Emerging On-street Parking Trends and Technologies

Emerging On-street Parking
Trends and Technologies
September 17, 2014

Current and emerging parking issues
― Should we charge for parking?
― Permit strategies
― Enforcement

Technological advancements in parking management

To get more out of an existing parking system, there will be
a need to change status quo.

Change in status quo will likely require new technologies,
strategies, products, staff resources, operating protocols
and more active daily management.

Not everyone has to park.

The operative term in “parking management” is
management.
Why Manage
Parking?
- Use A Limited
Resource Efficiently
- A Tool to Enhance
Economic Activity
- Create Order and
Reduce Anxiety
- Use Parking As A
Tool To Encourage
Transportation
Options
- Maximize/Manage
Parking Turnover
- Get the Right
People In the Right
Parking Space
 On-street parking is finite and highly desired
(minimize conflicts).
 Off-street parking is expensive, so fully maximize
what you have.
 Strategic and tailored parking management
supports and attracts business.
 Customers appreciate it.
 More options create more opportunities.
 Ground level businesses want turnover (people
spending money).
 The most commonly held basis for determining priority use of
parking is zoning.
 If base zoning in an area is residential, then the “priority” for
access to any on-street parking in the area would be residents
and their guests.
 If the area is zoned commercial or mixed use, with requirements
for active ground floor uses, then the “priority” would be for
short-term visitor access to ground floor uses.
 If an area were zone industrial, the priority could be for long-term
employee parking associated with industrial businesses.
 Who should have priority access to on-street parking?
 If parking is constrained, who gets bumped to guarantee the
priority user is accommodated?
 Should employees or residents be allowed to park on-street in
commercial business areas?
 Should employees be allowed to park on-street in residential
areas?
 What is the purpose of off-street parking?
 What is the role of the City in providing parking for visitors,
employees, and residents?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.
Guiding Principles, Data Collection, and the 85% Rule, can help you evaluate
pricing as it relates to your specific circumstances.
 Free parking does not directly result in increased parking demand.
 Pricing parking should be made in the context of intended outcomes. If
outcomes are not being achieved, or cannot be achieved through other
means, then pricing becomes an option.
 Can customers find parking within easy walking distance of their
destination?
 Are businesses benefiting in foot traffic and sales because parking turns
over at an effective rate?
 Is there a continuing conflict between employees and visitors for use of
on-street spaces?
 Is there a need or desire for additional resources to expand parking
supply and/or transportation options to increase capacity for access?
 The average rate of hourly parking onstreet in a sample of 52 US cities was
$1.67 per hour.
 Debate now is whether more dynamic
pricing or performance based pricing
is the best approach to parking
management where pricing is in
place.
 Performance based pricing requires
― Resources
― High level of integrated
technology
― Commitment to management
― High level communications with
users
― Centralized organization
 A mechanism to manage priorities
 Assures the right parker is in the right space
 Allows underutilized space to be more effectively managed
 Can be administratively burdensome
 Many residential programs are currently limited to a “cost
recovery” only model.
 Must be balanced with off-street system to avoid “devaluing”
off-street supply.
 Can be enhanced by technology (e.g., on-line payment).
 Must be backed up by enforcement.
 Survey of 12 North American cities showed little variation in
programs and outcomes.
It is imperative that cities understand that any controls
beyond unregulated parking require a commitment to
enforce. The glue that holds on-street parking
management together is enforcement.
• What is the current level of enforcement?
• What are the objectives of enforcement?
• What is the Return on Investment (ROI) of
enforcement?
We must understand what we are weighing and how much each driver for
on-street space weighs in this balancing act
• Economic Drivers – More On-Streets Spaces > More Customers
• Revenue Drivers – Less On-Street Spaces > Less Revenue Potential
• Delivery Drivers – High Reliability of Available Space > More Stops
>Less Vehicles
 Solar Powered Meters
 Pay-by-Phone
 Parking Pay Stations / Pay on Foot
 Parking Applications (APPs)
 License Plate Recognition Systems/Vehicles
 Real-time Parking Information
 Parking Sensors/Occupancy Monitoring
 Hand-Held Citation Devices
 Payment by Credit/Debit/Smart Cards
 Automated Validation Programs (Parkt, Click and Park, etc.)
 On-line parking passes, validations, reservations, payment

What is the problem you are trying to solve?
Increased revenue?
Increased stall turnover and transactions?
Improved enforcement?
Better customer experience?
-
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System need should drive technology, not the other way around
-
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Technology is only a tool; pick the right tool for the job
Cost is a Major Factor
- Consider revenue generated versus cost of equipment, maintenance &
operations and desired outcome

Support and on-going delivery (are you committed?)

Testing and Phasing are Critical
- Start small and then expand
THANK YOU
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