! PARKING IN DOWNTOWN OLYMPIA !
NOTICE, PARKING RULES WILL BE CHANGING IN MARCH
meters will replace the 90 minute free parking and some fees will go up
Knowing how to park in Downtown Olympia will make your visit better each time you come to town. Their are many options from parking for free or parking at a 3 or 9 hour meter. Knowing where the different meters are is helpful so here is a link to the Parking Map ( the map on the parking services website only shows the 9 hour meters for some reason) http://www.olympiawa.gov/~/media/Files/PublicWorks/PDFs/Parking/Downtown-Parking-Map.ashx You can pick this map up at Ginger Street or at the Parking Services on Legion Way, just around the corner from Ginger Street, and this brochure will show you all the parking. Keep one in your car for quick reference .
LITTLE KNOW SECRETS
You can park at the Farmers Market parking lot on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the days the market is closed for free, then you can hop on the Free Dash Bus to bring you to town, or just have a nice walk in and catch the Dash out. Remember that the market must be closed to do this.
Another place is on the other side of Capitol Lake along the Deschutes Parkway. The walk to town is about a 1/2 mile. Don't be afraid of a little exercise, we all need it once in a while. When I come to work alone I have been using both places for parking, that will leave one extra spot for customer parking in town.
PARKING DEBIT CARD
Yes a parking debit card. Most people have never known about this, even other shop owners. You can get this card from the Parking Services on Legion Way. It is a debit card that you put money on and you can use it for the 3 & 9 hour meters. This is great so you don't have to have any change to put in the meter, just put the card in the slot and the meter will tell you the balance on the card and then start to put time on the meter until you take it out. What I do is use all the quarters in my pocket then use the card for the rest of the time I need.