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2022-06-13__Northampton Parking Policy by STN1 City of Northampton Downtown Parking Policy Review June 2022 Examine Current Parking Management Strategy Explore Best Practice Options, Including: •Pricing Changes •Regulatory Changes •Collaborative Approaches for Downtown Employers •Informational and Wayfinding Changes •Other Ideas from Stakeholders 2 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Study Overview Key Considerations 3 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY •Post-pandemic parking demand •Desire for on-street dining •Potential reconstruction of Main Street •Best practices in parking management •Changing future parking demands Parking Management Recommendations, Implemented Since 2015 4 2015 Downtown Northampton Parking Management Study Implemented Recommendations •Increase rate on Main Street to $1 per hour (from $0.75) •Increase time-limit on Main Street to 2-hours (from 1-hour) •Increase time-limit in the Armory Lot and Masonic Lots to 3-hours (from 2-hours) •Pay stations make change and take credit cards at all surface lots •Sponsor a university contest to develop a downtown parking app (now use pay-by-plate with ParkMobile) •Upgrading to pay-by-plate meters (allowing off-street parking to be controlled by price more than time limits) Other upgrades •Refreshed parking wayfinding signs and added three smart signs for garage availability (2 on Main street , 1 on Pleasant street) •Increased the number of free 15-minute parking spaces •Expanded Roundhouse parking lot, adding 20 spaces to parking inventory (replacing 22 spaces lost in Pulaski Park expansion) •Removed five parking spaces on Main Street to improve crosswalk safety NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY 2015 Downtown Northampton Parking Management Study 5 Short-Term •Increase rate on Main Street from $0.75 to $1 per hour, and increase by $0.25 annually to get to $1.50 •Enforce Main Street parking restrictions from 9 am to 8 pm (not 8 am to 6 pm) •Consider joining lots on Masonic Lot block to increase supply •Work with businesses to explore options to make more efficient use of underutilized lots •Retain a signage and graphics consultant to improve wayfinding (some parking signs updated in-house) •Perform site studies to understand options and costs for potential garage sites •Work with businesses for a Downtown Valet •Consider cheap permit in peripheral lots for students in downtown trade schools (limit permit span to school hours) •Increase parking fines and ensure adequate enforcement Long-Term •Phase out the free hour in the garage Parking Management Recommendations, Not Yet Adopted NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY 6 Parking Fee Structure $15 Fine $25 Fine NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Group B Parking in front of theater, hotel, fire station, or concert hall Double parked Parking 20-feet from corner Right wheels not at curb Parking in taxi zone Parking within 3-feet of a drive-way or private road Less than 12 feet of clearance Parking over 12-inches from curb Vehicle displaying advertising Vehicle for sale Grass plot Overtime Meter space Angle space Meter violation Group A Parking on sidewalk/crosswalk Parking in intersection/prohibited zone Parking on Main Street between April 1 and Nov 30 [No parking 2am-7am North Side of Street, Odd days & No Parking 2 am-7am South Side of Street, Even days] Parking within 10 feet of fire hydrant Parking over 5 minutes in alley Parking in tow-away zone, fire lane, or bike lane Group C Parking during a snow emergency between 12:01am and 6am Dec 1 to April 1 [Downtown only: 2 am to 7 am) Group E Parking in bikeway *non-inclusive of MA general laws defining fines for handicap reserved spaces and bus stops $50 Fine 7 Downtown Parking Options E. John Gare Parking Garage Downtown Parking* Gothic Street Parking Structure* NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY 430 Spaces | Open 24 hours •$0.75/hour (1st hour free) •$90/month parking permit (~20% or 90 permits sold in 2019; waitlist for additional sales) 43 Spaces | Enforced 5 pm to 6 am •$0.75/hour •Only accessible on weekends and after 5 pm on weekdays 538 Metered On-Street Spaces | Enforced 8 am to 6 pm •Main Street and Craft Ave | $1/hour (2-hour max) •All other streets | $0.75/hour (2-hour max) ~1,000 Spaces in Municipal Lots | Enforced 8 am to 6 pm •Short Term | $0.75/hour (3-hour max) •Armory Lot, Masonic Lot, Strong Lot •Long Term | $0.25/hour (no max) •Round House Lot**, Old South Lot**, Hampton Lot**, James House Lot**, West Street Lot**, Strong Lot, Union Station Lot •*$45/month parking permit parking allowed in select long- term lots and 10-hour meters (red top) in various places *Pay using Pay-By-Plate Kiosks OR parkMobile Downtown Parking Options 8 Nearly 60% of parking in Downtown Northampton is public NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Total Spaces: ~2,800 ~500 ~1,000 ~1,200 9 SOURCE: Downtown Northampton Parking Management Study (Walker), April 2015, pp. 8-12 Wednesday Parking Occupancy, 2014 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY On-Street Public Parking Main Street | 164 spaces counted Daytime: 78% (128 occupied) Evening: 70% (114 occupied) Other | 355 spaces counted Daytime: 69% (244 occupied) Evening: 77% (276 occupied) Off-Street Public Short-Term | 225 spaces counted Daytime: 61% (137 occupied) Evening: 79% (178 occupied) Long-Term | 816/938 spaces counted Daytime: 81% (661 occupied) Evening: 45% (429 occupied) Off-Street (Private) | 1,239/1117 counted Daytime: 64% (797 occupied) Evening: 42% (469 occupied) 10 SOURCE: Downtown Northampton Parking Management Study (Walker), April 2015, pp. 8-12 Saturday Parking Occupancy, 2014 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY On-Street Public Parking Main Street | 164 spaces counted Daytime: 75% (124 occupied) Evening: 90% (147 occupied) Other | 355 spaces counted Daytime: 76% (268 occupied) Evening: 78% (278 occupied) Off-Street Public Short-Term | 164 spaces counted Daytime: 74% (167 occupied) Evening: 84% (188 occupied) Long-Term | 938 spaces counted Daytime: 76% (624 occupied) Evening: 69% (647 occupied) Off-Street (Private) | 1,239/1117 counted Daytime: 44% (554 occupied) Evening: 50% (554 occupied) *Evening was selected when there were two events at the Iron Horse and Academy of Music. 11 SOURCE: https://northamptonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6563/Downtown-Parking-Map-July-2019 Downtown Parking Inventory, by price NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY 12 Downtown Parking Pricing, 2019-22 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDYSOURCE: https://northamptonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6563/Downtown-Parking-Map-July-2019 ROUND HOUSE LOT HAMPTON AVENUE LOTS ARMORY LOT UNION LOT MASONIC LOT Facility Type Inventory Price Per Hour Main Street / Craft Avenue 164 $1.00 Other Streets 355 $0.75 EJ Gare Garage 1st hour free 430 $0.75 Gothic Street Structure 43 $0.75 Short-Term Lots 225 $0.75 Long-Term Lots ~600 $0.25 GARE GARAGE STRONG AVENUE LOT GOTHIC ST GARAGE JAMES HOUSE LOT Long-Term: ~1,000 monthly garage permits and ~4,000 long-term lot/red-top meter permits sold (equivalent to ~90 and ~340 annual permits) 13 On-Street Meters + Pay Kiosks, $572,800 Off-Street Meters + Pay Kiosks, $250,000 parkMobile, $100,000 Monthly Long-Term Permits, $181,300 Monthly Garage Permits, $95,000 E John Gare Garage, $491,800 FY2019 Parking Sales ~83% of parking revenue comes from hourly parking fees, collected in garage or at kiosks, meters, and the parkMobile application. NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY 14 - 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday EJ Gare Transactions by Day of Week E John Gare Garage, 2019 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY $0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 Monthly Garage Revenue Friday and Saturday are the busiest days, and December is the busiest month. 15 Recommendations Customer-Friendly Pricing Sharing Parking Better Parking Information NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY 16 Recommendation I Customer-Friendly Pricing NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Facility Type Inventory Utilization Price Per Hour Walker Recommendation Best Practice Main Street / Craft Avenue 164 90% Sat. PM $1.00 $1.50 (Increase $0.25/yr.) Charge and enforce from 9 am to 8 pm Adjust to demand Other Streets 355 78% Sat. PM $0.75 (Increase $0.25/yr.)“ EJ Gare Garage 430 94% Sat. Day $0.75 Remove 1-hr. free Remove time-limits Gothic Street Structure 43 98% Wed. PM $0.75 “ Short-Term Lots 225 84% Sat. PM $0.75 3-hour parking “ Long-Term Lots ~600 ~80% Wed. Day $0.25 “ ROUND HOUSE LOT HAMPTON AVENUE LOTS ARMORY LOT UNION LOT MASONIC LOT GARE GARAGE STRONG AVENUE LOT GOTHIC ST GARAGE JAMES HOUSE LOT Turnover Availability NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Pricing •Time -limits encourage turnover, but they do not create availability •Ti me -limits do discourage longer customer visits •Pricing creates availability; price to demand •Reward good behavior with lower prices (where demand is lower) 1818 Raise the price here Lower the price here Ideal price here Best Practice Methods: Pricing Local places that have removed or lengthened time-limits and use tiered pricing: •Salem •Haverhill •Pittsfield •Concord •Watertown •Lawrence •Nashua •Boston 19 5 pm to 8 am 8 am to 5 pm Better utilize existing resources by promoting more shared parking to attract new users, increase options/amenities for employees, residents, and visitors. NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Recommendation II Share Public & Private Parking Shared agreements can be tailored to City and businesses needs: •All day or at select times •Permit only •Snow emergencies only - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 Restaurant (150k SF): Real Demand Unshared Supply 12pm Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 Office (150k SF): Real Demand Unshared Supply 2pm Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 Unshared Supply Residential (150k SF/1000 units): Real Demand 2 am Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 Shared Uses: Real Demand Unshared Supply 31% Less Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking 25 Lexington, MA –Shared Parking Best Practice NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking 2626 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking Private works with Private: West Concord, MA 2727 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking Private works with Private: West Concord, MA 28 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Public works with Private: West Hartford, CT Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking Public leases private: Oak Park, IL •Leases with ~30 private landowners •Banks, churches, drugstores, etc. •Consistent signage •50/50 revenue sharing •Maintenance and enforcement covered by City NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking 3030 City leases from Private: Sacramento, CA •Manages 17,000 parking spaces (10,000 are leased) •124 person staff •Enforcement only or full management •Will take on short-term deficit to avoid building more parking NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking 3131 BID Leases from Public: Manayunk, Philadelphia, PA •Special Services District (BID) leases parking from City •Leases and manages 5 lots •Uses a third-party for management •Parking revenue is 30% of total SSD revenues NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking 3232 Public requires Private: Arlington, VA •Private sector provides most of the public, off -street supply •Require private owners/operators to make some/all of their parking publicly accessible •Zoning code (Site Plan Requirement) NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking 3333 •It’s good for business •Reduces concentrated parking pressure •Uses existing parking more efficiently •Can build fewer parking spaces / decreased paved surfaces •Improve neighborhood / business climate •Mutually beneficial NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Best Practice Methods: Shared Parking All parking options should be clearly identified, including: •Time limits and 15-minute free parking at meters and kiosks •Alternative parking options •Northampton parking branding City should use wayfinding and signage to: •Direct vehicles to parking options away from Main Steet •Direct pedestrians to different locations Downtown •Direct parkers to parking that is less easy to find, at a walkable distance from Downtown 34 Existing public parking facilities (with vacancy) are less than a 4- minute walk from Main Street NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Recommendation III Provide more information for parking Parking signage at the Masonic Street Lot with payment and instructions and wayfinding information Best Practice Methods: Wayfinding 36 NORTHAMPTON DOWNTOWN PARKING POLICY STUDY Downtown Parking Policy Study Open Feedback 37 Thank you! 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