Four city-owned lots near the Caltrain station in downtown Sunnyvale will convert from free to paid parking on weekdays, beginning July 1.

The lots are located at the Mathilda Avenue southbound off-ramp, the parking lot at the South Mathilda Avenue overpass, the Evelyn Avenue lot on the north side of Evelyn Avenue between Charles and Florence streets, and under the North Mathilda Avenue overpass.

A flat fee will be required between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. All of the money collected will go toward maintaining the parking lots, which usually see heavy use from Caltrain commuters, according to Craig Mobeck, assistant director of public works.

“Right now those four lots support Caltrain, and the city doesn’t get any funding to help operate and maintain them. We are going to use those funds to offset those costs,” said Mobeck.

Parking at the North Mathilda overpass lot will cost $3 and the other three will cost $4. Electronic kiosks at each lot will take credit and debit cards, but not cash. Parking will be free weekends and holidays.

The North Mathilda lot is priced lower due to being farther away from the Caltrain station. It currently costs $5.50 per day to park at the station.

The city had been studying the pay-to-park plan since December 2012. During outreach with residents around that time, some neighbors living near the lots were worried commuters would park in their neighborhoods if the lots required payment.

In 2009 the city passed an ordinance designating certain streets in the area of the Caltrain station as “preferential parking zones.” The zones limit parking to only seven hours at a time unless the car has a resident permit.

Mobeck said most neighborhoods in proximity to Caltrain require the permits.

“That’s why we were not as concerned about people parking in them, they are already in place,” said Mobeck.

He added that he didn’t think the paid parking would be a disruption to shoppers coming to downtown, as typically the lots are used by Caltrain commuters and more convenient parking is located closer to downtown near Murphy Avenue and Macy’s.