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Parking restrictions in Palo Alto's downtown shopping district will be temporarily relaxed through Jan. 1 to allow shoppers and visitors more time for holiday shopping, the City of Palo Alto has announced.

Visitors can to park up to four hours for free during the holiday season in the following public city parking garages: Alma/High Streets (Garage R), Bryant/Lytton (Garages S/L), Civic Center (Garage CC), Cowper/Webster (Garage WC), and Ramona/University (Garage B), except in designated permit spaces.

All-day parking permits are available from the permit machines located in the Cowper/Webster and Bryant/Lytton garages if longer parking is needed.

"The Holiday Season is critical to our merchants in downtown Palo Alto, especially those that are independently owned," said Russ Cohen, executive director of the Palo Alto Downtown Business & Professional Association.

"Giving the gift of more free parking to downtown visitors helps to encourage them to shop local. Shopping and dining locally helps generate the sales taxes that provide great city services. Free parking plus great shopping and dining add up to a winning holiday experience," he said.

Street parking and surface parking lots will maintain two-hour free parking status within the color zones downtown, however. All other parking restrictions, such as yellow and white loading zones, red and green curbs, handicap parking, permit-only parking, downtown color zone regulations, no parking signs, etc., will continue to be strictly enforced.

A downloadable map of parking garages is available at here.

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