Two popular shopping malls in San Jose could start charging for parking.
At Westfield Valley Fair Mall, there appears to be a new addition to some of the parking garage entrances. There are what looks to be posts hiding under black covers that some shoppers think could be for a new parking gate.
"I wouldn't come here if I had to pay for parking," shopper Jonathan Wright said.
Former San Jose City Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio tells NBC Bay Area that both Valley Fair and Santana Row do plan to charge people for parking.
"Malls kind of become a public space that people can come and get to see everybody and shouldn't have to pay extra money just to come to a place where you're probably going to spend money anyway," shopper Josh Dyer said.
According to Oliverio, the idea to charge for parking was part of Valley Fair and Santana Row's expansion plans, with a goal to cut down on the number of cars in the area and encourage more people to carpool or take ride-share to the malls.
Oliverio said the parking plan could include an option for validation too.
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"I think they're just trying to squeeze more money out of people and put a veneer of eco-friendliness over it," Wright said.
The management for Westfield Valley Fair Mall responded to NBC Bay Area's questions with the following statement:
"We are in the early stages of planning a secured parking program for Westfield Valley Fair that will not roll out until 2020. While we do not have additional details to share currently, we expect to make an announcement later this year."
NBC Bay Area has also reached out to representatives of Santana Row and are waiting to hear back.
