The City Council has requested a complete downtown parking management plan as part of the City priorities for the FY 17-18 City Council Action Plan. Following a comprehensive RFP process in 2017, Fehr & Peers (“Consultant”) was awarded the contract to provide parking consultant services. This scope of work took into consideration community feedback captured from earlier RE:Imagine initiatives in which stakeholders expressed desire to have public art, bike lanes, community events, music festivals, holiday lighting, market food halls, and at the top of the list was the concern to accommodate enough parking for future development and entertainment. Incorporated into the preparation of DPMSP was the formation of a Parking Advisory Committee. The table below depicts five (5) advisory meetings in which milestones associated with the preparation of the DPMSP were presented.

In summary, the Consultant completed a series of tasks in preparation of the DPMSP which are detailed as follows:

1.  Parking Counts - Baseline data collection through parking utilization count days took place on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 and Friday June 16, 2017 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Significant findings concluded:

• Peak parking utilization was at 10:00 a.m. (52%) on Tuesday.
• Friday peak was identified at 10:00 a.m. (43%).
• Main Street west lot had a maximum utilization of (55%), when the car show was not occurring.
• The highest parking utilization for both count days surrounded the Civic Center area.

2.   On-line Parking Survey - An on-line parking survey was deployed to gather an additional source of anecdotal information from the community and visitors in the study area and determine parking preferences.  The survey went live beginning October 2017 through December 2017. 

Significant highlights were shared with the Downtown Commission members at the March 2018 meeting which included:

• 234 responses collected from the survey.
• The majority users of the parking were downtown diners/shoppers.
• 68% confirmed they were satisfied with the current parking in the Downtown.
• The most important factor was “the distance to the destination from their parking space."

3.   Supplemental Data/ Future Projection - Supplemental data was collected to complete a shared parking model. The data focused on existing land uses, building square footages, vacancy, future General Plan build-out, previous parking studies, development standards, parking requirements, and future development which will project future demand.   The model uses data collected in the study area and national parking data collected by the Urban Land Institute (ULI).  While parking demand is expected to increase as development occurs, the anticipated demand could be accommodated with the existing supply and incorporation of certain parking strategies.

4.   Parking Management Strategies - The DPMSP identified a variety of strategies that could be implemented either in isolation or combined as part of a larger management strategy.  The proposed parking strategies to mitigate disruptive parking trends were shared with the Downtown Commission and the Advisory Committee at the March 2019 meetings.  Feedback from the Downtown Commission and Advisory Committee have been incorporated into the DPMSP.

A few strategies which are cost and time effective include:

• Static Signage (update current restricted signage, uniformity, directional)
• Temporary Use Agreements (currently used for special events)
• Project Specific Valet Programs
• Increased Use of Shared Parking (a.m./p.m. and weekday/weekend)
• Accommodating Transportation Network Companies (UBER/LYFT drop-off)
• Promoting Other Modes of Transportation (walk, bike, micro transit, scooter)
• Restriping On-Street Spaces

While the baseline data noted certain time periods show parking is typically underutilized, there are periods throughout the year when parking demand is greater than the surveyed data.  The City hosts several events in the downtown area that create a higher demand, including the Strawberry Festival, performances at both the Amphitheater and the GEM Theater.  Parking data was not collected during these events, as these events are temporary and do not reflect typical daily parking operations in Downtown.

The study is a point in time count to determine a baseline of parking spaces within the downtown.  The DPMSP is the first comprehensive study that has been conducted of parking utilization in the downtown and Civic Center area.  Previous parking studies were associated with a particular development project or zone change.  To date, the data shows that the study area currently has sufficient parking supply.  Although the demand exceeds 90% utilization in certain lots and streets for short periods of time, there is generally parking available at nearby facilities within convenient walking distance.  In conclusion, according to the Consultant, the current parking supply can accommodate the demand generated by existing land uses in the study area.

The DPMSP would be utilized as a “tool box” and a guiding document that will assist the City in evaluating future Downtown development and related parking. Future requests will be made through the budget process to undertake follow-up tasks such as updating baseline data and evaluating implementation of parking strategies in greater detail.

It is recommended that the City Council:

• Receive and file the Downtown Parking Management Strategic Plan (DPMSP), which includes Existing and Future Conditions Report, Parking Management Strategies, and Recommendations for future implementation as needed.

By:  Alana Cheng, Sr. Administrative Analyst