The Parking Advisory Board (PAB) recommended at a Sept. 6, 2011, Council work session that the City consider a 6-month trial to remove downtown parking meters outside the central core by bagging 447 meters west of North 30th Street (not including North 30th Street), north of 6th Avenue North, east of North 26th Street (not including North 26th Street) and south of Montana Avenue. These meters represent almost 40% of the total meters downtown. The PAB thought that meters in the four areas might be under-utilized and their removal could benefit downtown by encouraging long-term parkers, such as downtown employees,  to use the free spaces and open central parking to shoppers and visitors.

If the 6-month trial is successful, it could result in the permanent removal of all or some of the meters, and eliminate the need for at least one parking enforcement officer.

Staff originally recommended that a 500-foot buffer be established around each of the four city-owned parking garages, to discourage garage patrons from using unregulated streets for free parking.  However, the PAB thought that the originally suggested boundaries resulted in too-few meters being bagged, and the revised boundaries were sufficient to protect the garages and still encourage outer-ring parking space use by the desired parkers.

The Parking Division staff would monitor monthly garage and parking space information throughout the 6-month period, which is scheduled to begin Oct. 3, and report back to the PAB in spring 2012.  The PAB then would report to the Council and make a recommendation whether permanent removal should occur.

The City Council may:

• Approve the PAB recommendation, resulting in short-term revenue loss, but evaluating the effectiveness of encouraging longer-term parkers to use unregulated slots outside the central business district and free up spaces for short-term visitors and shoppers;
• Modify the PAB recommendation, with modified results similar to those listed above; or
• Deny the PAB recommendation, leaving parking and staffing as is.

The anticipated revenue loss is $35,000.  If the trial is successful and an enforcement position is eliminated, the estimated savings to the City would be $45,000 per year for each position eliminated.

Staff recommends that the Council approve the PAB recommendation to remove meters by bagging them for six months in the four areas suggested by the PAB.