North Easton Village Parking Study. Final Report

Transcription

1 North Easton Village Parking Study Final Report January 2016

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3 Table of Contents Page Executive Summary... 1 Process... 1 Key Findings... 1 Recommendations Introduction Approach... 4 Study Area Parking Inventory and Utilization... 6 Parking Inventory... 6 Parking Utilization Public Outreach Stakeholder Meetings Intercept Survey Public Workshops Land Use & Shared Parking Recommendations Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. i

4 Table of Figures Page Figure 1 North Easton Village Parking Study Area... 5 Figure 2 Parking Inventory Overview... 7 Figure 3 Parking Supply and Regulations: North Easton Village... 8 Figure 4 On-street Parking Inventory by Regulations: North Easton Village... 9 Figure 5 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m Figure 6 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m Figure 7 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 1:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m Figure 8 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 3:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m Figure 9 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m Figure 10 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Sunday 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m Figure 11 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Sunday 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m Figure 12 Study Area Parking Utilization: Wednesday Figure 13 Study Area Parking Utilization: Sunday Figure 14 Study Area On-Street Parking Utilization: Wednesday Figure 15 Study Area On-Street Parking Utilization : Sunday Figure 16 Study Area Off-Street Parking Utilization: Wednesday Figure 17 Study Area Off-Street Parking Utilization: Sunday Figure 18 Core Area Boundary and Parking Inventory Figure 19 Core Area Parking Utilization: Wednesday Figure 20 Core Area Parking Utilization: Sunday Figure 21 Municipal Lot Utilization - Wednesday Figure 22 Municipal Lot Utilization: Sunday Figure 24 October Public Workshops Flyer Figure 25 Frequency of North Easton Village Visitation - Survey Figure 26 Duration of North Easton Village Visitation - Survey Figure 27 North Easton Village Visitation Time - Survey Figure 28 Public Workshops Figure 29 Workshop Identified Issues Figure 30 Workshop Identified Opportunities Figure 31 Parking Confessional Results Figure 32 Priority Voting Exercise Results Figure 33 Existing Land Use in the Core Area Figure 34 Core Area Parking Inventory Figure 35 ITE Predicted Unshared Demand Core Area Figure 36 Expected Shared Demand Core Area Figure 37 Expected Shared Demand with Observed Weekday Utilization Core Area Figure 38 Scenario 1 Expected Parking Demand Core Area Figure 39 Scenario 2 Expected Parking Demand Core Area Figure 40 Scenario 3 Expected Parking Demand Core Area Figure 41 Scenario 4 Expected Parking Demand Core Area Figure 42 Main Street Parking Utilization - September 23, AM Figure 43 Main Street with New On-Street Parking Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. ii

5 Figure 44 Example of Zoning Parking Restrictions Figure 45 Example of Leased Parking in Lexington, Massachusetts Figure 46 Underutilized Lots During Peak Hour Figure 47 Sample Lincoln/Main Intersection Improvement Figure 48 Sample Rockery Charrette Pedestrian Improvements Figure 49 Current signage tells users where they cannot park Figure 50 Blue and white signage is more standard for motorists Figure 51 An Informal Bridge Link between Queset House and Library Parking Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. iii

6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Parking is an important component of every downtown's success, and as changes occur in North Easton Village, the parking system may necessitate updates to keep pace with other downtown changes. With the recent Ames Shovel Works project, and more development projects expected in the future, Easton recognizes that a flexible and streamlined approach to parking provision will be necessary to support current businesses, visitors and customers, residents, and developers alike. There are many opportunities to improve today's parking system, and any changes made to the parking system must work together to comprehensively support the downtown. In the summer of 2015, the Town of Easton retained Nelson\Nygaard to conduct a parking study in North Easton Village. The purpose of this study is to analyze existing parking supply and demand in the village, determine future parking needs, and recommend economically feasible alternatives to meeting future parking requirements and support economic development. Specific goals of the study include: Assess how many spaces exist today and how they are used Maximize efficiency of current system Plan for future development Meet parking need in way that strengthens historic character PROCESS To answer these questions, the team performed several tasks: Parking Inventory. Creation of a detailed map and database of all regulations, timelimits, hours of operation, access, etc. Parking Utilization. Conducted field surveys of all spaces in the inventory to document their utilization throughout typical days. Public Workshops. Led two workshops to hear from the public about problems in the downtown parking system, as well as recommended changes. Stakeholder Interviews. The team spoke to several local retailers and landowners in North Easton Village. Land Use & Shared Parking Analysis. To test different theoretical buildout scenarios, the team built an Easton-specific model that demonstrates the relationship between land uses and parking supply/demand in the downtown core. KEY FINDINGS There are approximately 1,225 total parking spaces in North Easton Village including all public and private spaces, and unregulated on-street spaces. Of these, 408 are public parking spaces (both on-street and off-street). 67% of the total parking supply has some user restriction (e.g. Library parking, customer-only parking, tenant parking, etc.) Less than 30% of all parking is utilized at peak on weekdays and weekends. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 1

7 In the core area, there are 419 parking spaces, including 167 publicly accessible spaces and 252 restricted use spaces. Here, parking is just over 40% utilized at peak (11:00 am). However, during the lunch hour, the public lot and 1-hour spaces on Main Street are about 80% full, making it more difficult to find a space in these areas. The 1-hour spaces on Main Street and the spaces around the Rockery are busy during peak hours, while other informal on-street parking remains available. Several stakeholders and workshop participants report parking in areas where they are unsure if it is legal to park. Although some shared parking occurs, event parking is an issue in downtown. Residents, customers, and employees are interested in improving multimodal access to the downtown. A land use and parking demand model for the Village shows that adding moderate restaurant and retail uses in the core area increases demand, and there is still ample parking availability. A max buildout theoretical scenario exercise shows that the existing parking in the core area could support as much as 50 residential units, 280 restaurant seats, and 10,000 more square feet of general retail in the Village. RECOMMENDATIONS On a typical day, parking in North Easton village is relatively simple. However, there are several strategies the Town should consider to support a customer-friendly center, streamline the rules and regulations, and expand the parking access. These include: Match Main Street Regulations to Demand: Main Street is in high demand, and the current one-hour time limit does not allow customers to park as long as they might want. Formalize On-Street Parking: There are several on-street opportunities to expand or formalize the parking supply, which is a low-cost way to expand parking options close to Village destinations. Update Zoning Code: Current policies could be updated to provide more flexibility in parking requirements. Share Parking: In addition to zoning changes, shared parking allows the Town or private entities to capitalize on underutilized resources. Improve Walking Environment: Strengthening linkages around the Village makes walking from a parking space that is a little further away less daunting. Standardize Signage and Information: Helping visitors and employees alike select appropriate parking for their needs with on-street signage would maximize the use of Easton s resources. Actively Plan for Events: The Town could provide materials and encourage coordination during special events when parking demand is extremely high. Monitor Supply and Demand: Parking needs will change as North Easton Village changes, and it is important that the Town continue to understand those needs into the future. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 2

8 1 INTRODUCTION North Easton Village and the Ames Historic District anchor the Town of Easton around a nucleus of public amenities such as the library and YMCA, businesses, restaurants, historic architecture, and residences. The Town s recent investments in a sanitary sewer system and Main Street Revitalization projects are reviving the downtown area attracting locals, visitors, and new development. As Easton works to revitalize North Easton Village, parking needs have, and will, continue to shift. In particular, the addition of a complete sanitary sewer system enables significant development, creating new parking pressures that must be addressed to avoid becoming a prominent constraint. These changing demands on parking resources may necessitate policy and management updates. With the recent Ames Shovel Works and other new developments potentially Source: Final Report Ames Historic District Expansion coming online in the near future, Easton recognizes that a flexible and streamlined approach to parking provision will be necessary to support developers, current businesses, and residents alike. The Town is already experiencing this consternation related to parking requirements and development downtown. Smartly, however, the Town also understands there are many opportunities to improve today's parking system and that every change in the system must work together to comprehensively manage supply and demand. Therefore, in the summer of 2015, the Town of Easton retained Nelson\Nygaard to conduct a parking study in North Easton Village. The purpose of this study is to analyze existing parking supply and demand within the village, determine future parking needs, and recommend economically feasible alternatives to meeting future parking requirements and support economic development. Specifically, Nelson\Nygaard worked with the Town to develop the following goals for the study: Assess how many spaces exist today and how they are used Maximize efficiency of current system Plan for future development Meet parking need in way that strengthens historic character Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 3

9 2 APPROACH The Parking Study s approach focuses on collecting quantitative and qualitative data through fieldwork as well as interviews with stakeholders and workshop participants. Key questions the data was intended to answer include: How much parking is available for different user groups, including residents, employees, visitors and shoppers? How is existing parking being utilized in the downtown? What are the tensions among users various goals and how is users experience with the overall parking system? How does current and future land use affect the parking demand in downtown? To answer these questions, the team performed the following tasks: Parking Inventory. In the fall of 2015, the Parking Study team conducted a on-theground inventory of all public and private spaces within the downtown. A detailed map and database is created of all regulations, time-limits, access, etc. (p.7) Parking Utilization. In the fall of 2015, the team conducted field surveys of all spaces in the inventory to document their utilization throughout the day. Observations were conducted every two hours for a 10-hour period on an average weekday and a Sunday morning. (p.9) Public Workshops. In October 2015, the Parking Study team facilitated two workshops to hear from the public about problems in the downtown parking system, as well as recommended changes. (p.24) Stakeholder Interviews. To supplement the feedback from the public outreach process and surveys, the team spoke to several local retailers and landowners in North Easton Village. (p. 24) Land Use & Shared Parking Analysis. The team used the Town s Assessors database to develop a shared parking model that demonstrates the relationship between land uses and parking supply/demand in the overall study area and a focus area around the core. The model allows the Town to test the parking demand under multiple future scenarios of additional development (p.34) STUDY AREA The North Easton Village study area covers parking spaces within about 94 acres. The study area is generally bounded by (Figure 1): Pond and Oliver Streets to the north Jenny Lind Street to the south Main and Barrows Streets to the west Pond and Seaver Streets to the east The study area has significant on and off-street parking assets, with many privately-owned and restricted-use lots for customers of local businesses, visitors, and employees. On-street parking is available throughout the study area, with mostly unregulated parking found around the periphery of the village center. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 4

10 Figure 1 North Easton Village Parking Study Area Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 5

11 3 PARKING INVENTORY AND UTILIZATION The existing conditions section provides an overview of parking supply and usage in the North Easton Village study area. Through working with Town staff and stakeholders, the team defined a study area to include all critical parking assets and encompass any perceived parking issues. This documentation of existing conditions informs the study recommendations. The existing conditions data summarized in this chapter were collected primarily during the months of September and October 2015 by Nelson\Nygaard. The data includes an inventory of the current supply and utilization for all identified publicly and privately owned parking lots and all on-street parking within the study area. This chapter includes maps, tables, and summaries of the existing conditions pertinent to the team s key findings, organized under the following headings: Parking Inventory A review of all parking spaces in the study area by location and regulation Parking Utilization Observed use of existing parking through the course of a typical weekday and weekend. Includes utilization profiles of the core area as well as other parking assets by regulation. PARKING INVENTORY A complete understanding of parking supply and regulation is the base component to understanding parking patterns and behaviors. The Parking Study team documented public and private parking facilities, both on- and off-street, in the Village study area. The team verified the inventory via an in-person field check. The totals represented in this report include all parking within the defined study area, with the exception of small residential driveways that hold less than five vehicles. After compilation, the inventory was used to create a complete, geo-coded parking database of all parking facilities in North Easton Village. This initial work serves as the presentation baseline for all information calculated and analyzed over the course of the project. PARKING INVENTORY: KEY FINDINGS There are approximately 1,225 total parking spaces in North Easton Village study area including all public and private spaces, and unregulated on-street spaces; Of all 408 public parking spaces (both on-street and off-street), All are free 27 are 1 hour time-limited parking on-street 2 are handicapped parking on-street Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 6

12 67% of all parking is privately-owned; There is one municipal parking lot on Mechanic Street which contains 58 parking spaces, plus 16 municipal spaces at the south end of the lot behind 115 Main Street. Figure 2 is a summary of parking spaces and regulations in the study area. The study team catalogued the ownership, use category, and regulation for all spaces within the study area. A full parking inventory is depicted in the parking regulatory map on the following page in Figure 3. Figure 2 Parking Inventory Overview Parking Location Number of Spaces Percentage % Public Access % Restricted Use On-Street % 99% <1% Off-Street % 8% 92% Total 1, % Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 7

13 Figure 3 Parking Supply and Regulations: North Easton Village NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 8

14 On-Street Parking 91% of on-street parking in the study area is said to be "unregulated", meaning that anyone can park without time limit, regardless of trip purpose. This includes many residential streets that have parking allowed on one or both sides of the street. Streets marked as No Parking in Figure 4 do not allow on-street parking. Just 4% of the on-street parking spaces in the village are regulated by one-hour time restrictions. The time limit is enforced from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Both on-street handicapped spaces in the study area are also located in these segments. Off-Street Parking Figure 4 On-street Parking Inventory by Regulations: North Easton Village Regulation # of Spaces Percent of Total 1 Hour Free 27 8% Handicapped Parking 2 <1% Unregulated % TOTAL 334 Most off-street parking (92%) in the village is restricted-access surface lot parking that is dedicated to a specific purpose, such as for customers, tenants, or employees of the (typically adjacent) use. The bulk of the remainder, a 58 space publicly accessible lot, is located on the south side of Mechanic Street between Andrews Street and Sullivan Avenue. Additionally, the 16 spaces at the southern end of the lot behind the converted school building at 115 Main Street are publicly accessible, although not signed. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 9

15 PARKING UTILIZATION Land usage, regulation, price, and signage can drastically impact how even adjoining parking assets are utilized. By compiling parking utilization spatially, one can begin to clearly identify patterns of high or low usage, the impact of regulations, and assess how much of the parking supply is actually utilized throughout a typical day. Parking utilization counts provide a time series of typical parking use for a typical day in an area. To gather this data, the team counted parked cars in each on-street segment and off-street facility at pre-determined time intervals. The only parking area that was not included in the counts was the small lot to the north of the businesses on Main Street; it was under construction. The Parking Study team conducted parking utilization counts on a typical weekday, the 23rd of September Data collectors captured weekday parking demand for 10 hours, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 7:00 p.m., with counts made every two hours. Sunday parking utilization was counted from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on October 18, Methodology It is important to note that the individuals collecting data collected each on-street segment and off-street lot at regular intervals. For example, if the municipal lot was counted at 9:05 a.m. in the first loop, then it was counted at roughly 11:05 a.m. in the second loop, etc. This consistency ensured data accuracy to help draw conclusions about trends within two-hour windows. The team coordinated in advance with Town staff to ensure that there were no special events or construction that may influence parking utilization. The series of charts on the following pages show the public parking utilization profiles throughout the collection day in North Easton village. In addition to looking at the entire study area, a more concentrated focus area in the core is also analyzed. The red lines on the bar graphs indicate functional capacity of parking or the maximum practical capacity. 1 Spatial Patterns Understanding how parking is utilized in an activity center requires being able to describe how parking facilities and on-street parking spaces interact with each other throughout the course of a day. A chart of hourly utilization rates for one specific location is valuable, but visual representation of how that location behaves among others located nearby can reveal patterns and trends not evident in numbers alone. A heavily used lot may be proximate to another lot which is simultaneously under-utilized. Using the utilization data, the Parking Study team developed a series of maps based on the parking inventory map. The color shades represent the percentage of spaces utilized at each location. The breaks are chosen to help evaluate the adequacy/necessity of a parking facility: Light Blue, Blue, and Yellow represent 0-80% utilization, a point at which street faces and off-street facilities are viewed as underutilized. Any resource that consistently performs at this level, especially during peak-demand periods should be viewed as excess capacity. 1 Best national parking management practice suggests that parking is functionally full at 85% on-street (about one of every seven spaces is available) and 90% off-street. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 10

16 Orange signifies blocks and facilities with 81% to 90% utilization, and represents actively used resources. Particularly for off-street facilities, the nearer utilization levels approach the high end of this range, the more efficiently they are being utilized. Red denotes utilization above 90% and is considered to be at capacity. While maximizing efficiency, these blocks appear full to motorists, and consequently give the impression of lack of overall parking. Parking Utilization Weekday and Weekend PARKING UTILIZATION: KEY FINDINGS Less than 30% of all parking is utilized at peak on weekdays and weekends. The highest overall utilization rate (27%) occurs around 11:00 am on a weekday. In the core area, parking is just over 40% utilized at peak (11:00 am). However, during the lunch hour, the public lot and 1-hour spaces on Main Street are about 80% full, making it more difficult to find a space in these areas. The 1-hour spaces on Main Street and the spaces around the Rockery are busy during peak hours, while other informal on-street parking remains available. Demand drops off significantly after 5:00 pm, when The Farmer s Daughter, the Children s Museum, and likely many of the offices in 115 Main Street have closed. On Sundays, Church and Museum parking is busy, but the area otherwise has significant availability. Figure 5 to Figure 9 shows snapshots of parking utilization in two-hour increments, from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. on a Wednesday and at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 11

17 Figure 5 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 12

18 Figure 6 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 13

19 Figure 7 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 1:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 14

20 Figure 8 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 3:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 15

21 Figure 9 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Wednesday 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 16

22 Figure 10 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Sunday 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 17

23 Figure 11 North Easton Village Parking Utilization: Sunday 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 18

24 All Parking Spaces As shown in Figure 12, of the 1,213 spaces counted within the North Easton village study area, the maximum overall utilization observed was 27% (339 spaces), occurring around lunch time, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Compared to the 90-percent optimal occupancy (shown by the red dotted line), these results indicate that the study area as a whole has more than adequate parking supply to satisfy its demand in fact, for all intervals, the strong majority of the parking supply was empty. On the weekend, the maximum utilization was 34% (410 vehicles), which occurred between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., indicating that the study area has more than sufficient parking supply to satisfy its demand on weekend. 100% Figure 12 Study Area Parking Utilization: Wednesday Occupied Vacant Figure 13 Study Area Parking Utilization: Sunday Occupied Vacant 100% 80% 60% % 60% % 40% 20% 0% AM-11AM 11AM-1PM 1PM-3PM 3PM-5PM 5PM-7PM 20% 0% AM-11AM 11AM-1PM Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 19

25 On-Street Parking Spaces As shown in Figure 14, peak on-street utilization was 19% (62 occupied out of 334 total on-street spaces), occurring during the interval between 9: 00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. On-street vehicle counts would proceed to diminish throughout the remainder of the day. Sunday on-street utilization was relatively constant at 15-16% (51-54 occupied out of 334 total onstreet spaces) throughout the study period of 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This left almost 300 vacant on-street spaces in the study area. Figure 14 Study Area On-Street Parking Utilization: Wednesday Figure 15 Study Area On-Street Parking Utilization : Sunday 100% Occupied Vacant 100% Occupied Vacant 80% 80% 60% % % 40% 20% 0% AM-11AM 11AM-1PM 1PM-3PM 3PM-5PM 5PM-7PM 20% 0% AM-11AM 11AM-1PM Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 20

26 Off-Street Parking Spaces Figure 16 shows that the peak off-street utilization of 32% occurred between 10: 00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., leaving over 600 vacant off-street spaces in the study area throughout the day. On the weekend, the peak off-street utilization of 42% (359 spaces occupied out of 854 off-street spaces counted) occurred between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., leaving at least 495 vacant off-street spaces in the study area throughout the study period. Figure 16 Study Area Off-Street Parking Utilization: Wednesday Occupied Vacant 100% Figure 17 Study Area Off-Street Parking Utilization: Sunday 100% Occupied Vacant 80% 60% % 60% % 40% 20% 0% AM-11AM 11AM-1PM 1PM-3PM 3PM-5PM 5PM-7PM 20% 0% AM-11AM 11AM-1PM Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 21

27 Core Area While the previous charts show that there is ample parking available in the study area, the demand for parking is not uniform. The commercial area along Main Street draws a higher rate of parking usage than the study area as a whole. Thus a smaller focus area was defined to better examine parking needs of the community. Area boundaries can be seen in Figure 18. The core area covers parking spaces within about 15 acres at the center of the village. This subset includes all time restricted and handicapped on-street spaces, large privately-owned and restricted-use lots at 66 and 115 Main Street, as well as the 58-space municipal lot and the 16 municipal spaces in the back of 115 Main. Figure 18 Core Area Boundary and Parking Inventory Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 22

28 Figure 19 Core Area Parking Utilization: Wednesday Figure 20 Core Area Parking Utilization: Sunday 100% Occupied Vacant 100% Occupied Vacant 80% 80% 60% % % 40% 20% 0% AM-11AM 11AM-1PM 1PM-3PM 3PM-5PM 5PM-7PM 20% 0% AM-11AM 11AM-1PM Figure 21 Municipal Lot Utilization - Wednesday MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT (MECHANIC ST) Figure 22 Municipal Lot Utilization: Sunday 100% 80% Occupied 18 Vacant 100% 80% 32 Occupied Vacant 14 60% % 40% 20% 0% am 11am 1pm 3pm 5pm 40% 20% 0% 26 9am 44 11am Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 23

29 4 PUBLIC OUTREACH The Parking Study team undertook a multi-step public outreach process throughout this study to understand more about the preferences and behaviors of those who park in North Easton village, as well as the different needs among different user groups. The public participation process is also intended to help parking analysis properly weigh subjective and anecdotal descriptions of parking issues. These efforts included: Interviews with stakeholders An intercept survey conducted at the Natural Resources Trust of Easton s annual Harvest and Craft Fair by the Board of Selectmen on October 4, 2015 Two public workshops on October 27, 2015 The public outreach process was an integral piece of the parking analysis. Understanding the issues by talking with community members provided valuable insights not only on what isn t working today, but also opportunities for improvement. These insights into the community s mobility needs, coupled with the quantitative data parking analysis of the previous chapter, will help steer the study in a direction that truly addresses parking challenges unique to North Easton Village. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 24

30 Figure 23 October Public Workshops Flyer This chapter summarizes the findings of these outreach efforts. General community concerns include: Library and Church activity makes for busy weekend periods Events, such as weddings, create parking issues People are not always to willing to walk Multiple constituencies are interested in more walkability and/or bicycle facilities A lack of easily accessed municipal parking compared to private lots Uncertainty of accessibility due to non-standard or non-existent signage Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 25

31 STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS Data and analytics can only tell part of the story of parking in North Easton Village; user perception is a key element of comprehensive parking management. Thus the study team interviewed several stakeholders individually or in groups, including the following: Oak Ames Memorial Hall Ames Free Library Board of Selectmen Planning Board Chair Acting Assistant Town Administrator DPW Director Police and Fire Chiefs Inspector of Buildings Planning and Community Development Staff Stakeholders cited a range of issues and opportunities related to parking in the village. A summary of those issues is below: Saturdays/Sundays are busy due to Library and church activity. In addition to traditional church demand on Sunday, some churches have late Mass on Saturdays. Special events exacerbate parking issues. These include: Weddings/dances at the Library and Queset House Events at the Children s Museum People are not always willing to walk what they consider a far distance from their destination. In particular, slopes can be a challenge around the Library. There is informal parking on the Queset House driveway and on Pond and Mechanic Streets that could be formalized. Some informal shared parking agreements are already in place. There is interest in opportunities to expand walking/transit/biking. INTERCEPT SURVEY On October 4, 2015 paper surveys were distributed to attendees of the Natural Resources Trust of Easton s annual Harvest and Craft Fair in an effort to better understand the activity, experience, perception, and preference of residents and visitors alike. Respondents were asked to report on their residency, frequency and typical timeframe of visitation of the village, typical duration of stay, and desired village parking system improvements. Fourteen surveys were returned for the analysis summarized below. As this is not a large number, these findings cannot represent the public as a whole but do provide some key insights into parking in the Village. Residency and Visitation Frequency Twelve of the fourteen respondents live in the Town of Easton. A majority of respondents are not frequent visitors to the village. Only four respondents (28%) reported visiting the village nearly every weekday or more frequently. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 26

32 Figure 24 Frequency of North Easton Village Visitation - Survey Very rarely 7% Nearly every weekday 14% Nearly every day 14% About once or twice a week 43% About once or twice a month 22% Parking Location and Duration In response to the question, Where do you typically park in the village? answers were varied. Two respondents cited private lots by name, three claimed to use the municipal lot, while another four made use of the on-street 1-hour spaces. Two respondents claim to arrive in the village by walking. Interestingly, the duration of stay for village visitors is rather short. Only two of fourteen respondents reported staying longer than two hours. One of these was not a town resident. Figure 25 Duration of North Easton Village Visitation - Survey Longer than 2 hours 14% Between 30 minutes and 1 hour 29% Between 1 hour and 2 hours 57% Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 27

33 Number of Respondents NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Visitation Time of Day and Frequency A series of questions were asked regarding the time of day that survey participants usually come to the village regardless of whether they come frequently overall. As sometimes is the leading response in each case and never received the same number of responses for each time frame, the data shows that arrival times are indeed quite varied and that weekday daytime is only a marginally more popular arrival time than other times during the week. Figure 26 North Easton Village Visitation Time - Survey Often Sometimes Never 1 0 Weekday Daytime Weekday Evening Weekend Daytime Weekend Evening Overnight Desired Improvements Finally, an open-ended question was posed asking what survey participants would improve about the parking situation in the village center. The following are all responses collected and verbatim: More bike racks? Add two level garage in the municipal parking lot Less of it more walkability/bikeability Perhaps have easier access from Main St. Provide more municipal parking. Provide some easy access parking spaces Fix the Rockery area very dangerous Build lot behind commercial buildings Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 28

34 PUBLIC WORKSHOPS On October 27, 2015, local residents, business owners, employees, and others were invited to both a streetside outdoor location on Main Street as well as the Queset House to participate in a handson Parking Workshop designated to gather as much qualitative input as possible regarding the village (Figure 27). The workshops were drop-in and intended to meet people where they are, rather than the traditional public meeting format of a presentation at a specific time. About 50 members of the public participated. The purpose of the workshop was not to present any information, but rather only invite participants to share their concerns, needs, and issues with visiting and parking in North Easton village. The workshop included several interactive exercises: Issues and Ideas map Parking Confessional" map Parking Priorities Voting Exercise Figure 27 Public Workshops Issues and Ideas Map Participants were invited to mark up maps with their opinions on current parking issues as well as ideas for future expansion of parking provision. The maps below summarize participant comments, both on areas where parking is difficult and where there may be opportunities to add more parking. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 29

35 Figure 28 Workshop Identified Issues Figure 29 Workshop Identified Opportunities Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 30

36 In addition to the findings above, participants also offered the following general thoughts about parking in North Easton Village: Improve multimodal access: Regulatory: Add bicycle racks Consider shuttles Add crosswalk sensors Improve and increase crosswalks Close Main Street to cars? Like X-mas festival 1 hour time limits are not enough time Not enough handicapped parking What happens during snow? Pay to park in Town Lot? More destinations downtown is good for Easton Want to attract college students to Village Most in favor of new downtown development Parking Confessional This exercise asked participants to mark up a map with the following: Where do you normally park? Where do you want to park? Where is your secret place to park? Where do you park, but are unsure if it is legal to park? The study team collated the results and highlighted two: Where do you park, but are unsure if it is legal to park? and Where is your secret place to park? Taken together, these indicate areas that are currently being used for parking that may not be part of the overall system, shown in Figure 30. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 31

37 Figure 30 Parking Confessional Results Note: Purple and blue represent the results from multiple workshops, answering the question, Where do you park, but are unsure if it is legal to park? Parking Priorities Voting Exercise Workshop participants were invited to "vote" for the parking-related priorities that were of greatest concern to them. Faced with eight typical parking issues, participants were allotted four "votes" that could be used to prioritize one or more issues. Figure 31 shows the complete results of the voting exercise. Generally, participants felt that they would like more parking as well as more development in the Village. However, participants also indicated that more information about parking in the Village would be helpful. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 32

38 Figure 31 Priority Voting Exercise Results I would like more parking in the Village I would come to the Village more often if there were more restaurants and shops I value the Village's historic character I would like clearer information on parking in the Village I would like to park once and walk to all my destinations in the Village I would like it to be easier/safer to walk around the Village I value green space in the Village Look to new parking sites on town land behind Oakes Ames Hall I would pay to park if I was guaranteed a space I would like to be easier/safer to bike to/around the Village I would come to the Village more often if parking was more convenient My trips to the village are constrained by on-street time limits Votes Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 33

39 5 LAND USE & SHARED PARKING The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) produces a report titled Parking Generation, which is the prevailing national standard in determining parking demand for a development. ITE standards are based on parking demand studies submitted to ITE by a variety of parties, including public agencies, developers and consulting firms. These standards for the most part assume that each land use requires a dedicated supply of parking. However, ITE parking rates often do not reflect the actual demand profile of mixed use areas. Typically, in mixed use developments, customers and visitors can visit multiple destinations, though only park once. Moreover, throughout the day, different uses have different peak demands: for example, an office may have a high demand until 5pm, and a restaurant open for dinner may have a high demand only after 5pm. Nelson\Nygaard s experience indicates that projections using standard ITE parking rates tend to overestimate demand for village areas like North Easton. Mixed-use areas offer the opportunity to share parking supply between various uses. This reduces the total number of spaces which would be required by the same land-uses in stand-alone developments. North Easton Village acts like other mixed-use environments, where each land use may not need its own dedicated supply of parking, yet traditional analysis and zoning are typically based on such assumptions. To model this type of parking activity, Nelson\Nygaard used an adapted land use model from the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) Shared Parking Manual (2nd Edition, 2005). Some trips are made by patrons who, having already parked, travel between uses without accessing their vehicle. Restaurants and retail services are common generators of internal capture trips in mixed-use areas, as they serve both employees and residents within the same area. The analysis calculates and compares how much parking is needed based on national ITE standards, and compares the modeled supply to the actual and existing parking supply. The land use analysis then models the demand based on a number of factors, such as time of day adjustments and land use mixes, creating the expected actual parking demand throughout the course of an average weekday. Parking utilization survey counts collected within the same activity area are then overlaid on top of the existing modeled shared curve and adjusted based on observed demand patterns. KEY FINDINGS There are 419 spaces in the core area At peak, approximately 180 of those spaces are available. The model shows that adding moderate restaurant and retail uses increases demand, and there is still ample parking availability A max buildout scenario exercise shows that the core area could provide parking for as much as 50 units, 280 lunch and 10,000 more square feet of general retail in the Village. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 34

40 Study Area Existing Land Use NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY The land use/shared parking analysis used existing land use data from the Easton Assessment Database, retrieved The database included detailed information ranging from usable square footage and units to use type and descriptions for each address in the study area. Each building size and use was verified using the online property lookup tool ( and then sorted into land use type groupings. Overall, the entire study area covers about 94 acres while the core area consists of 15 acres. In both cases, the shared parking analysis excludes vacant land along with single, double, and threefamily homes as these properties provide their own use-specific parking spaces. The remaining properties are grouped as accurately as possible into categories created by the Institute of Transportation Engineers Parking Generation 4th Edition (2010). Figure 32 shows the land use characteristics of the core area. Figure 32 Existing Land Use in the Core Area Land Use Square Feet/Units General Retail 21,708 square feet Restaurant 6,723 square feet Museum/Gallery 4,548 square feet Office 54,431 square feet Apartment 16 units Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 35

41 Existing Land Use/Parking Relationship Core Area Figure 33 Core Area Parking Inventory According to national parking standard calculations from ITE, the needed number of parking spaces for the core area, assuming that each land use has its own dedicated supply of parking, is 249 spaces (Figure 34). This assumes that no special events are occurring. A majority of the predicted parking need is for office use. In the core area, there are currently 419 total active parking spaces. Thus, this area has excess parking supply compared to national standards for single-use suburban development, an additional 182 spaces or 77%. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 36

42 Figure 34 ITE Predicted Unshared Demand Core Area The shared parking model (Figure 35) shows the number of parking spaces needed after factoring in time of day demands by land use. The model estimates a peak demand is at noon when 214 spaces are required. This is 163 spaces less than an amount which would represent the practical capacity or 90% of available parking supply. During off-peak hours, which is generally after 5pm, there is plenty of capacity in the village center, enough to be met by the current public supply. Figure 35 Expected Shared Demand Core Area Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 37

43 Overlaying the same weekday parking utilization counts shown in Figure 19 on the expected parking demand based on land use curve shows quite similar usage patterns. That the land use estimate and in-person count largely agree reinforces the notion that there is adequate supply to meet demand. When comparing the model estimates to the observed number of parked cars (Figure 36), 183 additional vehicles could be parked in the core before reaching the practical capacity of 90% of supply. Figure 36 Expected Shared Demand with Observed Weekday Utilization Core Area Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 38

44 Theoretical Growth Scenarios NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY The proceeding section uses hypothetical build out scenarios to "test" land use changes as compared to the existing parking supply and demand during different periods of the day. Scenarios 1 through 4 are not intended to be frameworks for future development in Easton, but only to model potential scenarios to understand the built environment and parking relationship. Scenario 1: Restaurant If a 50-seat restaurant were added to the village core, it is anticipated that peak demand would increase from 214 to 226. It is assumed that the primary demand increases would occur during the dinner hours from 6:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m. Figure 37 Scenario 1 Expected Parking Demand Core Area Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 39

45 Scenario 2: Restaurant + Retail NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY In addition to the 50-seat restaurant from Scenario 1, Scenario 2 adds 10,000 square feet of general retail to the land use profile. Again, peak demand increases, this time to 252. While the increase is still greater during dinner hours, the increase is more broad overall owing to the characteristics of retail operation. Figure 38 Scenario 2 Expected Parking Demand Core Area Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 40

46 Scenario 3: Multiple Eateries NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Scenario 3 proposes a trio of restaurant/pub options be added to the village center. The first restaurant would contain 160 seats and see mostly dinner activity. A second 85 seat restaurant would serve both lunch and dinner crowds while a 45 seat pub intended to see afternoon and dinner utilization would also be added. Under this scenario, peak demand increases to 302, still 75 vehicles short of practical capacity. The evening hours see a robust increase in demand under this scenario, approaching 250 parked cars. Figure 39 Scenario 3 Expected Parking Demand Core Area Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 41

47 Scenario 4: Theoretical Max Buildout NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY The final scenario for evaluation represents a theoretical maximum buildout scenario that would indeed induce parking demand at 90% of parking supply. In addition to 280 lunch and dinner restaurant seats, this model shows the impact of 50 new housing units and 10,000 more square feet of general retail in the village. In theory, if these land uses were built and if the village did not add any additional parking, the parking in the village would be at capacity. Figure 40 Scenario 4 Expected Parking Demand Core Area Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 42

48 6 RECOMMENDATIONS Easton understands there are many opportunities to improve today's parking system and that every change in the system must work together to comprehensively manage supply and demand. There is a great opportunity to make parking more user friendly and flexible and thus maximize the use of existing resources. Smart communities and stakeholders realize that parking is a tool for economic development, not an end in itself. Business owners and developers understand that customer access is an essential to economic vitality, and a means to ensure that is making on-street spaces available as well as easy to use. Motorists are all motivated to find the best deal and customers all want to park out front. To varying degrees, all users are more or less likely to park further away, use another mode of transportation, or walk between nearby destinations, depending on how demand is influenced. The following considerations could expand and streamline Easton s parking supply: Match Main Street Regulations to Demand Formalize On-Street Parking Update Zoning Code Share Parking Improve Walking Environment Standardize Signage and Information Actively Plan for Events Monitor Supply and Demand Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 43

49 MATCH MAIN STREET REGULATIONS TO DEMAND Main Street parking is fairly full throughout the day, and customers indicated that they often stay (or wish to stay) longer than the one-hour regulation allows. Key Findings Figure 41 Main Street Parking Utilization - September 23, AM Parking occupancy on Main Street is close to its practical capacity (90%) from morning through the early afternoon. Survey respondents and workshop participants noted that the one-hour restriction, although not strongly enforced, does not provide enough time for visitors to eat a meal, or go to more than one location on Main Street. Moreover, infrequent visitors to North Easton Village likely do not know that the one-hour limit is not always enforced, and they may avoid parking on Main Street. Recommendation: To provide a customer-friendly environment on Main Street, extend time limits to two hours. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 44

50 FORMALIZE ON-STREET PARKING NORTH EASTON VILLAGE PARKING STUDY Several streets in North Easton Village have informal or unregulated parking which is unclear to visitors, employees, and residents, and thus today's parking supply is underutilized. Key Findings Figure 42 Main Street with New On-Street Parking Many streets in Easton measure between 27 and 30 feet from curb to curb. Parking lanes require 7 to 8 feet while low-speed travel lanes function well at a width of 10 to 11 feet. Parking on one or both sides of the street contribute to a more pedestrian-scale environment as lanes narrow and cars slow to allow parallel parking. Workshop participants and stakeholders noted that it is unclear if the informal parking on Mechanic, Sullivan, and Pond Streets as well as outside the core is part of the publicly available parking supply. Main Street s narrow lanes with parking on both sides in the Village core provide a more walkable, downtown feel than Main Street east of Pond Street. Sunday churchgoers already use the north side of Main Street near Pond Street for on-street parking during busy periods. Recommendations The Town should evaluate formalizing and adding parking on one or both sides of the following streets/locations through striping and signage: Pond Street Sullivan Street Mechanic Street Library driveway Main Street (east of Pond Street, north side) and in front of the Hall/Library/Queset House Considerations include: Visibility/Sightlines/Safety Proximity to retail locations Driveways Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 45

51 UPDATE ZONING CODE Zoning regulations are not supportive of North Easton s historic character. Figure 43 Example of Zoning Parking Restrictions 200 ft Current zoning requirements stipulate that parking can only be shared within 200 ft, which is about the distance from the public lot to the main door of the Farmer s Daughter. Key Findings There is an inextricable link between zoning/land use and transportation needs. In Easton, restrictive parking requirements could lead to valuable downtown land being devoted to parking rather than more active uses. This would be a more suburban style of development than currently exists in the core, and workshop participants ranked preserve North Easton s Historic Character high on a list of parking principles. Recommendations The Town should consider updating its parking-related zoning code to support a more flexible approach to parking provision that supports the walkable nature of the area. Specific zoning code updates to consider include: Increase the walk radius for off-site parking to a greater figure than the current 200 feet Evaluate parking minimums and consider parking maximums in the Historic District Allow shared parking agreements to fulfill requirements stipulated in the code Allow driveways to serve more than one property/lot An in-lieu payment based on the number of parking spaces not provided Additional design standards that could be adopted to strengthen the urban form and improve pedestrian facilities within the North Easton Village include: Minimizing driveway widths and curb cuts Providing distinct sidewalks across driveways Establishing rules regarding the allowed location of parking lots with respect to buildings/lots Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 46

52 SHARE PARKING Underutilized parking resources could be used to meet current and future parking needs. Figure 44 Example of Leased Parking in Lexington, Massachusetts Figure 45 Underutilized Lots During Peak Hour Key Findings Although Main Street and the public lot fill during peak utilization hours, there is ample space elsewhere in the parking system. Some informal shared parking arrangements exist in town. Workshop participants noted several restricted locations where they often park that are not necessarily at their destination. The Village has good sidewalk coverage and workshop participants enjoy walking in the area. Recommendations There are multiple ways that the Town of Easton can make more parking supply available to the general public: Promote shared parking agreements between private landowners. Directly engage in agreements with property owners. Encourage efficient use of underutilized parking facilities by incentivizing employees to park in shared lots. The Town may choose to implement such programs slowly beginning with special and regularly occurring events as well as leasing spaces during off-peak hours. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 47

53 IMPROVE WALKING ENVIRONMENT Intersections and crossings that feel dangerous to pedestrians can make parking that is close by seem farther away. Figure 46 Sample Lincoln/Main Intersection Improvement Figure 47 Sample Rockery Charrette Pedestrian Improvements Key Findings In addition to the absolute provision of additional parking resources, overall improvement to the parking system can be realized by encouraging a park once environment. The distance that an individual would be willing to walk would increase and shift parking activity to capitalize on underused on and off-street capacity outside of the immediate village core. Recommendations To increase connectivity and thus a more efficient use of parking resources, walking improvements to consider include: Bumpouts at the William Street crossing of Main Street, similar to those outside the Farmer s Daughter An added crossing on the Museum side of Sullivan Avenue Pedestrian improvements around the Rockery, such as those seen in Figure 47 and Figure 46. A four-way intersection at Center, Main, and Lincoln would provide a downtown gateway as well as a safer environment for people on foot. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 48

54 STANDARDIZE SIGNAGE AND INFORMATION Current signage and information is informal and not welcoming to first-time visitors. Figure 48 Current signage tells users where they cannot park Key Findings: Parking information is key to maximizing the use of resources. This includes information before, during and after arrival in North Easton Village, particularly during special events. Signage is a key element for helping parkers choose the location appropriate to their needs. However, the following signage issues can prevent: A lack of signage at informal on-street parking Non-traditional green and white wayfinding signage for public parking. Workshop participants and stakeholders preferred blue and white, as shown in Figure 49 Restrictive and unwelcoming signs that only tell users where parking is not allowed Recommendations: Figure 49 Blue and white signage is more standard for motorists Signage intended to guide motorists within the village center to parking should be permissive, not restrictive. Signage should have a consistent look as seen in the examples in Figure 49. Signage should be provided for any future shared lots as well as the 16 public spaces included in the lot behind 115 Main Street. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 49

55 ACTIVELY PLAN FOR EVENTS Special events put a strain on the North Easton Village parking system, yet there is very little coordination and planning for these occasions. Figure 50 An Informal Bridge Link between Queset House and Library Parking Key Findings Special events such as weddings or parties at the historic Oakes Ames Hall, Queset House, Library, Children s Museum, or festivals can cause a perceived parking crunch. Although some informal shared agreements are in place, these events do not take advantage of the ample supply available, particularly off-peak. Recommendations The Town and partners should not build individual parking supplies to cater to occasional special events (e.g. once-per-year village festivals), but should create a parking management plan for regularly occurring events: Facilitate conversations among landowners and community organizations to determine parking needs by time of day and day of week; identify opportunities for sharing parking Create materials for distribution in advance of events, such as maps of publicly available parking Encourage shuttles for large events via micro-grants or subsidies Create standardized wayfinding sandwich boards or other portable signage and make it available for special event use Evaluate pedestrian link between Library and Oakes Ames Hall Encourage or facilitate communication between venues Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 50