Deschutes County lots available for weekend parking

The Downtown Bend Parking Advisory Committee has announced a partnership with Deschutes County and the city of Bend to provide access to free public parking at the Deschutes County Administration building parking lots on weekends and during special events.

The Deschutes County Administration building parking lots, located between Wall Street, Lafayette Avenue and Olney Avenue, contain about 500 parking spaces, as many parking stalls as the downtown Bend parking garage on Lava Road and Oregon Avenue.

DPAC anticipates that utilizing these parking lots at the Deschutes County Administration building, during the busy summer tourist and special event season, will allow more people to easily access Downtown Bend. The parking lots will be available from Friday evening after 6 pm to Sunday night.

“Downtown Bend is one of the greatest assets of our city. Currently, we are seeing parking reach capacity during our popular events and attractions,” says Mindy Aisling, executive director for the Downtown Bend Business Association, “This partnership dramatically expands convenient parking, so more people can experience our vibrant Downtown with ease.”

The Deschutes County parking lots are only three blocks from the core of Downtown Bend, with well-lit sidewalks on both sides of the road, making it easily walkable to and from Downtown Bend.

For those who would rather catch a ride or require mobility assistance, DPAC has partnered with Ride Bend, a free shuttle service that operates 12pm to 8pm daily July 1st through Labor Day. Ride Bend operates a ten-passenger shuttle van that riders can request on demand using the new Ride Bend app.

“Parking demands are at their highest during our busy tourist season and especially during special events. Through this partnership with Deschutes County, we are providing convenient free parking to the public within a few blocks of Downtown Bend,” said Scott Douglass, CEO of Cascade Relays and member of the DPAC.

The DPAC was created based on the goals outlined in the Downtown Strategic Management Plan adopted by Bend City Council on June 7, 2017. The committee is responsible for outlining, advocating, and initiating decisions that will improve and maintain a vital transportation system for the City of Bend, and create a model that can be used city-wide for the betterment of the entire community.