CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS1 DEVELOPING A PARKING MANAGEMENT

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. DEVELOPING A PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN

It is generally best to develop an integrated parking management plan which includes a complementary set of strategies that meet the needs of a particular situation. A typical plan includes strategies that increase parking facility efficiency by sharing, regulating and pricing; use off-site parking facilities; implement overflow parking plans; improve user information; and improve walking and cycling conditions Reduce parking demand by encouraging use of alternative modes and more accessible land use development Improve enforcement and control of parking regulations, and address spillover problems in various other ways Improve parking facility design and operation to improve user convenience and safety and reduce negative impacts.

2. PARADIGM SHIFT

Parking management represents a paradigm shift, that is, a fundamental change in how a problem is perceived and solutions evaluated. The current paradigm assumes that parking should be abundant and free. Under the old paradigm, the parking problem means that inadequate free parking is available at each destination.

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The new paradigm strives to provide optimal parking supply and price. It considers too much supply as harmful as too little, and prices that are too low as harmful as those that are too high. The old paradigm assumes that parking lots should almost never fill, that parking facility costs should be incorporated into the costs of buildings or subsidized by governments, and that every destination should satisfy its own parking needs. The new paradigm strives to use parking facilities efficiently. It considers full lots to be acceptable, provided that additional parking is available nearby, and that any spillover problems are addressed.

It emphasizes the sharing of parking facilities between different destinations. It favors charging users directly for parking facility costs and providing savings to people who reduce their parking demand

3. PARKING MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Some strategies are mentioned below that can be useful for controlling the flux of parking issues:

· Shared parking:

Have each parking space serve multiple users and destinations.

· Parking regulations:

Regulations that favor higher-value uses such as service vehicles, deliveries, customers, quick errands, and people with special needs

· More accurate and flexible standards:

Adjust parking standards to more accurately reflect demand in a particular situation

· Smart growth:

Encourage more compact, mixed, multi-modal development to allow more parking sharing and use of alternative modes

· Walking and cycling improvements:

Improve walking and cycling conditions to expand the range of destinations serviced by a parking facility

· Mobility management:

Encourage more efficient travel patterns, including changes in mode, timing, destination and vehicle trip frequency

· Improve user information and marketing:

Provide convenient and accurate information on parking availability and price, using maps, signs, brochures and electronic communication

· Transportation management associations:

Establish member-controlled organizations that provide transport and parking management services in a particular area

· Parking facility design and operation:

Improved parking facility design and operations to help solve problems and achieve parking management objectives.

· Increase the capacity of existing facilities:

Increase parking supply by using otherwise wasted space, smaller stalls, car stackers and valet parking.

4. GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR PARKING SOLUTIONS:

· Understanding the proper role of parking in downtown:

Developing solutions that focus on creating a downtown setting that is compact, walkable, and interesting. This can be achieved by, In-fill development with safe, clean sidewalks and curbing. Parking accessibility has the potential to set the tone for the rest of the downtown experience for visitors.

· Strategically locating parking facilities

: Back to parking behind the main street buildings. Clearly, mark parking so people can find it through good directional signage and/or wayfinding system. Avoid locating parking facilities in heavy pedestrian corridors.

· Value the utility of on-street parking

: Maintain on-street parking as much as possible. On-street parallel & angled parking provide perceived advantages of visibility, accessibility, and safety. Regulate on-street parking to prevent parking nesters (e.g. 2-hours to 90 minutes)

· Emphasizing Quality Design:

Parking areas should be generously landscaped and well maintained. Landscaping should be designed to include a visual buffer between the parking area and adjacent sidewalk. Use visual amenities to help make the transition from driver to pedestrian a positive experience.

· Making better use of existing spaces:

Develop a parking educational campaign to inform the public of the whereabouts of typically unused parking spaces. Encourage shared parking facilities for users that experience peak parking demands at different times. Ways to get the message out include directional signs, publicizing parking locations on websites, brochures, newspapers ads, and through individual downtown businesses to distribute information to employees and customers.

· Controlling the total volume of downtown parking spaces.

Establish parking maximums rather than parking Minimums (too much parking discourage people from walking downtown).

Self-contained parking should be avoided for a traditional downtown because it discourages visitors from passing by other downtown businesses.

· Planning for parking comprehensively:

Any parking solution should be evaluated for its impact on:

? Traffic patterns and flow.

? Pedestrian experience.

? Density levels. - Parking coverage rates.

? Activity pattern.

? Aesthetics and historical patterns.

? Sense of place.

Begin with a comprehensive menu of potential strategies and identify those that are most suitable, taking into account all benefits and costs, including strategic planning objectives, such as a desire to encourage more compact development or reduce vehicle traffic. Select and priorities strategies, and Parking management strategies Strategy Description Typical reduction Traffic reduction Shared parking Have each parking space serve multiple users and destinations 10-30%.Parking regulations that favor higher-value uses such as service vehicles, deliveries, customers, quick errands, and people with special needs 10-30% More accurate and flexible standards Adjust parking standards to more accurately reflect demand in a particular situation 10-30% Parking maximums Establish maximum parking standards 10-30% Remote parking Provide off-site or urban fringe parking facilities 10-30% Smart growth Encourage more compact, mixed, multi-modal development to allow more parking sharing and use of alternative modes 10-30% Walking and cycling improvements Improve walking and cycling conditions to expand the range of destinations serviced by a parking facility 5-15% Increase capacity of existing facilities Increase parking supply by using otherwise wasted space, smaller stalls, car stackers and valet parking 5-15% Mobility management Encourage more efficient travel patterns, including changes in mode, timing, destination and vehicle trip frequency 10-30% Parking pricing Charge motorists directly and efficiently for using parking facilities 10-30% Improve pricing methods Use better charging techniques to make pricing more convenient and cost effective NA Financial incentives Provide financial incentives to shift mode 10-30% Unbundle parking Rent or sell parking facilities separately from building space 10-30% Parking tax reform Tax parking facilities and their use 5-15% Bicycle facilities Provide bicycle storage and changing facilities 5-15% Improve user information and marketing Provide convenient and accurate information on parking availability and price, using maps, signs, brochures and electronic communication 5-15% Improve enforcement Insure that parking regulation enforcement is efficient, considerate and fair NA Transportation management associations Establish member-controlled organizations that provide transport and parking management services in a particular area NA Overflow parking plans Establish plans to deal with periods of peak parking demand NA Address spillover problems Use management, enforcement and pricing to address spillover problems, such as undesirable use of nearby parking facilities NA Parking facility design and operation Improved parking facility design and operations to help solve problems and achieve parking management objectives NA Civil Engineering | September 2006 19 determine which combinations should be implemented together. For example, strategies that increase regulations and prices should generally need to be implemented with strategies that increase user information, expand parking options, and improve enforcement. The next step is to develop an implementation plan. This may include various phases and contingency-based options. For example, some strategies will be implemented the first year, others within three years, and a third set will only be implemented if necessary, based on performance indicators such as excessive parking congestion or spillover problems.