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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-07-12 City Council (11)City of Palo Alto C ty Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:POLICE PLANNING DATE: SUBJECT: JULY 12, 2004 CMR:341:04 STATUS REPORT ON DOWNTOWN AND CALIFORNIA AVENUE PARKING This is an informational report and no Council action is required. BACKGROUND Downtown parking issues have been the source of discussion and Council action for many years. In July 1992, the City Council directed staff to prepare a feasibility report about changing the one-hour parking limit to two hours during lunchtime because one-hour parking did not provide enough time for visitors to eat and shop. With the realization that changes to parking time limits would impact other downtown parking .issues, staff worked with the Chamber of Commerce Parking and the Downtown Marketing Committees. The effort led to the development of a 13-Point Parldng Program that addressed and enhanced downtown parking issues (Attachment A). The program was incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan. As a result, in November 1992, two-hour on-street parking limits were approved on a trial basis. In August 1993, the two-hour limits were extended indefinitely Another issue that surfaced dealt with "sleeper parldng." Sleeper parking refers to the practice of employees who work in a certain area monopolizing many of the most convenient spaces on-street parking spaces and thus restricting their availability for shoppers, restaurant customers, and other visitors. The change from one-hour to two-hour parking exacerbated the problem, as employees did not need to move their cars as frequently. This was confirmed by a parking survey that sleeper parkers were using between 15 to 20 percent of available spaces. In order to manage this issue the City Council adopted the color zone parldng ordinance in 1995 on a one-year trial basis, extended the trial in 1996 and made it permanent in 1997 based on the success of the color zone program. CMR:341:04 Page 1 of 14 The parking enforcement element within the Police Department is comprised of seven Parldng Enforcement Officers (PEO), one. Parking Enforcement lead and a supervising Police Sergeant. Including the other parking enforcement beat areas outside of the downtown and California Avenue areas, the PEOs write about 50,000 citations a year, contributing approximately $1.8 million annually in revenue to the General Fund. At Council’s request, staff has examined the present color zone parking configuration and enforcement strategies in the downtown area. This report provides the results of that examination in addition to other information about other strategies that have been undertaken to enhance parking availability in both the Downtown and California Avenue. DISCUSSION Downtown Color Zone Parking The downtown area currently consists of four color zones (Attachment B) each comprising approximately two blocks by three blocks. Except for the provisions noted below, a visitor to the Downtown area may park once per day, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., in a given color zone for a total time not to exceed two hours on street or three hours in the designated City garages. In total, there are approximately 3,950 vehicle parking spaces located either on city’ streets, in one of the six City garages or 12 surface lots. Mondays through Fridays, a PEO is assigned to a specific zone to conduct proactive regulatory enforcement. The creative uniqueness of the color zone parldng solution requires that the PEOs walk the entirety of each color zone and manually enter the license plates of every parked vehicle into handheld citation computers. On any given day, an individual PEO enters between 750 and 1,000 license plates. Palo Alto’s color zones can be confusing, especially to those whom infrequently visit the Downtown area. While numerous complaints were received for a period of time after the color zone program was initiated, the number of complaints have significantly reduced over the last few years. The most common complaint has to do with the understanding that a person has a total of two hours to park in a given color zone within theduration of a single day. For example, an individual running a quick errand parks in the Lime Zone for 20 minutes during the morning. A PEO records the vehicle’s license number in the morning. Later in the afternoon, believing his/her two-hour limit has not expired, having an hour and forty minutes left for that respective day, the individual again parks in the Lime Zone. CMR:341:04 Page 2 of 14 However, there is not any way for the PEO to determine how much time the person has parked in that specific zone each time he/she parks and as a result, a parking citation is issued for reparking in the Lime Zone. During the evaluation of the current color zone program, staff and the Parking Committee realized that because lengthy, descriptive detailed signs are not practicable, some ambiguity does exist with the current signage (Attachment C). One way staff has addressed this issue is through the adjudication process. Upon appeal or receipt of a complaint, the ticket recipient, will grant a onetime dismissal to serve as a warning. Staff believes this is a reasonable and equitable compromise over a more large-scale solution of all color zone sign replacement. Alternatives to Current Color Zones Staff has reviewed other alternatives associated with the color zone program. Staff also discussed, in general, with the Parking Committee and the Committee has no interest in doing away with the color zones. One possible alternative that was evaluated would be to completely eliminate the color zone program and return to two-hour parking time limits with no restrictions associated with reparking in the same area. While this would greatly assist those who need to engage in multiple appointments within, what is now, the same color zone, it would reduce the available parking spots for customers and visitors due to the probable return of sleeper parking. Non-color zone enforcement would revert to the process of chalking tires, similar to how it is done in some locations within the California Avenue area. Based upon experience in the California Avenue area and in the Downtown area prior to color zone implementation, chalking is an ineffectual means of deterring and preventing long-term parldng in premium on-street spots. Unlike the present color zone enforcement technique of entering each parked vehicle’s license plate, chalking allows people to repark their vehicle in an adjacent stall, roll his/her tire forward or, as was chronicled in the Palo Alto Weekly some months back and employ the use of a water squirt bottle to remove tire chalk marks. Although the removal of chalk marks for the purpose of evading parldng enforcement is prohibited, the Police Department has limited resources available to proactively enforce such scoffers. While the shift from a color zone enforcement Strategy to chalking would require less staff because PEOs can cover a larger geographical area by driving throughout the enforcement area instead of walking, there is a significant downside to the chalking proceSs in addition to CMR:341:04 Page 3 of 14 that mentioned above. Prior to the implementation of color zone parldng, PEOs experienced a high number of Worker’s Compensation injuries that not only necessitated medical treatment, but also resulted in several extended medical leaves that were caused by the repetitive motion of chalking tires. As a result, if the color zone program is to be eliminated, staff would limit the number of vehicles PEOs would chalk each day in efforts to minimize industrial injuries. A second alternative that was considered is to reduce the present number of color zones from four to two. The combining of the existing Blue and Lime zones and the Coral and Purple zones would create two zones that would divide downtown at Bryant Street into an east and west color zone. This r.econfiguration would serve to not only simplify color zones, making it easier for visitors to understand, but it would also be a stronger deterrent in dissuading downtown employees for parldng on-street. Additionally, an overall greater turnover of vehicle parking would be realized, as individuals would have fewer locations available for reparldng due to the larger geographical area of each new color zone. A downside of creating two larger color zones would be the inconvenience factor for those who have to make multiple trips to the downtown area during the course of a single day, especially if their destinations are within the same enforcement area. They would be forced to 1) park in the juxtaposing color zone, which could be a significant walk if their destination is located at the extreme end of the respective color zone, 2) in the peripheral neighborhoods surrounding the color zones, or 3) purchase a one day parking permit. Additionally, the two color zone strategy would also make it more arduous for downtown employees to park in timed on-street and garage spaces as there would be half the .color zone options available for reparking. Consequently, many employees probably would park in the surrounding neighborhoods. Staff and the Parking Committee believe the Downtown color zone parking strategy has been a successful means of facilitating parldng turnover while balancing the needs of merchants, business owners, employees and visitors. While some enhancements discussed below will serve to improve upon color zone parking, staff views the program’s continuation in its current form as a viable means of managing parking in the Downtown area. Green Spaces As a result of the complaint related to the reparking within the same color zone when malting multiple trips to the business district are made in a day, staff made some changes to the on-street green spaces. Specifically, 24-minute green parking spaces were extended to CMR:341:04 Page 4 of 14 30 minutes; approximately 27 of them were added throughout Downtown, creating a total of 33 green parking spaces, and the green spaces were excluded from the color zone restrictions. By excluding these 30 minute spaces from this restriction, drivers are able to park in a 30 minute space to run short errands and repark in the same color zone in a regular two-hour spot at a later time without receiving a citation. California Avenue Business District In the California Avenue business district, PEOs similarly engage in an enforcement strategy of entering in all vehicle license plates in the two City garages and seven City surface lots. The on-street time-limited parldng spaces within the district are enforced through vehicle tire chalking since reparking within the same location is permitted. Overall, this type of parking management program and enforcement method has been effectual as parking in the California Avenue businesses district is generally adequate and available. City Garages As noted in CMR:260:04 (Attachment D) over the last year, demand for parking in the Downtown area, as compared to the previous years, has been reduced due to the general economic downturn. Combined with the opening of two new parking structures last year with the addition of approximately 700 new parking spaces, a unique opportunity existed to make parking in City garages more inviting and convenient for visitors and patrons. To that end, in November 2003, the City Manager authorized a temporary change to the two-hour public parking time limit in the Downtown and California Avenue City garages to three- hours. The time extension was intended to encourage and facilitate holiday shopping. The success of the program resulted in the Parking Committee and the California Avenue Area District Association agreeing to pursue a long-term continuance of the three-hour free parking, On May 17, 2004 Council adopted extending free parking from two to three hours in the downtown parking structures R (High/Alma South Garage), S/L (Bryant/Lytton Garage) and B (Ramona/University Garage) until February 28, 2005. Of the remaining three " parking garages, the Civic Center and the Webster/Cowper garages were already designated as three-hour public parking facilities and the sixth garage, High/Alma North (Q) is limited to permit parking for downtown employees and consequently does not have public parking during the weekdays. On June 21, 2004 Council adopted extending free parldng from two to three hours in California Avenue area parking structures three and five until February 28, 2005 (CMR:324.04, Attachment E). CMR:341:04 Page 5 of 14 The extension of the three-hour public parking time resolved the issue experienced by users of the Av~nidas Senior Center located at 450 Bryant Street. Although the facility has 25 dedicated permit parking spaces in Lot C, located off of Ramona Street directly behind the center, it was insufficient to accommodate the numerous seniors who regularly participate in daytime events. The classes and activities at Avenidas’ frequently exceed the two-hour parking time limit. The inclusion of an additional hour of parking has ameliorated this issue. Seniors at Avenidas are very pleased with this change; a petition has been disseminated amongst the patrons in hopes .of influencing a more permanent long-term change. It should be noted that no other organization has been allotted 25 dedicated permit parking spots in a City structure or lot. Although the addition of an extra hour of free public parldng 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 limits are more likely to promote employee monopolization of garage parldng spaces designed for short-term use by visitors and customers. Currently, because of the abundant number of three-hour garage parldng spaces, this has not been a notable problem. Staff does believe however that as the economy recovers and vehicle traffic to the downtown area increases, this could become a factor in parking availability. Additionally, the change will reduce citation revenue as less overtime parldng tickets will be issued. To further make free, short-term parking more convenient for visitors and customers, the parldng configuration of permit and hourly stalls was recently adjusted at Lot S/L. Three- hour parldng is now available on the second floor of the garage, in addition to the first floor, basement and sub-basement. Previously, this was available only on the first floor, basement and sub-basement; the second floor was exclusively reserved for permit parking only. Confusion occurred when visitors entered the garage from Bryant Street and drove directly up the first ramp, parked and subsequently received a citation. Converting the second floor to free short-term parldng will help reduce misunderstandings for visitors. Permit parking is now available only on levels three, four and five. Signage in the garage was changed and all permit holders were notified. Staff will continue to monitor this situation and make additional changes as necessary, in cooperation with the Parking Committee~ Prior to the opening of the two new Downtown parking garages, staff endeavored to create additional convenient on-street parldng by reconfiguring underutilized areas. In doing so, staff was able to add approximately 18 on-street spaces. These spaces are located on Hamilton Avenue, directly in front of the Civic Center and on Emerson Street, between University Avenue and Hamilton Avenue, where parallel parking was changed to diagonal. CMR:341:04 Page 6 of 14 Permits One-Day Visitor Permits - Those individuals who occasionally have the need to park in City-regulated areas for more than three hours can obtain a one-day permit. While the practice of selling one-day permits has been in existence for more than a decade, it is not convenient for all patrons. One-day permits are sold through Revenue Collections at the Civic Center. If one needs to park all day in a designated City lot or garage in the Downtown or California Avenue areas, he/she must drive to the Civic Center to purchase a permit. Staff recognizes the need to make one-day permits more readily accessible and is examining several options. Several years ago, attempts were made to have some retailers volunteer to sell the one-day permits at their establishment. At that time, none of the retailers expressed interest in participating. Staff is currently exploring is that possibility again. Daily permits can be purchased in advance at Revenue Collections and then filled in by the purchaser to be valid for the day they are used. Many companies in the Downtown area purchase daily permits in advance for use by employees orclients. Another option staff is studying is the feasibility of installing parking permit machines in selected City garages. These devices, also known as pay and display machines, allow individuals to purchase a parking permit onsite and then display the printed permit on their dashboard. The machines are capable of accepting coins, bills, credit or ATM cards. In addition to enhancing the ease of permit purchase, the technology affords open-ended programming so permit cost can be adjusted by day or time of day. The devices can also be connected to a central computer for real-time tracking and monitoring. Several governmental agencies and parking authorities employ these permit Vending machines; for example, Stanford Unive{sity has nine such devices in place and has used this technology for the past five years with favorable results, Annual and Quarterly Employee Permits - Currently, parking pernaits (regular single vehicle permits) are issued on a first come, first serve basis. A waiting list is maintained for individuals who wish to buy a permit for a particular lot where there is not any current space available. The opening of the two new City garages has dramatically reduced, and in some cases, eliminated employee permit waiting lists, Presently, those facilities with waiting lists necessitate about a two to three month delay, an improvement on the minimum 10 to 12 month waiting times during the height of economic boom. CMR:341:04 Page 7 of 14 As is discussed later in this report, it is interesting to note, even with diminished permit waiting lists and enhanced availability, Downtown .employees continue to park in the surrounding neighborhoods at relatively consistent rates. Staff believes so long as individuals can park freely in the neighborhoods, a certain percentage will consistently choose to do so rather than purchase a permit. Transferable Permits Currently, transferable permits are also sold for use in Webster/Cowper, S/L and Civic Center garages. For many years, the use of transferable permits had been restricted to the Webster/Cowper garage as a pilot program. Shortly after the two new parking structures opened, staff determined there were a sufficient number of spaces available to expand the program to also include the Civic Center and S/L garages on a trial basis. Extension of transferable permits to the two additional parking garages provided an opportunity to enhance customer service through expanded parking choices. Unlike the quarterly or annual permits which must be affixed to a specific vehicle and include the vehicle’s license plate number, the transferable permits allow a specific person to have the flexibility of moving their parking permit to multiple vehicles. There has been considerable interest expressed to expand the transferable permits to the other parking facilities. While staff would like to extend the use of transferable permits to all the other Downtown permit lots, based upon past experience, a loophole in the system allows for abuse. As staff found in 1980, and again in 1985, some permit holders used a transferable permit as a way around the waiting list process. As a result, staff has eliminated the issuance of those permits twice in the past and has reintroduced them with more strict administrative controls. Each transferable permit holder is now required to appear in person and present a valid form of identification to Revenue Collections for renewal of the permit. These measures are in place to guard against individuals getting around the established waiting lists protocols for quarterly and annual parldng permits. However, this process requires a greater amount of staff time. When a regular permit is first issued, staff checks the driver’s license and vehicle registration. At the time of renewal, this information usually is not rechecked because the permit, is issued for one specific vehicle with an associated license plate number. Transferable permits are Card stock and are meant to be displayed in the window of the vehicle and are not associated with a vehicle license number. Staff is concerned that these permits are more easily passed from the original permit holder to another person not on a waiting list and the person to whom it is passed could attempt to renew it. The staff time associated with these extra steps for verifying the ownership of the permit cannot be absorbed. Revenue Collections staff is already overextended since the sales of transferable permits now includes CC and S/L garages. Any further extension of this program would require additional staffing resources in Revenue Collections. In addition to the staffing CMR:341:04 Page 8 of 14 issue, perrnits that are improperly displayed, or which have fallen down, result in citations and associated complaints. There has been a certain amount of misuse associated with duplicating the permits as well. Recently, other transferable permit-related issues have been raised and a subcommittee of the Parking Committee has been formed to study those issues. Staff will actively participate in this effort. Signage and Education Recently the Parking Committee expressed concern over the visibility and clarity of the present signage at, and directing individuals to, the new City parking garages. These directional signs were upgraded as part of the Downtown Urban Design Improvement program. Staff will continue to work with the Parking Committee to examine the various .options and feasibility of changing parking signage in an effort to enhance public awareness and encourage garage usage. Further efforts by staff include a partnership with the Parking Committee to develop an updated public educational brochure that will encompass all of the parking changes in the Downtown area. The brochure will provided supportive information pertaining to public transit stops .and access, bicycle parking locations, public restrooms, notable landmarks and key reference numbers and website addresses for information. There will also be a section that will endeavor to answer some of the frequently asked questions. Neighborhood Intrusion Since the very early stages of colorzone development, a great deal of attention and monitoring has been given to the issue of neighborhood intrusion because of concerns about an increase in neighborhood parking north and south of the Downtown area. Surveys have been conducted since t990 and have been updated frequently enough to establish a steady pattern of neighborhood parking intrusion trends both pre and post color zone implementation. Each survey has employed quantifiable indicators of changes in the number of non-resident vehicle parldng. The surveys are conducted by chalking a tire of each vehicle parked on the street prior to 6:00 a.m. and then recording the total number of vehicles parked along each block face. Thereafter, at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and noon, the numbers of vehicles with and without chalk marks were recorded for each block face: Staff assumed that each vehicle chalked at 6:00 a.m.. belonged to a resident. As inspections are made at the three time CMR:341:04 Page 9 of 14 intervals later in the morning, those vehicles without chalk marks are assumed to belong to non-residents. While this methodological approach of chalking tires to determine intrusion parking in the downtown area neighborhoods has remained consistent with each survey, it should be noted that the non-resident numbers do not necessarily represent only Downtown employees. Also included may be vehicles associated with residences, including visitors, service providers, and delivery Vehicles. Additionally, those residents who work nights and return ¯ home after 6:00 a.m. or those individuals who leave prior to 6:00 a.m. could cause the number of assumed non-resident vehicles to be somewhat overstated. Nonetheless, each of the past surveys since 1995 have employed the chalk marking process; therefore, given error rates should remain at relatively consistent levels for comparative purposes. Staff conducted a parldng survey in the residential areas surrounding the Downtown color zone areas in March of this year. The survey revealed approximately 577 non-resident vehicles parked in the neighborhoods north of University Avenue and approximately 766 non-resident vehicles parking in the neighborhoods south of University Avenue (Attachment F). An analysis of the survey results indicates that the number of people parking in the neighborhoods has remained somewhat steady, with the exception of the years in the height of the economic expansion. At Council direction, staff worked with members of the Downtown North and SOFA Neighborhood Associations (1996-2001) and developed a proposal for a residential permit parking program (RPP). ’Staff had estimated that while the RPP would eventually become cost recovery, the start,up costs at that time would be about $707,000. Funds were originally included in the FY 2002-2003 budget, but removed when the City’s financial situation worsened.’ Funding is not available for this program in the foreseeable future. However, as long as free parking in the neighborhoods is allowed, Downtown employees will continue to use it in lieu of purchasing a permit for a City facility. As a result, staff will begin looldng at the feasibility of a much more scaled-down approach that would not require upfront costs. Parking Experiences of Other Communities Staff contacted a number of cities in an effort to obtain inforn~ation about parking strategies in their respective retail business districts. All the cities had a parking management strategy of on-street parking time limits ranging from free one hour to three hours, up to all-day CMR:341:04 Page 10 of 14 parking in garages and peripheral lots. Each city acknowledged that dealing with the issue of employees parking in premium on-street spots was significant. Most of the cities handle this issue through shorter on-street parking time limits, while providing an alternative means of either permitted or free all day parking in secondary garages or lots. While many of the cities admitted a fair amount of employee parking occurs, it is most commonly addressed through an enforcement strategy. As an example, one city, which permits two and three hour timed on-street parldng, is currently developing an "anti-shuffling" ordinance to prevent employees worldng downtown from moving from space to space. One of the hurdles they are faced with is the means by which such a regulation would be enforced. They are presently examining handheld electronic chalking systems similar to the license plate recording method Palo Alto uses. A few of the cities contacted use attended lots. The attended lot approach enables select parking facilities to have open-ended timed parking. Patrons are permitted to park free in these facilities for a given period of time, .after which they pay for every hour. This tactic of parking management balances the need to provide readily available convenient parldng through timed turnover with the enhanced flexibility of permitting additional parldng time for a cost if needed. The rates for parldng in excess of given time limits is carefully set so as not to encourage the practice as an alternative to annual permits. Prior to the construction of the Lot S/L (now Bryant/Lytton) Garage, the City contracted with a vendor to operate attendant.parldng. At this time, a replacement attended lot is not planned. Many of the City’s parldng lots are configured such that limited access and egress would be cumbersome to facilitate. The use of some sort of daily permit parking vending machines might possibly serve as a viable alternative. Some Of the cities use parking meters to facilitate turnover. However, theyeach admit abuse occurs by long-term parkers who "feed" the meters over the ~course of a day. This issue was addressed by Santa Rosa, which has 1,500 meters in its downtown area, by setting meter rates so the expense of engaging in this practice far exceeds the cost of purchasing a permit to park in a designated lot. Even so, Santa Rosa’s downtown parking experience has demonstrated that not all employees will purchase permits for various reasons. In an effort to keep these individuals from monopolizing premium on-street spaces, they have installed a limited number of ten-hour meters in the periphery of their downtown core. Mountain View’s downtown parldng is limited to two hours with the exception of the Civic Center garage that provides free, unlimited parking. Mountain View does sell annual permits for merchants and employees that are valid in most of the 10 downtown lots. In an overall general assessment, Mountain View staff indicated, with the exception of a CMR:341:04 Page 11 of 14 lunchtime influx, there is adequate free parldng in the downtown area. As a result, it has not had any issues pertaining to neighborhood intrusion. The Mountain View City Council recently approved the design phase for a new downtown garage. Menlo Park restricts on-street parldng in its downtown area to one hour and in adjacent parldng plazas for two-hours. All visitor parking is free. Upon reaching the two-hour limit in the parking plazas, visitors must move to another parking plaza as reparking in the same plaza is prohibited. Menlo Park sells both annual and one-day parking permits to merchants and employees. These permits are not available to the public. Menlo Park staff advises with the exception of some midday shortages, there are infrequent parking problems in its downtown area. Los Gatos has a comprehensive parldng management plan that has been partially implemented and includes the adoption of a color zone program similar to Palo Alto’s. To date the elements of the program that are in place include the following: Residential parking permits in six distinct districts near the downtown. Lease agreements with private parking lots to include them into the public parking mix. Redesign of current lots to more effectively handle parking. Increased number of on-street parldng spots. Comprehensive signage program for all parldng areas. One color zone activated near high school activated to handle spill-over parking. Los Gatos limits parking within the downtown core and in prime lots from 90 minutes to two hours and has designated periphery lots and less desirable parking areas for all day free parldng for employees. Spillover parking into neighborhoods is managed with a residential parking permit program. The Los Gatos City Council is considering suspending the conversion of the remaining scheduled color-zone areas at this time. RESOURCE IMPACT Based on a five-month analysis of the three-hour parldng extensions in the Downtown area, staff estimates an average 12 percent reduction in parldng citations, principally in overtime parldng violations. This equates to an approximate reduction of $215,000 in citation revenue over per year to the General Fund. CMR:341:04 Page 12 of 14 The cost to purchase and install pay and display parking permit machines in select City garages range from $12,000 to $15,000 each. The cost per machine is predicated upon the various options and features desired. There are associated ongoing expenses such as maintenance and service and added staff time to inspect and refill the machines. The cost to remove and replace Downtown color zone parking signs ranges from $80,000 to $100,000. Public Works staff has advised that due to the lack of staffing resources needed to fabricate and install these new signs, a contract vendor would be needed to accomplish the job. Included in the Police Department’s FY 2004-05 budget is $50,000 for the design, development and printing of updated brochures encompassing all of the parking changes in the Downtown area. The General Fund monies for this program are reimbursed from the University Avenue Parldng District Fund. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The Current 13-Point Parking Program satisfies the program goal (Goal T-8) for attractive, convenient public and private parking facilities. The current program includes the implementation of the two-hour color zone parking areas including two 30-minute zones per block face exempt from color zone regulations. The Sleeper Parking Ordinance or color-zone parking program was implemented to satisfy Program T-49, the implementation of a comprehensive program of parking supply and demand management strategies. Prior to implementation of the color-zone program in 1995 the Comprehensive Plan states that there ..was a shortage in downtown of nearly 1500 .parking spaces. Completion of the two new parking garages downtown (R and S/L) satisfies and accomplishes Program T-50 of the Comprehensive Plan: Continue working with merchants, the Chamber of Commerce, neighbors, and a parking consultant to explore options for constructing new parking facilities or using existing parking more efficiently. In CMR:128:04 (Commercial Downtown (CD) Monitoring Report for September 1, 2002 To August 31, 2003) upon completion of the two garages the current shortage of parking spaces downtown has been reduced from 1500 to 836. This is a result of 236 new spaces being exempted for new development through the City’s development process. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW CMR:341:04 Page 13 of 14 No environmental review is required. ATTACHMENTS A.Thirteen-Point Parking Program, Goal T-8, Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan. B.Downtown Color Zone Map. C.Present Color Zone Signage Wording. D.CMR:260:04 E.CMR:324:04 ¯ F.Neighborhood Intrusion Survey, March 2004 PREPARED BY: // ASHOK AGGARWAL DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: JOHNSON /8~TEVE EMSLIE Director of Planning and Community Environment )N Assistant City Manager CMR:341:04 Page 14 of 14 ATTACBMENT A POLICY T-42: Address the needs of people with disabilities and comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) during the planning and implementation of transportation and parking improvement projects. POLICY T-43: Provide and!or promote demand-responsive paratransit service. PRo&r~A~ i~lonitor Santa Clara County ~ paratransit program to assess its adequao< POLICY %44: Support transit agencies in implementing or continuing reduced fare or no fare voucher systems for selected populations. ParMng is allowed on most streets in Palo Alto. and large tracts of land in commdrcial areas are devoted to parking. The City regulates parking in the University ~awenue!Downtown and Cali- fornia Avenue business districts. Public lots in these areas are paid for by property owners through mmual assessments levied by the City. Most public and private parMng is provided "free" to drivers, although most business owner costs are ultimately passed on to consumers in the pricing of goods and sevvices. Based on a 199~ feasibiliW study completed for new parking structures in Downtown Palo Alto, the cost of a net new pro’Mug space is approximately $2~,500, inch~ding design, constzuction and financing, p!us an on-going annual cost of approximately $220 per space for maintenance and enforcement. In Palo Alto’s business districts, public short-term customer parking is free. }q~mployees must purchase permits for all-day parking, but some businesses underwrite the cos~ of the permits. Stanford Universib, is the only major employer in the area that reqalres employees to pay for pro’king. ~tanlbrd’s Marguerite shuttle bus service and other transpor~atiort services are funded by these pro’Mug fees. Paddng issues in Pal o Alto are primarily focused on the University Avenue/Downt6wn and California Avenue business districts. In 1995. there was a shortage of approximately 1,500 parking spaces iri Downtown Palo Alto. If one or two new parMng structures were to be built in the foreseeable future, about ~00 to 800 new spaces would be created. However, the costs to local business owners would be substantial and the hum t:mr of spaces provided would still not be enough m eliminate employee parking on nearby residential su’eets. "On-street parking tn residential areas is generally plentiful and free to residents. The excep- tion is in residential areas near business districm where on-su’em spaces are of’ten ased by employees ano customers. The challenge for the future wil! oe to manage the existing parking supply while reducing parMng demand by providing alternatives to drDing, Ultimately, park- ing demand may only be managed effectNe~, when users pay directly for its costs. Some of the proceeds could be used to finance and improve transportation modes thai do not have the space req uxren|ents or enviromnentaI impacts of automobiles. ~,~, Palo ~:\11o Comorenenslve Plan T-24 POLICY T-45: Provide sufficient parking in the Universi~, Avenue[J~owmown and California Avenue business districts to address tong-range needs. Palo Aft0’s policy in the UniversiW Avenue/Downtown and California Avenue arem~ is for most new development to provide its own parking, as the existing demand exceeds the existing sup- ply. Under certain ch’cumstances, in-lieu fe.es may be paid instead of provfding parking spaces. 1)-m fees are used to provide future public parking spaces. ~rmplement a comprehenMve program of’parking supply and demand man- agement strategies for Dow~town Pain P~O~M T 50: Continue worMng with merchants, the Chamber o~Commerce, ~elghbors, anct ~ parking consultant ro explore options fbr constructl~g new parking ~acgli- ties or using eMstin,g parking more eftlclently. 2"-51: [~Yorl~ with merchants t:o designate dedicated employee pa~qting ~reas, T-25 See also Policies B-20 and L-23, Program b8 for the Downtown, Policy b28 for California Avenue, and Programs b76, b77 and L-78 for parking lots Ernbracir~g the New Cenh~ry POLICY T-46: The Cambridge Avenue oublic parking sFucture is Palo Alto’s newes[. Such structures are expensive [o cons[ruc[ and are generally avoided by drivers unless there are no surface spaces. However, they are the only way to provide parking where open land is scarce and where closely spaced bLlildings are desired to maintain a pedestrian environment, See also Policies [-45 and B-32 See also Goat G-3 and associated policies T-26 Minimize the need for all-day employee parking facilities in the University Avenue/Downtown and Cali~brnia Avenue business dist.ricLs and encourage short-term customer parking. POLICY T-47: ~rotect residential areas from the parking impacts of nearby b~siness districts. ]~valuate options to ensure maximum use of the Ci{y" parking structures in the UniverslO" Ave~me~owntown and California Avenue areas. ¯ PRouR/,.~ T-53: Discourage paz’ldng facilities that would intrude, into adjacent residentiaJ neighborhoods. POLICY .T-48: Encourage parldng strategies in the Stanford l~edical Center area that maximize the efficient use of parking and, in the long term, conside.r the possible use of remote parking lots with shuttle bus service. Increasing population and traffic cdngestion over tim past 20 years i~ave required an increased emphasis on regional solutions to transportation issues. A regional approach tot some transpof ration issues is needed to avoid local solutions that simply shKl the problem elsewhere or prodnce unin~en.ded results. For instance, a higher gas’ tax or parking fee in Santa Clara Connty or Palo Alto might shift business to other cities. Moreover, ~ransportation facilities like Caltrain or the Bayshore Freeway need to be managed on a regional basis. ATTACBMENT B Downtown Parking Lots Free 2 Hour Parking ~Free 3 Hour Parking i~~ ~i: ~i~ ~i Permit Parking ~Free 2 Hour & Senior Center Permit Parking ~i>~:--~ Free Hour&p:~:~:.~:d Permit Parking ~ Permit ParNng Parking lot restri6tions and color zone requirements in effect 8 am - 5 pm Monday to Friday only, holidays excepted. KEY to Lots and Garages A. Emerson/Lytton lot B. Ramona/University garage C. RamonalLytton lot D. Hamilton/Waverley lot E. Gilman/Bryant lot R FlorencelLytton lot G. Gilman/Waverley lot H. Cowper/Hamilton lot K. Lytton/Waverley lot N. Emerson/Ramona lot O. Emerson/High lot P. High/Hamilton lot Q. High/Alma North garage R. High/Alma South garage S/L Bryant!Lytton Garage T. Lytton/Kipling lot CC. Civic Center Garage WC. Webster/Cowper Garage Palo Alma Strep~ Alto I L H:ichrlsibas÷-Ivlap~park_coL cdr ATTACBMENT C A TO: ATTACHMENT D City Ma ,ager s gepor HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL 2 FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:POLICE PLANNING DATE:MAY 17, 2004 CM-R:260:04 SUBJECT:RESOLUTION ADOPTING EXTENDED FREE PARKING FRO~ TWO TO THREE HOURS IN DOWNTOWN PARKING STRUCTURES R, S/L AND B RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends Council adopt the atxached resolution authorizing the continuation of free tlzree-hour parking in downtown City parking structures R, S/L and B until February 28, 2005. BACKGROUND On February 2, 2004, the Council directed staff to provide infolmaation about color zone parking, transferable permits and the extension of free parking in some downtown garages. This report addresses the extension of free parMng in dowmown garages. Staff will be providing the Council with an informational report on the remaining parking issues intl~e near furore after further discussion~ with the Chamber of Conm~erce Parking Committee. Over the last year, demand for parking in the downtown compared to previous years has been reduced due to the general economic downturn. The opening of two new downtown parking structures ]ast year and their additional 890 new parking spaces presented an opportunity to make parking in City garages more inviting and convenient for visitors and patro~s; Prior to the past holiday season, the Chamber of Commerce Parking Committee and City staff a~eed that it would be beneficial to extend the free parking in most of tl~e City garages from two to tl~ree 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 a resolution that would extend this change in time limits until February 28, 2005. C5~R:260:04 Page 1 of 4 DISCUSSION Based upon the success of the extended holiday .season parking program, the Chamber’s Parking Committee and City staff believe that in order to facilitate shopping and visits to the downtown area, continuance of the three-hour free parking in specified City garages is needed for a full year. The additional hour of public parking was implemented under the City Manager’s authorization at three of the six downtown parMng garages: R Garage- HigtgAlma South Garage; S/L Garage- Bryant/Lytton Garage; and, B Garage- Ramona/University Garage. Of the remaining three parMng garages, the Civic Center and the Webster/Cowper garages were already designated as three-hour public parking facilities and the sixth garage, Q Garage, located on High Street south of L?Cton, is limited to permit parMng for downtown employees and consequently does not have public parking during the weekdays. The attached resolution includes a provision for extending the time in all of these garages untiI February 28, 20051 One of the beneficiaries of punic parking time extensions in the downtown garages has been the Avenidas Senior Center located at 450 Bryant Street. Although the facility has 25 dedicated permit parking spaces in Lot C, locatedoff Of Ramona Street directly behind the Center, it is insufficient to accommodate the numerous seniors who regularly participate in daytime events. Moreover, the classes and activities at Avenidas frequently exceed the hour parking time limit. The addition of an additional hour of parking has ameliorated this issue and enhanced participants’ ease of access. Although the addi{ion of an extra hour of free punic parking has been generally ~veil 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 tilne limits, three-hour parking may be more likely to promote employee monopolization of garage parking spaces designed for use by visitors and customers. Additionally, the change will reduce citation revenue as less overtime parldng tickets will be issued. RESOURCE IMPACT Based on a five-month analysis of the three-hour parking extensions, staff estimates an average 12 percent reduction in parking citations, principally in overtime parking violations. This equates to an approximate reduction of $215,000 in citation revenue over a 12-month period. CMR:260:04 Page 2 of 4 POLICY IMPLICATIONS The one one-hour extension of fl’ee public parldng in downtown garages is consistent with the 13-Point Paring Pro~am goal (Goal T-8). for attractive, convenient public and private parking facilities. Ei~WIRONMENTAL REVIEW The provisions of this resolution do not constitute a project under the Ca[iifomia Environmental Quality Act because it can be seen with certainty that no significant emdronmental impact will occur. ATTACHMENT Map of Downtown PaIo Alto Parking Zones Resolution PREP.~ED BY: DEPARTMENT HEAD: LIEUTENANT MARK VENABLE Traffic Manager City Traffic Engineer LYNNE JOHNS ON Police Chief CMR:260:04 Page 3 of 4 CITY MAIb,TAGEX APPROVAL’ TEVE E!~’SLIE Director, Planning and Community Environment EMIISY HARRISON Assistant City Manager C~R:260:04 Page 4 of 4 Downtown Palo and Parkin( Parking Lots Free 2 Hour Parking ~[-~ Free 3 Hour Parking Free2 Hour & Permit Parking ~Free 2 Hour & Senior Center Permit Parldng ~Free3 Hour & Permit Parking ~~ Permit Parking Parking lot restrictions and color zone requirements in effect 8 am - 5 pm Monday to Friday only, holidays excepted, KEY to Lots and Garages A. Emerson/Lytton lot B. Ramona/University garage C, Ramona/Lytton lot D, Hamilton/Waverley lot E, Gilman/Bryant tot R FlorencelLytton lot G. Gilman/Waverley lot H. Cowper/Hamilton lot K. Lytton/Waverley lot N. Emerson/Ramona lot O. Emerson/High lot R High/Hamilton lot Q. HighlAIma North garage R. High/Alma South garage S/L, Bryant/Lytton Garage T. Lytton/Kipling lot- CC, Civic Center Garage WC, Webster/Cowper Garage Alto Parldng Color Zones Lots H.’l~lslbase.Map~:~arl,’_coLadr follows: ***NOT YF.T APPROVED** RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE CO~qC!L OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO APPROVING AND 9~OPTING CHANGES IN THE CiTY OF PALO ALT©’S RESTRICTED PARKING ZONES The Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as SECTION i. The City Council finds as follows: (a) Council is authorized pursuant to Palo Alto MunicipalCode Section 10.44.010 to adopt parking restrictions on city streets and in city-owned parking !ors through ordinance or resolution; and, (b) On April 12, 1982, Council enacted Resolution 6106 approving and adopting an parking zone’ map for the Downtown District of Palo Alto; and, (c)On November 14, 2994, Council enacted Resolution 7413 which approved and adopted an updated parking zone map for the Downtown District and adopted parking restrictions which prohib@ted reparking within designated zones for a trial period " to commence onFebruary 13, 1995, and to terminate on February i0, 1996; and, (d)On January 23, 1995, Council .enacted Resolution 7479 rescheduling this trial period of reparking prohibitions to commence on March 17, 1995, and to terminate on March 16, 1996; and, (e)On March 4, 1996, Council enacted Resolution 7576 extending the reparking prohibitions for-an additional year and approved and adopted an updated parking zone map entitled "Downtown Palo Alto Parking Lots and Parking Zones"; and, (f) On April 7, !997, Council enacted Resolution 7659 extending the reparking prohibitions for an indefinite duration and approved and adopted an updated parking zone map entitled "Downtown Palo Alto Parking Lots and Parking Zones"; and, (g) In December 2003 the City Manager, acting pursuant to the authority granted in Palo Alto Hunicipai Code Section 10.44.010, extended the two-hour parking limits in the off-street public parking garages B, S/L, and R located in downtown Palo Alto to three-hour parking limits for the duration of four months; and 040512 c10044387 ***NOT YET APPROVED** (h)Council has determined that these extended three- hour parking limits have been effective and desirable in serving the parking needs of the Downtowm District 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 garages B, S/L, and R located in the Downtown District 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 Do~town District of Palo Alto, entitled "Downtown Palo Alto Parking Lots and Parking Color Zones" which is attachedhereto is hereby approved and adopted. This document supercedes all previous similar parking zone maps for the Downtown District. SECTION 3. The Council finds that the provisions of this resolution do not constitute a project under the California Environmenta! Quality Act because it can be seen with certainty that no significant environmenta! impact wil! occur as a result of the changes in parking duration in specified public parking lots and garages approved by this resolution. ~ INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO Mayor APPROVED: Senior Asst. City Attorney City Manager Police Chief Director of Aclministrat~ve Services C ty Manager’s Rep r TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: JUNE 21, 2004 CMR:324:04 RESOLUTION ADOPTING EXTENDED FREE TWO TO TI-IREE HOURS IN CALIFORNIA PARKING STRUCTURES 3 AND 5 POLICE PLANNING PARKING FROM AXrENUE AREA 3 RECOMMENDATION Staff reconmaends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the continuation of free tl’n’ee-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 Califonfia Avenue Area District 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 tlv’ee hours. Under the Palo Alto Municipal Code, the City Manager has the authority :to chan.ge parldng time limits up to 120 dai~s. As a r~sult, 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 Feb~q_mry 28, 2005. DISCUSSION Based upon the success of the extended holiday season parldng program, on May 12, 2004 CAADA met and voted to request that the Council extend the three-hour parking in the two garage~, and to ask staff to evaluate its impacts in conjunction with a similar extension in the downtown garages. Staff concurs wi~h this request and believes that in order to facilitate shopping and visits to the California Avenue area, continuance of the tha’ee-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 horn" of public parldng 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 parldng time limits, th’ee-hour parldng may be more likely to promote employee monopolization of garage parking spaces desi~ed for use by visitors and customers. Additionally, the change will reduce citation revenue as less overtime pm.ldng 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 Con~nittee as well as CAADA and make appropriate recon~endations to the Council in February 2005. RESOURCE IS{PACT Based on a five-month analysis of the three-bur parldng extensions, staff estimates an average 21 percent reduction in parldng citations, principally in overtime parldng violations, in California Avenue area parking sm_~ctures 3 and 5. This equates to an approximate reduction of $10,500 in citation revenue over a 12-month period. The extension of two-hour free public par]ring to tlv’ee hours is consistent with the overall goal of providing convenient parldng for customers and visitors to Palo Alto. ENVfRONMENTAL REVIEW The pro~dsions of this resolution do not constitute a project under the California Enviromaaental Quality Act because it can be seen with certainty that no significant environmental impact will occur. CMR:324:04 Page 2 of 3 Map of Downtown Pa!o Alto Parking Zones Resolution PREPARED BY: DEPARTMENT HEAD: MARK VENAB LE er City Traffic Engineer Police Chief ’STEVE EhdSLIE Director,.P!anning and Conm~unity Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR:324:04 Page 3 of 3 California Avenue Public Parking Facilities Park Bou/evord Lot C-2 Parr Blvd Lot C-6 Ash Street El Camino. Real ~. Fr~ 2Hour & P ~rmit P arldn~ Free 3 Hour & H.’lbase-Mop!Por~inglCal_Ave. cdr Updated 05104 ***NOT YET APPROVED** RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO APPROVING AND ADOPTING C~qGES IN THE CITY OF PAL0 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 ~s authorized pursuant to Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 10.44.010 to adopt parking restrictions on city streets and in city -owned parking lots 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 i0,44.010, 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 located 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 heYeby approved and adopted. This document supercedes all previous similar parking zone maps for the California Avenue area. // // // // 040616 cl 0044393 ***NOT YET APPROVED** sECTION 3. The Council finds that the provisions of this resolution do not constitute a project under the Cal ifornia Environmental Quality Act because it can be seen with certainty that no significant environmental impact will occur as a result of the changes in parking duration in specified public parking structures approved by this resolution. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Mayor APPROVED: Senior Asst. City Attorney City Manager Police Chief Director of Administrative Services 040616 cl 0044393 o ATTACHMENT F The changes in on-street parking attributable to the resident and non-resident groups at various times is shown in the table below. Parking overall increased fi’om 1554 to 1896 (22%) from the 6:00 a.m. period to thel2 noon period with composition changing from all resident parking (1554) to 1343 non-resident parking mad 553 resident parking. Prior to 6:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. period 10:00 a.m. period 12 Noon period Total On-S~eet Parldng 1554 1681 2015 1896 Resident Group 1554 968 723 553 Non-Resident Group 0 713 1292 1343 The same data is separated into two parts (north-side area and south-side area) in the tables below. For the north-side area overall parking increased 21% from 701 at 6:00 a.m. to 849 at 12 noon. The composition changed from all 701 resident parking to 577 non-resident parking and 272 resident parldng. For the south:side area, partdng increased 23% from 853 to 6:00 a.m. to 1047 at 12 noon. The composition changed froln all 853 resident.parking to ¯ 766 non-resident parking and 281 resident parking. . :.~ ~ : - ~ Nm:th-side Area (North of University Avenue) Total On-Street Resident Non-Resldent Prior to 6:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. period 10:00 a.m. period !2 noon period Parldng 701 727 875 849 Group 701 454 357 272 Group 0 2~3 5~8 577 Prior to 6:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. period 10:00 a.m. period 12 noon period South-side Area (South of University Avenue) Total On-Street Parldng 853 954 1140 1047 Resident Group 853 514 366 281 Non,Resident Group 440 774 766 Comparison Total On-Staeet Parking Survey Date 1990 1993 3/95 5/95 8/95 10/95 2/96 4/96 7/96 10/96 4/99 12/99 3/04 of Current March 2004 Sulweys with 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1999 Smweys Resident Group NonrRes~dent Group S. of University 943 745 875 953 1001 987 1015 99O 942 966 1241 1018 1047 N, of University 899 819 835 909 952 888 841 911 948 9O4 961 1102 849 Total 1842 1564 1710 1862 1953 1875 1856 1901 1890 1870 2202 2120 1896 N. of University ’266 244 235 270 268 265 251 263 28O 216 195 65 272 S, of Total University 251 517 169 413 249 484 235 505 251 519 281 546 279 530 291 554 272 552 265 481 226 421 195 260 281 553 N. of University 633 575 60O 639 684 623 59O 648 668 688 766 1037. 577 S. of University 692 576 626 718 75O 706 736 699 67O 701 1015 823 766 Total 1325 1151 1226 1357 1434 1329 1326 1347 1338 1389 1781 1860 .1343