents pay $50 for a permit that allows them to park for 72 hours at a time in city parking lots that most people pay to park in.

The fee is extremely low given the cost to the city to provide that parking, but it looks like Eurea is on the right track towards a model where people pay directly for parking instead of having you and I pay for it.

After a discussion last night at the Arcata Transportation Safety Committee, where "progressive" Arcata won't even entertain pricing of parking to solve parkinga and congestion problems at the high school, Eureka's progress on this front is refreshing. Charging for parking permits puts Eureka on track to allow for car-free affordable housing in the downtown, because unbundling the cost of parking from the cost of housing means some downtown upstairs residential development can be built with less parking (or no parking).

To concerns that residents would not be able to park close enough to their doors, Jeff Leonard even responded:

“This is a part of the reality of living in a downtown area."

That sensible, but maybe they should offer an on-street permit for the right higher price, and those folks who want to can choose to pay to park closer if that is important to them.