HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-06-21 City Council (7)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: POLICE
PLANNING
3
DATE:JUNE 21, 2004 CMR:324:04
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION ADOPTING EXTENDED FREE PARKING FROM
TWO TO THREE HOURS IN CALIFORNIA AVENUE AREA
PARKING STRUCTURES 3 AND 5
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the
continuation of free three-hour parking in the California Avenue area City parking structures
3 and 5 and until February 28, 2005.
BACKGROUND
Over the last year, demand for parking compared to previous years has been reduced due to
the general economic downturn. Prior to the past holiday season, the California Avenue
Area Dist~ct Association (CAADA) and City staff a~eed that it would be beneficial to
extend the free parking in the two City garages in the California Avenue area from two to
three hours. Under the Palo Alto Municipal Code, the City Manager has the authority to
change parking time limits up to 120 days. As a result, a temporary change was made in
December 2003. This report recommends the adoption of the attached resolution that would
extend this change in time limits until February 28, 2005.
DISCUSSION
Based upon the success of the extended holiday season parking pro~am, on May 12, 2004
CAADA met and voted to request that the Council extend the three-hour parking in the taro
garages, and to ask staff to evaluate its impacts in conjunction with a similar extension in
the downtown garages. Staff concurs with this request and believes that in order to facilitate
shopping and visits to the California Avenue area, continuance of the three-hour free
CMR:324:04 Page 1 of 3
parking in the two California Avenue area garages would be beneficial. This resolution is
similar to the one the City Council approved for several Downtown parking structures on
May 17, 2004. The additional hour of public parking in the attached resolution includes a
provision for extending the time in the two California Avenue area garages until February
28, 2005, the same date approved for the Downtown garages.
Although the addition of an extra hour of free public parking has been generally well
received as a favorable option towards supporting retail businesses in Palo Alto, it is not
without some concern or consequence. As compared with two-hour parking time limits,
three-hour parking may be more likely to promote emp!oyee monopolization of garage
parking spaces designed for use by visitors and customers. Additionally, the change will
reduce citation revenue as less overtime parking tickets will be issued. In view of the
above, staff will evaluate any impacts this change may have and work both with the
Chamber of Commerce Parking Committee as well as CAADA and make appropriate
recommendations to the Council in February 2005.
RESOURCE IMPACT
Based on a five-month analysis of the three-hour parking extensions, staff estimates an
average 21 percent reduction in parking citations, principally in overtime parking violations,
in California Avenue area parking structures 3 and 5. This equates to an approximate
reduction of $10,500 in citation revenue over a 12-month period.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The extension of two-hour free punic parking to three hours is consistent with the overall
goal of providing convenient parking for customers and visitors to Palo Alto.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The provisions of this resolution do not constitute a
Environmental Quality Act because it can be seen with
environmental impact will occur.
project under the California
certainty that no significant
CMR:324:04 Page 2 of 3
ATTACHMENT
Map of Downtown Pato Alto Parking Zones
Resolution
PREPARED BY:
MARK VENABLE
[anager
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
ASHOK A(
City Traffic Engineer
L~’~q’xr~E JOHNSON
Police Chief
STEVE EI’~SLIE
Director, Planning and Community Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
EMI HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:324:04 Page 3 of 3
California Avenue
Public Parking Facilities
Park BOulevard
Lot C-!
~ C-3
~::B~.~¢~ Garagd
Birch Street
iLotC-~.
k-.." .-.-" ...-" ..-’q Permit Parking
~t<.,.-:~Free 3 Hour &
~-~ ~-"~~.......~.~,~..~~.-_C>~Permit Parking
..... i.-,-’: .-.-")
Ash Street
Lot C-t ....
El Camino Real
UooOTed
***NOT YET APPROVED**
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO
ALTO APPROVING AND ADOPTING C~_hNGES IN THE CITY
OF PALO ALTO’S RESTRICTED PARKING ZONES IN THE
CALIFORNIA AVENUE DISTRICT
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as
follows:
SECTION I. The City Council finds as follows:
(a)Council is authorized pursuant to Pa!o Alto
Municipa! Code Section 10.44.010 to adopt parking restrictions
on city streets and in city -owned parking !ots through ordinance
or resolution; and,
(b)in D ecember 2003 the City Manager, acting
pursuant to the authority granted in Palo Alto Municipal Code
Section 10.44.010, extended the two -hour parking limits in the
off-street public parking structures 3 and 5 in the California
Avenue area to three -hour park ing limits for the duration of
four months; and
(c)Council has determined that these extended three -
hour parking limits have been effective and desirable in serving
the parking needs of the California Avenue area and desires to
extend these three-hour parking limit through February 28, 2005;
Now therefore, the Council does hereby resolve:
SECTION i. The two-hour parking limits in the off -street
public parking structures 3 and 5 !ocated in the California
Avenue area are hereby extended to three -hour parking limits
effective on the date of adoption of this resolution through the
date of February 28, 2005.
SECTION 2 The updated parking zone map for the
California Avenue District of Palo Alto, entitled "California
Avenue Area" which is attached hereto is hereby approved and
adopted. This document supercedes al! previous similar parking
zone maps for the California Avenue area.
//
//
//
//
040616 c10044393