Presentation and Discussion:  Recommended Comprehensive Parking Management Program

The recommended Comprehensive Parking Management Program provides for your consideration a potential balanced and coordinated solution to address parking issues including Southside Spill-over, North End Spill-over, New Spill-over, Downtown Turn-over, Southside Turn-over, Customer Parking and Visitor Parking.  The plan proposes that parking be managed using availability, cost, demand reduction, regulations, and enforcement.  The plan also proposes that parking facilities would be constructed - both short-term and long-term solutions.  Pedestrian, bicycle, and transit services and facilities would also be developed to reduce demand.  Per prior City Council direction, it is financially self-sufficient and imposes no permit costs on residents. 

COUNCIL GOALS:
3) Provide sustainable and equitable public facilities, services, and infrastructure systems in an efficient and effective manner to serve all population areas and demographics


REGIONAL PLAN:
See Attachment 2 within the attached plan.

ASSOCIATED POTENTIAL POLICIES:

 The Recommended Comprehensive Parking Management Plan is based on the following potential general parking policies:

1. Our parking solution is comprehensive.  The parking needs are considered over the broad area experiencing (or expected to experience) parking issues and the unique solutions needed in each area are coordinated into a single balanced holistic plan.
   1. No stakeholder or stakeholder group has an advantage over another stakeholder or stakeholder group.  The parking plan is inclusive of all stakeholders and customers and balances needs and resources fairly.
   2. Streets are a public resource, and the public is a stakeholder.  Being inclusive and fair, and balancing needs and resources with the public is necessary.
   3. Management best practices, pro forma results, and logistics are a part of comprehensive planning.  This assures that the plan is not only viable, but also sustainable, and that long term goals can be achieved.
2. Parking management is necessary.  More so when the parking supply is insufficient, parking is a limited resource and limited resources require management to allow for the efficient use of them, providing the maximum benefit for the most people.
3. Our parking will be managed using availability, cost, demand reduction, regulations, and enforcement.  These are the major tools of parking management and all will be used.
   1. Increasing the parking supply is necessary.  With sufficient supply, in the right places, all parking customers can be accommodated. 
   2. We will charge parking customers for parking.  Charging for parking (pay-to-park) serves to make space available for priority parking customers, reduces the public subsidy of parking, and funds the implementation of all of the other parking management tools.
   3. Changes in transportation choices is a desirable outcome.  To avoid parking management, or because facilities and services are provided for alternative transportation, people choosing alternate modes of transportation reduces parking demand.
   4. Investment in alternative transportation reduces the parking demand.  Funds would be used not only for automobile accommodation but also for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit services and facilities.
   5. Regulating and enforcing parking is necessary.  Short of having an excessive parking supply, without employing these tools, people will park where it’s advantageous to them, and the system will not be used efficiently or fairly.
4. Our parking system will be financially self-sufficient.  This policy has been previously provided as direction from the City Council.
   1. The City will fund modest start-up costs, which will be re-paid over the first two years of operations.  This is proposed.
   2. Pay-to-park will be the primary ongoing funding mechanism.  For various reasons, ticket revenue, permit fees, and City subsidies are not available to fund the system and thus by process of elimination, pay-to-park is the primary funding mechanism.
   3. The parking program shall be implemented within a special revenue fund with monies restricted to parking operations and development.  This is proposed.
5. The plan, our parking solution, will be implemented in phases.  In order to construct even minor new facilities, and certainly for significant new facilities, funds need to be saved from the net proceeds of pay-to-park revenues over operational costs.