East Palo Alto adopts Residential Parking Permit Program amid community concerns

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The East Palo Alto City Council approved a new Residential Permit Parking Program (RPP), with one dissenting vote. The program addresses the longstanding concerns community members expressed at previous council meetings.

The newly approved RPP lays out the guidelines for where and how RPP areas can be established, the authority of the director of the Department of Public Works, the issuance of residential permits and guest parking permits, the display of permits, parking enforcement, exempt vehicles and their eligibility and the removal of residential parking permit areas.

Before the ordinance was passed, Council member Carlos Romero argued that there should be a distinction between larger vehicles used as commercial trucks and those same trucks that might be used as a personal vehicle. He said that parking enforcers should be able to use their discretion in deciding between the two when handing out tickets.

During the public comment section, East Palo Alto resident Gail Dixon disagreed with Romero saying that the larger trucks were public nuisances and blocked people from getting out of their driveways.

Another resident identified as Mario said, “So this is something that we the people do not want. You know you guys, you say that we are right. We are the people, so we are right. But it would seem like we are right when it's convenient to you.”

In spite of this dissent, the ordinance passed with Council members Mark Dinan, Martha Barragan and Mayor Webster Lincoln voting to approve the parking ordinance.

Council member Carlos Romero cast the one dissenting vote, saying: “I will not be voting on the motion again for the reason that I think we should see what the impact of our $350,000 parking enforcement program is like in the community. And then perhaps we should go back to implementing an ordinance of this nature. So I will be voting no,” he said.  Council member Abrica was absent from the meeting due to a family emergency.

City staff acknowledged that enforcement would require discretion, emphasizing the need to distinguish between true commercial vehicles and personal-use trucks that are part of everyday life in the community.

The passage of the ordinance marks the end of a long process that started when the East Palo Alto City staff presented a Residential Permit Parking (RPP) Ordinance in December 2023 with multiple drafts that followed.

According to a city staff summary, “The originally proposed ordinance included one free parking permit per residence, with additional permits available for purchase, and criteria for establishing Residential Permit Parking Areas (RPPAs) based on neighborhood petitions or City Council actions.”

The original ordinance was first introduced in a first reading at the March 18, 2025 city council meeting. During the meeting, the council made various modifications to the ordinance and directed staff to make more revisions and reintroduce the ordinance at a future council meeting.

The new modified ordinance was reintroduced at the February 24, 2026 council meeting and the council waived the first reading. The city staff presented drafts of the residential permit parking ordinance at several city Public Works and Transportation Commission meeting between December 20, 2023 and May 15, 2024.

After further updates that reflected community concerns, some of which were addressed in a city survey, the city introduced a new modified ordinance on March 18, 2025 for the first reading.

The second reading was waived.

With the permit parking ordinance now adopted, the city will begin its implementation, which will involve issuing permits and defining enforcement practices.

How the city applies discretion—particularly around larger vehicles—and how consistently the program is enforced will likely determine whether it alleviates neighborhood concerns or introduces new challenges.

For many residents, the decision marks a step toward addressing persistent parking issues. For others, it raises questions about fairness, enforcement, and whether the policy will meaningfully improve daily life on East Palo Alto’s streets.

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