Payment Changes Coming to Fremont Parks
- East Bay Regional Park District said five more parks, including Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont, will switch to cashless fee collection on April 29, while Quarry Lakes already operates without cash. - Visitors at the affected parks will pay parking and other on-site fees with major credit cards or tap-to-pay, and the district says a 30-day grace period will ease the changeover. - The district says 23 fee-charging parks bring in $5.7 million a year, about 2% of its operating budget, as cashless collection expands systemwide. (sfgate.com)
East Bay Regional Park District is expanding cashless fee collection on April 29, and Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont is on the new list. (sfgate.com) Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area in Fremont already made that switch in recent years. Its park page now says, plainly, “Quarry Lakes is cashless,” with credit card and tap-to-pay accepted at the kiosk. (ebparks.org) At Ardenwood, the change applies to admission rather than parking, which remains free. The park’s official page says, “Starting April 29th, Ardenwood is going Cashless,” and lists current entry prices from $2 to $6 for regular visits, with special events priced higher. (ebparks.org) The district said the broader policy covers on-site user fees such as parking, boating and daily fishing permits, depending on the park. Officials tied the rollout to the approach of the summer season, when visitation typically rises. (sfgate.com) (contracosta.news) The five parks newly shifting to cashless operations are Ardenwood Historic Farm, Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area, Don Castro Regional Recreation Area, Diablo Foothills Regional Park and Temescal Regional Recreation Area. They join Roberts Regional Recreation Area, Crown Memorial State Beach and Quarry Lakes, which already use cashless payment. (sfgate.com) The district said a 30-day grace period will follow the April 29 launch. It also said visitors who still want to pay in cash can buy an annual Regional Parks Foundation membership, which includes free parking at all regional parks. (sfgate.com) (contracosta.news) Not every East Bay park charges a fee, but the district said 23 of them do. Those fees generate about $5.7 million a year, or roughly 2% of the agency’s operating budget, according to district officials. (sfgate.com) For Fremont visitors, the practical split is simple: Quarry Lakes already requires card or tap-to-pay for parking, while Ardenwood’s parking stays free and its admission booth goes cashless on April 29. (ebparks.org 1) (ebparks.org 2)
