▶️ Bend's new prepay parking for events looks to reduce wait times

The City of Bend has released a new system designed to alleviate parking pressure during big downtown events.

Attendees now have the option to prepay for their parking spot in the Centennial Garage, which the city hopes will cut down on wait times.

The Pango App is now live in anticipation for the First Friday Art Walk on Friday. It will also be active for all future events downtown.

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“So you go, you download the Pango parking app and then you create an account, go under permits and you’ll see First Friday,” City of Bend Parking Service Director Tobias Marx said. “You click that, you buy it, you have your information, your license plate information and you are all set.”

The city says this new system will help streamline the process for event goers entering and exiting the garage. Vehicles can be registered using either a license plate or QR code to enter and exit the garage.

“The garage will register your license plate, open the gate for you, then you drive in,” Marx said.

Permits are $5 and good only once for any upcoming downtown event.

Marx says preregistering can get you in and out of the garage in less than five seconds.

“The parking garage in downtown, especially for events, is a really great alternative to parking and we still usually have a good amount of parking available a little bit higher up on the roof,” Marx said. “That’s much easier than having to circle around downtown, trying to find like a two-hour parking space.”