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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-01-16 City CouncilCity of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING DATE:January 16, 1997 CMR:116:97 SUBJECT:A Change in the Policy for Issuing Transferable Parking Permits for the Webster/Cowper Parking Garage REOUEST The purpose of this report is to inform Council about changes being instituted regarding the use of transferable permits in the Webster/Cowper Garage. RECOMMENDATIONS This is an informational report, and no Council action is required at this time. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Parking in downtown Palo Alto is at a premium, and parking management is crucial to provide equitable treatment to all; therefore, it is important to maintain the integrity of the City’s first-come, first-served employee parking permit issuance system. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Currently, parking permits (single vehicle permits) are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list is maintained for individuals who wish to buy a parking permit for a particular lot. If single vehicle permit holders need to change vehicles (e.g., when their ear is in the shop for repairs, etc.), they may request a "temporary" permit for a limited amount of time, from the Revenue Collections Office. A person who routinely switches ears and/or a person who wants to share a permit, however, often perceives this as being unreasonable, inconvenient or unworkable. To accommodate these types of needs, a transferable permit was created. Transferable permits are, essentially, window display permits without vehicle identification; and they were designed to allow the permit holder the flexibility to shift the permit among multiple vehicles. CMR:116:97 Page 1 of 3 Transferable permits, however, potentially create a loophole in the parking permit system. Staff discovered in 1980, and again in 1985, that some permit holders used transferable permits to circumvent the wait list process, by passing them from one employee to another. As a result, in 1985, staff eliminated the issuance of these permits (refer to the .attached CMR:381:85). However, in 1986 staff reintroduced, on a trial basis, the use of transferable permits for only the Webster/Cowper garage, as a means to utilize the unused capacity of the garage. This procedure has been continued ever since and, until recently, has not been a concern, because there was not a sustained wait list for the Webster/Cowper garage, which could be circumvented. More recently (for approximately the last nine months), however, the garage has had a sustained wait list. Transferable permits are issued either to an individual or to a company. The transferable permits that have been issued to companies are now causing problems. While the permits are intended only for employees, some companies have been using them for visitors. In addition, bulk issuance of these permits to companies is resulting in a "de facto" transfer, on a large scale, from employee to employee within a company. This results in bypassing the wait list, which is contrary to the system of allocating permits on a first-come, first- served basis. Staff has discussed this issue with the Parking Subcommittee of the Chamber of Commerce, and the Committee supports a change that would cease the issuance and/or renewal of transferable permits to companies, in bulk. Instead, companies will be given an option to renew the same number of transferable permits under individual employees names working for the company. At this point in time, the issuance of permits to individuals will continue, until such time that it becomes evident that such an arrangement is no longer working properly. In order to prevent any ftu~er "de facto" transfers from employee to employee, staff will take the following actions: Companies will no longer be allowed to put multiple names for transferable permits on the wait list for the Webster/Cowper garage. Q Companies who are on the wait list for transferable permits will be given the option to submit names of individual employees, up to the same number as the number of transferable permits the company has requested, and those names will be inserted at the location on the wait list where the company had its name.. ClVlR: 116:97 Page 2 of 3 Any existing transferable permits issued to a company will not be renewed in the company’s name, but the company will be given the option to renew the same number of permits under individual employees names working for the company. The attached notices (Attachments 1 and 2) will be sent to companies holding transferable permits, as well as to companies who are on the wait list to obtain transferable permits, respectively. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The subject of this staff report is not considered a project under CEQA guidelines and, therefore, no environmental assessment is required. ATTACHMENTS 1. Notice to companies holding Transferable Permits 2. Notice to companies on the wait list for Transferable Permits 3. CMR:381:95, University Avenue Parking District--Multiple Vehiele/Carpool Parking Permits Prepared By: Ashok Aggarwal, City Traffic Engineer Department Head Review: City Manager Approval: KENNETH R. SCHREIBER Director of Planning an~Commtmity ~onment ee:Susan Frank, Chamber of Commerce CMR:116:97 Page 3 of 3 ATTACHMENT 1 NOTICE OF CHANGE REGARDING ISSUING/RENEWING TRANSFERABLE PERMITS January 14, 1997 Our records indicate that your company is currently holding X transferable permits for the Webster/Cowper garage. Effective immediately, issuance and renewal of transferable permits to companies is being terminated. Please refer to the attached staff report for details. We understand that you may need to renew the transeferable permits that you currently hold. Accordingly, in order to maintain the integrity of the first-come, first-served employee permit issuance system and still accommodate your need, we will allow you to submit a maximum of X names of individual employees who currently hold permits, for whom you can renew their current permits. You may submit these employees’ names, in advance of the renewal date, to Revenue Collections, Attention: Leon Timmons, City of Palo Alto, P.O. Box 10250, Palo Alto, CA 94303 (or come in person to City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue, First Floor Lobby). Permits will be issued only to those employees whose names have been submitted, and all renewal of transferable permits will require a copy of the permit holder’s driver’s license, for identification. These permits cannot be transferred from one employee to another. Therefore, all new employees who wish to obtain a parking permit should sign up on a wait list in the Revenue Collections Office, when they join the company. Please note that these permits are for use only by employees, and not for customers,visitors, etc. For visitors and customers, free parking for up to two hours is available throughout downtown, and parking for up to three hours is available in the Civic Center and Webster/Cowper garages. In addition, visitors who want to park all day may purchase a one day permit at the Revenue Collections Office, in the first floor lobby at City Hall, or they may use one of the private pay or attendant parking lots located at 525 University Avenue, 440 Cowper Street, and Lot S in the 400 block of Bryant Street. We apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause you, and appreciate your understanding and cooperation. If you have questions regarding the change in policy, please call Ashok Aggarwal at (415) 329-2575. If you have questions relating to the issuance of permits, call the Revenue Collections Office at (415) 329-2317. ATTACHMENT 2 NOTICE OF CHANGE REGARDING ISSUING/RENEWING TRANSFERABLE PERMITS January 14, 1997 Our records indicate that your company is currently on the wait list to obtain X transferable permits for the Webster/Cowper garage. Effective immediately, issuance and renewal of transferable permits to companies, is being terminated. Please refer to the attached staff report for details. We understand your need to obtain transferable permits. Accordingly, in order to maintain the integrity of the first-come, first-served employee permit issuance system and accommodate your need, we request that you submit to the City the names of the individual employees working for your company, within Downtown Palo Alto, for whom you are seeking to obtain a transferable permit. The list of individual names must not exceed X. These names will replace your company’s name on the wait list, at the same place where your company’s name is now located. Please submit the names in writing to Revenue Colleetious, Attention: Leon Timmons, City of Palo Alto, P.O. Box 10250, Palo Alto, CA 94303, by January 25, 1997 (or come in person to City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue, first floor lobby). As permits become available, we will inform individual employees that there is a permit available for purchase. Permits will be issued only to employees on the wait fist, and all issuance and renewals of transferable permits will require a copy of the person’s driver’s license for identification. Hease note that these permits are for use only by employees, and not for customers, visitors, etc. For visitors and customers, free parking for up to two hours is available throughout downtown, and parking for up to three hours is available in the Civic Center and Webster/Cowper garages. In addition, visitors who want to park all day may purchase a one day permit at the Revenue Collections Office, in the first floor lobby at City Hall, or they may use one of the private pay or attendant parking lots located at 525 University Avenue, 440 Cowper Street, and Lot S in the 400 block of Bryant Street. We apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause you, and appreciate your understanding and cooperation. If you have questions regarding the change in policy, please call Ashok Aggarwal at (415) 329-2575: If you have questions relating to the issuance of permits, call the Revenue Collections Office at (415) 329-2317. June 13,1985 ATTACHMENT 3 HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL Palo Alto, California UNIVERSITY AVENUE PARKING DISTRICT -MULTIPLE VEHICLE/CARPOOL PARKING PERMITS Members of the Council: This informational staff report advises Council of certain changes being insti- tuted regarding parking permits in the University Avenue Parking District. No Council action is required or requested. BACKGROUND At the present time, two main types .of parking permits are issued for the Uni= versify Avenue Parking District off-street parking facilities. A single vehicle type is issued to individual eligible applicants for a specific vehicle. The only provisions for transferring a single vehicle permit to another vehicle re- lates to temporary needs (i.e. vehicle repairs) or replacement of the vehicle. The second type of permi.t is a multiple vehicle/carpool permit. These are issued on card stock on which are displayed the multiple license plate numbers for which the permit is valid. The permit can be used on several different ve- hicles, but only on one at a time. Multiple vehicle/carpool permits are issued as a means to encourage permitholders to form carpools and to allow the use of an alternate vehicle. A total of 877 permits are currently issued for the University Avenue facili- ties, of which 785 are of the single vehicle type and 92 are of the multiple vehicle/carpool type. Both types are issued on a first-come, first-served basis at a cost of $65 per quarter or $200 per year. Currently, over 700 applicants are on a wait list for a parking permit. While the Lot Q and Lot J structures will increase the parking supply, these projects will provide only 294 new spaces. Thus, permits will continue to be in short supply. Apart from additions to the parking supply, the Only means new appli- cants have for securing a permit is through vacancies created when an existing permitholder fails to renew. As the demand for permits increases and the wait list lengthens, people find creative ways to take advantage of the existing issuance procedures to obtain a permit more promptly. During the past several months, there has been a marked increase in the number of complaints concerning the misuse of multiple vehicle/ car.pool permits. It is evident that the multiple vehicle/carpool permit has been used to effect a "de facto" transfer from the original permitholder to someone else listed on the multiple vehicle permit, thus bypassing the wait list. This cannot be allowed if..a first-come, first-served system of permit allocation is to be maintained. CHANGES TO PARKING PERMIT PROCEDURES In order to prevent any further "de facto" transfers from original permitholders to someone else lis.ted on the permit, the following actions have been taken: CMR:381:5 i, The multiple ve,,,cle/carpool privilege has been ~iscontinued. Eligible per- mitholders can apply for, or renew, a single vehicle permit for a vehicle registered to, or leased in, their name. Existing multiple vehicle permitholders who use the permit for carp.cling purposes will be advised and encouraged to use the City’s existing carpool program. Any carpool of two or more persons may obtain, free of charge, a daily parking permit from an attendent located at the corner of Hamilton and Ramona, between 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M. The validity of the free daily carpool parking permits is being expanded from Lots K, 0 and. the Civic Center garage to include all downtown permit lots, including the garages being built on the sites of Lots Q and J, when completed. Provisions will continue for issuing temporary permits to allow use of a substitute vehicle for a limited period and for transferring a permit to a replacement vehicle. A one time "assignment of permit .right" is being extended, to each original permitholder of a valid multiplevehicle/carpool permit. The original per- mitholder will be given the opportunity to designate one name from the names on the multiple vehicle/carpool permit for an assignment of the permit rights. This one-time exception is needed for "de facto" transfers, since it was not explicitly prohibited by the permit instructions last published in 1984.~ NOTIFICATION TO PERMITHOLDERS The attached notice has been sent to all permitholders advising them of these steps being taken to ensure that the first-come, first-served allocation prin- ciple is preserved. These new procedures should prevent unauthorized transfers, provide a positive inducement to carp,cling and help reduce the time applicants are on the wait list for parking permits. Respect#ully submitted, DAVID FAIRCHILD Transportation Planner Assistant City Manager KENNETH R. SCHREIBER Director of Planning and Community Environment Attachment cc: Pal. Alto Chamber of Commerce Downtown Coordinating Committee Downtown Merchant’s Association Downtown Pal, Alto Property Owner’s Group Downtown Study Committee Downtown Promotions Committee CMR:381:5 TRANSPORTATION DIVISION (415) 329-2520 P,O, BOX 10250 Ph.LO ALTO, CA 94303 IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE CIRCULATE AND POST FOR OTHER PARKING PERMIT HOLDERS IN YOUR WORK PLACE June 4, 1985 TO:All Parking Permit Holders, University Avenue Parking District SUBJECT: Changes to Permit Procedures Effective for parking, permits valid beginning July 1, 1985, the City of Palo A]to ~s returning to bumper-type parking stickers. ’These new stickers will be identified with the license number of a single vehicle. To apply for a renewal of your permit, please mail a copy of the valid vehicle registration or lease agreement in your name, plus a copy of your valid driver’s license. If applying in person, please bring these documents with you. Permits will not be renewed except for a vehicle owned by, or leased to, the permitholder of record. As before, parking permits are issued to individuals, and are not transferable. Effective immediately, "carpool" and "second vehicle" procedures have been changed. These changes are necessary due to the inadvertent potential for misuse of these multiple vehicle permits for the purpose of transferring permits, thus bypassing the wait list. Permits are not and never have been transferable by the original permitholder.. Theyare issued on a first-come, first-serve basis to individuals who applied on a waiting list. For those who need carpool and second vehicle permits, the following options are available: Carpool permits.* carpool participants may obtain, free of charge, a ~ai]y permit from an attendant located at the corner of Hami]ton and Ramona, between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. every weekday (holidays excepted). The validity of these free permits has been expanded to include any reserved permit space in any City-owned lot or garage ~in the Downtown area. ~mits,** Temporary permits will be issued free of charge to ~ a limited time each quarter. App]y in person at Revenue Collections between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m, If you have questions regarding these procedures, or would like us to send you an information sheet regarding the City’s carpool program, please call Revenue Collections (329-2317) or the Transportation Division (329-2520) between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 pomo weekdays. *Carpool is defined as a vehicle with two or more occupants. **To allow use of a substitute vehicle for limited periods.