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Sunday, May 19, 2013
City of Sacramento has plans to address central city parking pains
by Baryo Dee, published on June 3, 2012 at 8:41 PM
Storyline: Community
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During peak hours, nearly 46,000 parking spaces remain empty in the Central City even on Second Saturday Art Walks according to a 2012 Nelson\Nygaard study.
Despite these vacancies, it’s not unusual to see frustrated drivers circling around, block by block for curbside parking in Midtown or downtown during Second Saturday .
To address this situation, the city of Sacramento is working with the Midtown Business Association (MBA), and state and private property owners to help decongest Sacramento’s on-street parking.
Howard Chan, parking manager for the city of Sacramento, said the city is working on increasing the number of off-street parking spaces available to the Central City.
“Our efforts now are turning toward private parking lots where we will talk to property owners similar to our discussions with the state and the Eastern Garage to make their spaces available on nights and weekends to increase the supply again,” he said.
The city partnered with the state to open the East End Garage on 17th and L streets, charging a flat rate of $2 on evenings and weekends in June 2007. The garage houses nearly 600 parking spaces, yet it consistently falls below capacity during heavily congested nights and weekends, according to Chan.
As a response to vacant lots such as the East End Garage, Chan and others are working to update parking zoning codes and increase the visibility of less-utilized spaces.
Here is a breakdown of the current and proposed parking projects under way.
Residential Parking Pilot Program: The residential parking pilot program will extend resident-only parking hours from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Second Saturdays for three consecutive months. Chan is meeting with neighborhood associations affected by the pilot program for input. Depending on when those meeting take place, the pilot could be under way in July or August.
Parking Zone Update: The city has drafted a proposal to change mandatory parking requirements for businesses and residential properties. Highlights include eliminating the parking requirement for commercial spaces less than 6,400 square feet, a tiered parking space standard dependent on neighborhood type, and alternative options to the parking requirement such as bike parking or an in-lieu-of fee. The proposed timeline for the adoption of the report and ordinance is September.
City management of private parking: The city is speaking with businesses to turn privately owned parking spaces into city-managed parking on nights and weekends. The timetable for this project depends on the individual agreements with the city and property owners.
Midtown/downtown parking map and iPhone application: The Midtown Business Association is developing a comprehensive map of city-managed, city-owned and private parking lots. The .pdf-format map will be available late this summer. The organization will update its free iPhone parking application called “Explore Midtown” during the same time.
East End Garage Marketing: The Midtown Business Association is working with the city to increase visibility of the East End Garage through increased signage. There will be signs in a one-block perimeter away from the garage with arrows pointing to the entrance.
Chan said that he acknowledges the challenge of encouraging people to use off-street parking in areas that currently have free residential parking after 6 p.m. He said their goal will be to place long-time parkers and employees into off-street parking lots so that on-street parking can turn over faster.
Elizabeth Studebaker, executive director of the MBA, also recognizes the challenge to decongest the streets.
“The difficult thing is that both sides are right,” she said. “I know that parking is congested for residents, and I know that parking is congested in the commercial district, so really, we have a set of tools at our disposal that we just need to make sure we are using as best as possible.”
Chan said that the city welcomes feedback from the public regarding its plans and particularly regarding its pilot program, since it can be implemented very soon.
“We’re trying to really facilitate a good solution, and that’s the nature of our outreach over the next month or two,” he said.
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Opening up private lots is a bigger challenge--there are plenty of private lots that are chained off at 5 PM, but the owners of those lots don't want the insurance liability of what might happen if people can use them after hours. Opening up state lots is another interesting idea but it is less useful--most of the state parking structures are downtown in places that are several blocks from the places people want to visit. And, of course, if parking on the street in residential neighborhoods is free, what incentive do evening visitors have to use those lots at all?
Your point about "parking on the street in residential neighborhoods is free, what incentive do evening visitors have to use those lots at all?" is especially key. On SS I've seen young women in high heels and cocktail dresses park as far north of J as 21s & E then walk down to J or K clubs/bars as late as 9:00 p.m.
One problem we have in midtown is the excessive and illogical use of parking meters. If I want to drive to 21st street and have breakfast at Lucky Cafe on a Saturday, then walk around and do some shopping, I have to pay a meter on a completely empty street to do so. It just grates on my nerves to have to feed a meter on a completely empty street to be able to stay in the area to shop. So guess what, I don't do it. Instead I will go to the Corner Stone at Headhunter's which does not have meters on it's street. Too bad for the Lucky Cafe. Sacramento needs to make parking free on Saturdays if it is serious about making midtown/downtown work. It's just stupid to discourage customers that way.
And what if I want to try out a new restaurant like The Porch. And it turns into a leisurely meal. I have to worry about the meter. Did I put enough time in it? Do I have to interrupt my dessert to add more time? Screw it, I'll just go someplace else instead.
And if you're going to visit The Porch for dinner, you don't have to worry about street meters because you don't have to pay after 6 PM.
Invest in longer life, rose-smelling, slow down, look around--walk.
I agree with those saying that people just need to get used to walking a few blocks. But I also agree with Steve31 that we need to seriously change the City's failed parking policy and do something about the City's 'high-tech' parking meter fiasco.