Logo courtesy of Butte County

CHICO, CA (MPG) – Chico's downtown parking kiosks have become more reliable, less expensive to maintain and easier to use than the city's previous parking meter system, but the Butte County Civil Grand Jury concluded the city failed to adequately educate the public about the transition.

The report, released in late June, concluded the city's greatest shortcoming was not the kiosk technology itself, but the lack of sustained public education after the system was installed.

"The City's efforts to educate the public and assess community impact after implementation were insufficient,” the Grand Jury wrote.

The investigation began after complaints that the parking kiosks were discouraging longtime customers from shopping downtown. Jurors found that some residents avoided the downtown business district because of frustration with the kiosks, while some business owners stepped outside their stores to help customers complete parking transactions. The report also cited public accounts that parking difficulties contributed to the closures of long-term businesses, although it noted those accounts were anecdotal rather than based on a scientific survey.

The kiosk system was recommended in the city's 2019 Downtown Access Action Plan and went fully into operation in March 2023 after a limited test deployment the previous year. The plan recommended Chico adopt the same Passport payment system already in use at California State University, Chico, reducing confusion for drivers parking in both areas.

The report explains that Chico has used parking meters since 1955 to encourage turnover in the downtown business district, keeping spaces available for shoppers instead of long-term parkers.

"Parking fines and fees are not designed to increase the City's general revenue,” jurors wrote. “Rather, the fees aim to encourage efficient use of limited on-street parking."

However, the Grand Jury found the kiosks have delivered substantial operational improvements. Unlike the previous smart parking meters, which served a single parking space and were vulnerable to battery failures and vandalism, the kiosks serve an entire block face. Maintenance hours have dropped to about one-fourth of what was required for the older meters, none of the kiosks have been broken into, and larger coin vaults require less frequent collections, the report states. Jurors found parking enforcement has also become more efficient because license plate reader-equipped vehicles can compare payment records with parked vehicles while driving through downtown.

Public acceptance, however, has been slower.

The Grand Jury found many complaints centered on the original kiosk screens being difficult to read and containing unnecessary or confusing instructions. In response, Chico's Public Works Department installed new interface software in November 2025 that replaced a distracting background image with a plain screen, simplified data entry requirements and removed or edited instructions that users found confusing.

After Public Works received complaints, the department's changes appeared to improve compliance. According to the report, complaints declined after the update, and Chico Police Department parking enforcement personnel also reported issuing fewer citations, "suggesting that drivers find it easier to comply."

Despite those improvements, jurors concluded the city never fully carried out the public education campaign envisioned in the 2019 Downtown Access Action Plan.

The plan called for instructional videos, social media outreach, updated parking information on the Go! Downtown Chico website and assistance from Downtown Ambassadors to familiarize residents with the new system. The Grand Jury found those efforts were either incomplete or not sustained. During its investigation, jurors discovered the Go! Downtown Chico parking webpage was two years out of date and found only one instructional video online, which they described as having distracting background noise. After jurors brought the issue to the city's attention, parking information on the city's website was updated.

The report also found that motorists who use the Passport smartphone application generally have a much easier experience paying for parking.

"Smart kiosks offer cost and maintenance advantages to the city," the jurors wrote. "Consumers have commented that the Passport system phone application is easy to use. The city will find it worthwhile to encourage widespread adoption of the application."

To improve public understanding, the Grand Jury recommended the Chico City Council direct the city manager to produce a short instructional video explaining how to use both the kiosks and the Passport smartphone application, work with the Downtown Chico Business Association to improve parking information on the Go! Downtown Chico website and conduct quarterly reviews of parking information on city and partner websites to ensure it remains current whenever the kiosk system is updated.

The Chico City Council has 90 days from receipt of the report to respond to the Grand Jury's findings and recommendations.