Final Parking Study DOWNTOWN SUB-AREA Prepared for: City of Bellingham March 2013 Prepared by: 11730 118 th Avenue NE, Suite 600 Kirkland, WA 98034-7120 Phone: 425-821-3665 Fax: 425-825-8434 www.transpogroup.com 11068.00 2013 Transpo Group
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Table of Contents Executive Summary... 2 Section 1. Framework... 5 Background... 5 Relevant Plans... 7 Study Area... 8 Overview of Transportation System... 9 Section 2. Existing Parking Conditions... 13 Regulations and Guidelines... 13 Current Parking Strategies... 13 Inventory... 13 Key Findings... 22 Section 3. Future Parking Demand and Supply... 24 Methodology... 24 Forecasted Parking Demand... 25 Future Parking Supply... 25 Key Findings... 26 Section 4. Parking Management Strategies... 27 Improving Efficiency... 27 Reducing Demand... 31 Awareness/Enforcement... 35 Other Jurisdiction Experience... 36 Section 5. Parking Recommendations... 38 Near-Term Strategies... 39 Long-Term Strategies... 40 Appendix Appendix A: Parking Utilization by Block and Parking Lot Appendix B: Parking Duration and Vehicles per Space Appendix C: Comparison of 2005 and 2011 Parking Data Figures Figure 1. Parking Study Area... 6 Figure 2. Roadway System... 10 Figure 3. Transit Routes & Facilities... 11 Figure 4. Non-Motorized Facilities... 12 Figure 5. Downtown Sub-Area On-Street Parking Supply... 15 Figure 6. Downtown Sub-Area Off-Street Parking Supply... 16 Tables Table 1. Summary of Weekday On-Street and Off-Street Parking Utilization... 17 Table 2. Comparison of 2005 and 2011 Parking Data for the Central Business District 21 Table 3. Existing and Future Land Use... 24 Page 1
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Executive Summary This section provides a summary of the Parking Study key findings and recommendations. Existing Parking Conditions Supply. There are 2,773 on-street parking spaces and 6,695 off-street parking spaces within the study area. Demand/Utilization. For most areas, the parking utilization in the study area is less than 85 percent. On-street parking was more utilized at 50 to 60 percent while offstreet utilization is 40 to 50 percent. Duration of Stay. A majority of the vehicles stayed approximately one hour for onstreet parking and more than two hours for off-street parking, which leads to the conclusion that most of the on-street parking is used by customers while off-street parking is for employees and residents who park longer (see exception under neighborhood characteristics). Seasonality. Parking characteristics were similar for both the summer and autumn indicating no season change. Neighborhood Characteristics. Lettered Streets: Near Civic Center, on-street parking utilization is 85 percent or higher and vehicles parked for more than four hours indicating that employees or visitors of government facilities may be avoiding paying for parking surrounding City Hall, the library, or County Courthouse, given the free nearby parking. Sehome and York: Higher utilizations are found during the autumn season along Forest Street and Holly Street. City Center: During the peak hour there are several blocks during both the summer and autumn that experience occupancies of 85 percent or more. Off-Street All Neighborhoods: Utilization was relatively low 75 percent or less. The employee and hourly, daily, and monthly permit parking facilities had the highest utilization. Future Parking Conditions Demand. Future parking demand is anticipated to be approximately 7,100 vehicles without implementation of additional or new parking management strategies. Supply. Future parking supply would be approximately 8,338 spaces with redevelopment of public surface lots. This parking supply would meet the projected demand; however, parking management strategies should continue to be used to ensure parking is available in preferred areas and there is a balance between demand and supply. Parking Plan. The parking management strategies and provision of additional parking supply need to consider: Loss of on-street and off-street parking due to future roadway improvements and/or re-development of existing parking Occupancy of 85 percent full means it becomes difficult to find a space Development that does not require parking Page 2
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Recommendations In addition to continuing current parking management and strategies, the following near-term and long-term strategies are recommended to address current and future parking needs. Near-Term Strategies Lettered Streets Neighborhood: Residential Parking Zones (RPZ) Consider creating a residential parking zone for portions of the Lettered Streets neighborhood to minimize nonresident parking. Expand Time Restriction Area and/or Paid Parking Consider providing time restricted parking (one or two hour time limits) within the Lettered Streets neighborhood to allow for short-term parking and reduce nonresident long-term parking. Sehome and York Neighborhoods: City Center: Paid Parking Consider charging for parking along corridors such as Forest Street and Holly Street to decrease occupancy below 85 percent. Parking Pricing Consider increasing parking pricing along the blocks that are more highly utilized to push some of the longer duration parking to off-street lots and/or other less utilized blocks. Off-Street Parking: Parking Pricing To encourage more off-street parking and increase utilization of garages such as the Parkade, price these facilities lower than on-street. Long-Term Strategies Monitoring Program Establish a monitoring program to understand changes in demand and utilization as development occurs, management strategies are implemented, and policies change. Data should be collected as needed every one to three years. Modify Time Restricted Area If the ability to find available spaces become difficult or turnover decreases, consider implementing a one-hour or two-hour time limit throughout the Sub-Area with a couple of 30-minute time limited parking spaces per block. Parking Pricing Increase parking rates throughout the City Center and/or in specific areas. The intent of the increased parking rates could be to increase turnover or free up parking spaces. Expand Paid Parking Increase the number of paid parking spaces within the Downtown Sub-Area to allow for more turnover in areas where drivers are taking advantage of free parking. Shared Parking Establish shared parking agreements with off-street lots. A pilot project could be conducted where property owners who are most cooperative demonstrate the benefits of shared parking and help establish a protocol for how this would be implemented. Private Development Contributions Consider incentives for developers to implement management strategies or provide shared public parking. Page 3
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Update Development Regulations/Parking Code Requirements Consider adjusting policies for mixed-use multi-family developments by allowing reductions if public parking is provided or other incentives that are mutually beneficial to meeting goals of both the developer and City. Expand Transportation Demand Management Improve and expand transportation demand management strategies that support shifting modes of travel and reduce parking demands during peak periods. Increase On-Street Parking Supply As redevelopment occurs and/or improvements are made, consideration may be given to converting parallel parking to angled or 90-degree parking and/or providing smaller parallel parking spaces to increase on-street parking supply. Parking Information Provide ITS signs that show the number of spaces available in parking lots and garages to direct drivers to available parking. Page 4
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Section 1. Framework Parking plays a key role in a multimodal transportation system especially considering that a vehicle is parked for the majority of the day and requires a parking space at each origin and destination. Typically, the focus of a transportation system is spent on the one to two hours that vehicles are on the road, but to manage and operate an efficient transportation system, it is necessary to address parking issues which work hand-in-hand with managing traffic congestion. Parking is truly an integral part of the overall transportation system and many of the management practices in this report provide benefits beyond just parking. As part of the Downtown Sub-Area Plan, the City is evaluating and updating the parking strategies identified in City Center Master Plan, August 2002. This Parking Study provides an understanding of existing and future parking needs, reviews previous management strategies and their effectiveness, and identifies additional management strategies consistent with the overall goals and objectives of the community. The parking management strategies presented address both existing parking as well as how parking should be addressed as future development occurs. The objective of the Parking Study is to identify strategies that can be implemented over time to address existing and anticipated issues related to potential development growth in the area. Background The Downtown Sub-Area consists of the Lettered Streets and Central Business District (CBD) neighborhoods as well as portions of the York and Sehome neighborhoods (see Figure 1). Each of the neighborhoods has distinct features reflective of the historical land uses, topography, and geographic location. For example, Railroad Avenue within the CBD has a unique identify due to the wide streets from the rail line that traveled along this corridor in the past. Land uses within these neighborhoods include commercial (retail, offices, restaurants, theater, etc.), multifamily residential, public (government, parks, and open space), and light industrial. The diverse land uses complement each and serve not only the Downtown area, but the community at large. The land uses in the Downtown Sub-Area drive the parking needs and the mix of uses is a key consideration in the development and implementation of parking policies and management plans. Page 5
PROSPECT ST DEAN AVE I I ST H ST G ST CLINTON ST F ST ELLSWORTH ST GIRARD ST B ST A ST IRVING ST KENTUCKY ST ASTOR ST LETTERED STREETS DUPONT ST HALLECK ST NEW ST IOWA ST E ST D ST SUNNYLAND OHIO ST GRAND AVE N COMMERCIAL ST KANSAS ST ROEDER AVE W HOLLY ST FLORA ST UNITY ST YORK ST W CHAMPION ST Legend W CHESTNUT ST BAY ST CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT COMMERCIAL ST CORNWALL AVE RAILROAD AVE E MAGNOLIA ST E CHAMPION ST Study Area E HOLLY ST YORK E MAPLE ST N STATE ST N FOREST ST N GARDEN ST E CHESTNUT ST WHARF ST 0 255 510 1,020 Feet BERRY ST ROSE ST IVY ST HIGH ST SEHOME INDIAN ST JERSEY ST Source: COB GIS Department KEY ST Parking Study Area Downtown Sub-Area Parking Study Path: M:\11\11068 Bellingham Parking\Graphics\GIS\MXD\City Center\FIG_1_StudyArea_CityCenter.mxd FIGURE 1
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Relevant Plans In updating the parking plan, it is important to reflect on the City s vision, policies, and goals to ensure that recommendations fit within this already established framework. There are five main documents that influence the Downtown Sub-Area Parking Study: (1) Bellingham Comprehensive Plan, 2006, (2) City Center Master Plan, August 2002, (3) Downtown Bellingham Parking Management Strategy, August 2004, (4) Parkade Efficiency Study, June 2004, and (5) City Center Master Plan: Parking Element, January 2006. The following provides an overview of these plans. Many of the recommendations and strategies outlined in these documents have initially been implemented. Comprehensive Plan The Comprehensive Plan provides community goals and policies that guide City development, decisions, and actions. Many of the goals and polices included in the Comprehensive Plan relate to transportation, and specifically parking and demand management within the downtown including recommendations to review major commercial parking requirements and develop a transportation demand management program. City Center Master Plan The City Center Master Plan provides a framework for coordinating public and private investment decisions and describes the overall vision for the City Center. Chapter 6 (Parking Facilities Strategy) of this document recommended the following actions be implemented within Downtown including: Increase parking supply for the Commercial Core Develop parking for the Civic Center/Cultural District Confirm long-term parking needs in the context of a fully integrated circulation and transportation plan Investigate private sector joint venture development agreements Pursue public sector joint development agreements Develop and manage parking as a system Downtown Bellingham Parking Management Strategy The Downtown Bellingham Parking Management Strategy provides a summary of recommended strategies for implementation to improve and enhance overall parking management in Downtown. The document provides a guide to initiating modifications to current parking management practices in order to help achieve the goals for Downtown Bellingham described in Vision for Bellingham adopted December 1992 and the City Center Master Plan adopted August 2002. The recommendations support the goals for Downtown including providing parking to support downtown businesses, reducing the number of drive alone commute trips, and improving financial operations related to parking. Many of the key strategies recommended in the document have been implementing including: Modify rate and fine structure Strengthen and increase enforcement efforts Pursue collection on unpaid fines Accept only US currency Develop a program to consolidate parking management responsibility to one department Page 7
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Monitor land use and parking utilization and modify parking requirements for development in downtown Parkade Efficiency Study The Parkade Efficiency Study focuses on ways to improve the Parkade parking garage operations by making the garage more user friendly and improving the financial performance. The study provided recommendations related to revenue and access control, accounting, pricing structure, staffing, marketing, and physical garage improvements or modifications. City Center Master Plan: Parking Element The purpose of the City Center Master Plan: Parking Element was to identify the location and amount of parking supply to support future development and land use within the downtown core area. The 2002 City Center Master Plan provided the framework for the Parking Element, which provides the analysis and recommendations identifying locations for parking infrastructure and management strategies for addressing future parking needs. Different from this Parking Study of the Downtown Sub-Area, the Parking Element focused on the downtown commercial core only. Data collection for the Parking Element was conducted in July 2005 after many of the measures and strategies recommended as part of the Downtown Bellingham Parking Management Strategy had already been implemented. Building on the success of the strategies recommended previously, the City Center Master Plan: Parking Element recommends reducing demand for parking by enhancing transit service, providing incentives, and improving the non-motorized network; and adding parking supply by changing development regulations to have a minimum off-street parking requirement, allowing developers to contribute to a centralized parking supply, providing a centralized parking structure, formation of a parking business improvement area that would be assessed a charge based on value of land, use of remote lots connected to transit or shuttle service, or forming a public-private partnership to develop parking. Parking Requirements The City of Bellingham Municipal Code Title 20 outlines parking requirements by neighborhood 1. A majority of Downtown Sub-Area is exempt or has reduced parking requirements. The part of the Sub-Area exempt from parking requirements includes the commercial core and fringe area of the CBD. In addition, there is a reduced parking overlay for a portion of the CBD, Lettered Streets, Sehome, and York neighborhoods. Areas exempt are required to provide parking for hotels and motels. Areas within the reduced parking overlay have less parking required for multi-family uses. These exempt and reduced parking requirements are intended to allow the use of on-street and off-site parking to meet parking requirements in those areas. Study Area The study area was chosen in coordination with City staff and is consistent with the Downtown Sub-Area Plan, which is currently being developed. The Lettered Streets neighborhood, CBD, and Old Town district as well as portions of the York and Sehome neighborhoods are included in the study area. As shown on Figure 1, the study area generally includes south of Halleck Street/Ohio Street, east of Ellis Street, west of F Street, and north of Roeder Avenue. 1 City of Bellingham Municipal Code Title 20 Land Use Development Chapter 12 General Standards, 20.12.010 Parking. Page 8
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Overview of Transportation System Besides the existing parking system, other elements of the Downtown Sub-Area transportation system influence parking conditions and strategies that are implemented. The following describes the roadway, transit, non-motorized system, and other nearby transportation services in the Downtown Sub-Area. Roadways The vehicle travel routes within the Downtown Sub-Area are classified as secondary and principal arterial routes. There are also local access roads within the neighborhoods connecting vehicles to the arterial street system. Route classification is based on the purpose, traffic volumes, and connectivity to the overall City network. Figure 2 shows the roadway network and classification within the Downtown Sub-Area. Parking is provided along most of the roadways within the Downtown Sub-Area regardless of the roadway classification. In general, the City s street standards allow parking on all facilities except principal routes and angled parking is typically reserved for commercial and business streets such as Railroad Avenue. Parking along the street system helps to slow drivers, which is important in the Downtown where there are pedestrians and bicyclists and the speed limit is 25 mph along a majority of the streets. Transit Service Public transit service in the City of Bellingham is provided by Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA). Services include fixed-route, paratransit, dial-a-ride, flex service, vanpool, community use vans, rideshare assistance, and park-and-ride lots. The Downtown Sub-Area is well served by transit with WTA s main transit hub, Bellingham Station, located next to State Street between Magnolia Street and Champion Street. On weekdays, the Bellingham Transit Station has an average of 3,700 boardings and 3,300 alightings per day. This is an approximately 40 percent increase since 2005 2. All of the fixed route service offered by WTA stops at the Bellingham Station allowing passengers to travel throughout the City and County. Figure 3 shows the transit routes and facilities within the study area. Service is provided on both weekdays and weekends with headways varying between 15 minutes and one hour. WTA also operates several Go Lines that provide rapid transit bus service with 15-minute headways all day. The availability and accessibility of transit within Downtown contributes to the reduction in vehicle use and the ability to decrease parking supply in the future. Non-Motorized Facilities The Downtown Sub-Area is a pedestrian and bicycle oriented with heavy pedestrian activity in and around the residential and commercial areas. As shown on Figure 4, sidewalks are provided along almost all roadways within the study area and bicycle lanes are provided along State Street, Forest Street, and Magnolia Street. There are also trail connections in the northern and western portion of the Sub-Area. The South Bay Trail runs north-south along State Street and Railroad Avenue. With these facilities, it is easy to walk and bike within the Downtown Sub-Area as well as travel to and from this area. This ability to walk and bike to and from the area helps reduce vehicle use. The existing sidewalks facilitate easy access to and from parking; however, even with this network users typically want to park as close to their destination as possible. The distance people are willing to walk varies by trip purpose, urban area population size, and type of parking. In addition, people are typically willing to walk further from off-street parking than onstreet spaces 3. A walking distance of approximately two to three blocks (or 400 to 600 feet) is generally acceptable for a downtown area; however, this can vary based on available pedestrian facilities, safety and security, etc. 2 Data provided by Whatcom Transit Authority for April 2011 and 2005. 3 Parking, Weant, Robert A. and Levinson, Herbert S., 1990. Page 9
PROSPECT ST DEAN AVE I I ST H ST G ST CLINTON ST F ST ELLSWORTH ST GIRARD ST B ST A ST IRVING ST KENTUCKY ST ASTOR ST LETTERED STREETS DUPONT ST HALLECK ST NEW ST IOWA ST E ST D ST SUNNYLAND OHIO ST GRAND AVE N COMMERCIAL ST KANSAS ST ROEDER AVE W HOLLY ST FLORA ST UNITY ST YORK ST W CHAMPION ST Legend W CHESTNUT ST BAY ST CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT COMMERCIAL ST CORNWALL AVE RAILROAD AVE E MAGNOLIA ST E CHAMPION ST Arterial Street Classification Principal Route Secondary Route Collector Route Other Streets Study Area E MAPLE ST N STATE ST N FOREST ST E HOLLY ST N GARDEN ST YORK E CHESTNUT ST WHARF ST 0 250 500 1,000 Feet BERRY ST ROSE ST IVY ST HIGH ST SEHOME INDIAN ST JERSEY ST Source: COB GIS Department KEY ST Roadway System Downtown Sub-Area Parking Study Path: M:\11\11068 Bellingham Parking\Graphics\GIS\MXD\City Center\FIG_2_RoadwaySystem.mxd FIGURE 2
DEAN AVE I I ST H ST G ST CLINTON ST F ST ELLSWORTH ST GIRARD ST B ST A ST IRVING ST KENTUCKY ST ASTOR ST LETTERED STREETS DUPONT ST HALLECK ST NEW ST IOWA ST E ST D ST SUNNYLAND OHIO ST ROEDER AVE W HOLLY ST PROSPECT ST GRAND AVE FLORA ST W CHAMPION ST N COMMERCIAL ST UNITY ST YORK ST KANSAS ST Legend n WTA Bellingham Station Transit Stop Transit Routes BLUE Line GOLD Line GREEN Line RED Line Other Study Area W CHESTNUT ST BAY ST CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT E MAPLE ST COMMERCIAL ST N STATE ST CORNWALL AVE N FOREST ST RAILROAD AVE E HOLLY ST n E MAGNOLIA ST E CHAMPION ST N GARDEN ST YORK ROSE ST E CHESTNUT ST WHARF ST 0 255 510 1,020 Feet BERRY ST IVY ST HIGH ST SEHOME INDIAN ST JERSEY ST Source: COB GIS Department KEY ST Transit Routes & Facilities Downtown Sub-Area Parking Study Path: M:\11\11068 Bellingham Parking\Graphics\GIS\MXD\City Center\FIG_3_Transit.mxd FIGURE 3
DEAN AVE I I ST H ST ASTOR ST G ST CLINTON ST E ST F ST ROEDER AVE ELLSWORTH ST D ST W HOLLY ST LETTERED STREETS DUPONT ST PROSPECT ST GIRARD ST GRAND AVE B ST FLORA ST N COMMERCIAL ST A ST HALLECK ST UNITY ST IRVING ST NEW ST KENTUCKY ST SUNNYLAND OHIO ST IOWA ST KANSAS ST YORK ST W CHAMPION ST Legend W CHESTNUT ST BAY ST CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT COMMERCIAL ST CORNWALL AVE RAILROAD AVE E MAGNOLIA ST E CHAMPION ST Road with Marked Bike Route Road with Wide Shoulders Sidewalk E HOLLY ST YORK Trails Study Area E MAPLE ST N STATE ST N FOREST ST N GARDEN ST E CHESTNUT ST WHARF ST 0 250 500 1,000 Feet BERRY ST ROSE ST IVY ST HIGH ST SEHOME INDIAN ST JERSEY ST Source: COB GIS Department KEY ST Non-Motorized Facilities Downtown Sub-Area Parking Study Path: M:\11\11068 Bellingham Parking\Graphics\GIS\MXD\City Center\FIG_4_NonMotorized.mxd FIGURE 4
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Section 2. Existing Parking Conditions This section describes the existing parking conditions in the Downtown Sub-Area. As noted previously, well- managed parking is a key component of an efficient multimodal transportation system. As such, it is important to understand how current regulations and guidelines, parking inventory, and parking utilization relate to the effectiveness of current parking management strategies. This existing data also provides a benchmark for measuring the success of future management strategies. Key findings are identified to provide context for development and implementation of future parking strategies. Regulations and Guidelines Parking requirements in the City of Bellingham are set forth by Bellingham Municipal Code 20.12.010 Parking. The City has a minimum off-street parking requirement by land use type with a reduced parking overlay for certain neighborhoods including the Central Business District (CBD), Lettered Streets, Sehome, Sunnyland, and York. The City generally does not allow required parking to be met through on-street parking, but does allow for joint parking agreements between properties. Current Parking Strategies Section 1 outlined several documents that provided specific guidance on parking strategies for the Downtown Sub-Area. The most recent parking data collection effort was conducted in July 2005 after many of the measured and strategies recommended as part of the Downtown Bellingham Parking Management Strategy had already been implemented. As a result of the July 2005 data collection, the City developed the City Center Master Plan: Parking Element in January 2006, which outlined additional strategies including: Management of Parking Supply including longer enforcement day for metered parking, increase existing metered parking rates, consolidate parking operations under one department, and increase violation fines. Reducing Demand for Parking including enhancing transit service, provide incentives for alternative commute modes, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Adding to the Parking Supply by establishing minimum off-street parking requirements, allowing developers to contribute to development of a centralized parking supply in lieu of on-site parking, constructing a centrally located shared public parking facility, forming a parking business improvement area, use of remote lots to connect to transit, and city funded piggy-back parking added to developer s onstreet parking supply. Many of these strategies have already been implemented and shape the parking characteristics seen today including enhancements to transit, modification to rate and fine structure, increased enforcement, acceptance of only US currency, consolidation of parking management into one department, and monitoring of land use and parking. A comparison of 2011 and 2005 parking conditions is provided at the end of Section 2 to understand how the implementation of these strategies has impacted parking in the Downtown Sub-Area. This comparison will help determine further parking strategies the City might consider to accommodate existing and future parking demands. Inventory A survey was conducted in the study area to understand existing conditions. The data collection included parking supply, occupancy, and duration (or length of stay). Data were collected both on-street and for key off-street parking lots. The inventory of parking supply was based on data provided by City staff as well as field verification in August 2011. Page 13
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Data related to parking utilization and duration were collected on Tuesday, August 9 and Thursday, August 11 representing a typical summer weekday and Wednesday, October 12 and Thursday, October 13 representing a typical autumn weekday (including Western Washington University being in full session). Hourly occupancy and duration along each onstreet block and within each lot were collected from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The data collection provided an understanding of how full (i.e., utilized or occupied) Downtown parking is, how long vehicles stay in one parking space, and how much parking turnover occurs allowing for different vehicles to use one space. The utilization and duration characteristics provide one of the fundamental components in refining the parking management strategy for the Downtown Sub-Area. The Downtown Sub-Area has over 9,000 parking spaces, which leads to a costly and labor intensive data collection effort. Parking management strategies are developed based on the general characteristics of an area and do not require data for each individual space; therefore, the data collection focused on providing a sample set to understand the parking characteristics of the Downtown Sub-Area. The sample included over 4,000 parking spaces and represented on-street paid and unpaid parking as well as off-street paid and unpaid parking and private and publicly-available lots. Supply Figures 5 and 6 illustrate on-street and off-street parking within the Downtown Sub-Area. As shown on the figures there are 9,468 parking spaces with 1,305 unpaid parking, 1,468 metered on-street spaces, and 6,695 spaces within private and publicly-available parking lots. The following describes the parking that was inventoried within the study area. As noted above, data collection focused on a sample set covering approximately 45 percent of the total parking within the Downtown Sub-Area. The study primarily focused on publicly-available parking, which for the most part is on-street. On-Street Parking. The study area includes 2,716 on-street parking Parking Studied spaces with 1,249 unpaid spaces and 1,467 paid spaces. This On-Street = 2,716 of 2,773 spaces (98% of supply) represents 98 percent of the total onstreet parking spaces within the Off-Street = 1,467 of 6,695 spaces (22% of supply) Downtown Sub-Area. The majority of the parking within the City Center is Total = 4,183 of 9,468 spaces (44% of supply) metered with free on-street parking located outside this area. Parking meter time limits range from 30 minutes to 8 hours with the majority of the time limits 2 hours. Most of the longer time limited parking (i.e., greater than two hours) is located along Railroad Avenue serving the transit center. The parking space design in the study area includes both parallel and angled spaces with a majority of the angled parking located along Railroad Avenue. Off-Street Parking. Data was collected for approximately 1,400 off-street parking spaces. This study refers to spaces as public when it is available for public use including paid, permitted, and unpaid/free spaces. Private parking refers to spaces that are available for a specific use only such as customer, employee, or resident spaces. A total of 1,467 off-street parking spaces were inventoried with 47 unpaid public spaces, 1,040 paid public spaces, and 380 private parking spaces. This represents 22 percent of the total off-street parking supply. Approximately 80 percent of the Downtown Sub-Area off-street parking supply is privately owned and operated customer, employee, and resident parking. The inventory captured 82 percent of the publicly-available paid and unpaid off-street parking as well as a small percentage of private parking. Focusing the inventory on publicly-available spaces was intended to provide an understanding of the parking that would be most impacted by City parking management strategies. Page 14
6 7 10 1 6 10 8 3 3 9 9 11 10 7 30 20 9 3 8 10 9 9 17 25 8 21 23 26 5 4 27 0 I I ST ASTOR ST 8 10 H ST 9 6 6 6 4 6 3 5 5 5 5 4 7 1 5 G ST 3 LETTERED STREETS W HOLLY ST 3 5 2 2 8 18 12 12 5 2 3 16 8 3 5 9 20 14 14 5 F ST 2 5 3 13 7 10 4 4 2 2 5 6 D ST 13 16 1 5 7 11 9 6 6 7 2 4 9 6 14 20 21 2 4 18 16 7 18 13 2 8 7 11 7 9 6 6 11 9 6 6 6 7 12 5 19 19 4 4 10 22 10 3 IRVING ST B ST 4 3 3 A ST YOUNG ST 10 3 OHIO ST KENTUCKY ST SUNNYLAND IOWA ST 3 3 4 ROEDER AVE 10 15 4 5 9 4 44 3 4 6 3 9 5 11 6 17 13 6 5 8 10 8 11 21 29 17 YORK ST 15 N STATE ST 17 7 14 8 8 8 9 7 7 7 7 54 49 3 8 14 CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT 2 28 10 16 14 57 3 25 13 4 11 3 6 48 10 10 10 Legend Parking Type Comments Free (#) Metered (#) Study Area 6 16 14 13 3 16 3 13 31 15 5 10 7 13 13 17 9 8 7 47 7 9 51 12 8 9 11 13 9 5 5 5 7 7 8 13 9 2 8 14 14 N GARDEN ST 7 7 6 7 9 16 11 21 18 14 15 4 4 12 12 10 6 4 YORK 15 12 5 6 5 16 5 20 14 20 7 6 6 1 9 8 8 CORNWALL AVE WHARF ST 0 250 500 1,000 Feet 15 2 0 IVY ST On-Street Parking Supply: Free Parking = 1305 Spaces Metered Parking = 1468 Spaces Note: On-street supply represents spaces along the street between curbs Source: SEHOME COB GIS Department HIGH ST E MAPLE ST INDIAN ST JERSEY ST E CHESTNUT ST KEY ST Downtown Sub-Area On-Street Parking Supply Downtown Sub-Area Parking Study Path: M:\11\11068 Bellingham Parking\Graphics\GIS\MXD\City Center\FIG_5_Parking Supply - Onstreet.mxd FIGURE 5
I I ST LETTERED STREETS G ST 9 Legend H ST 12 17 0 10 11 17 7 28 32 27 20 9 20 8 6 17 8 10 11 11 CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT Parking Lot Type Customer Only Employee Only Hourly Permit Monthly Permit Public Residents Only Other Study Area E ST ASTOR ST ROEDER AVE WHARF ST D ST 0 250 500 1,000 Feet 9 15 F ST W CHESTNUT ST 12 6 28 20 9 14 25 7 25 45 47 21 60 6 34 36 0 4 20 36 12 8 50 16 30 4 5 3 0 6 DUPONT ST 5 42 IVY ST 52 128 44 78 19 93 48 70 79 62 423 88 68 8 40 13 100 48 5 3 35 28 35 26 43 14 56 24 253 22 35 28 10 20 44 5 62 44 14 14 5 10 15 41 20 79 34 28 40 5 13 34 10 20 5 15 15 16 12 10 15 13 22 10 43 28 17 20 18 14 7 13 BAY ST 32 25 18 7 7 23 SEHOME 20 7 21 8 5 24 5 W HOLLY ST N GARDEN ST GIRARD ST GRAND AVE 21 15 13 10 6 17 10 4 FLORA ST 24 31 25 16 16 18 8 3 22 12 67 17 9 14 5 5 11 14 20 14 28 34 9 15 20 8 15 27 15 74 36 17 10 10 11 6 7 CORNWALL AVE E HOLLY ST B ST LOTTIE ST 13 HIGH ST 18 A ST HALLECK ST YOUNG ST 5 10 20 11 26 IRVING ST 12 10 7 10 53 15 5 12 10 E MAPLE ST NEW ST RAILROAD AVE 9 E CHESTNUT ST 28 20 6 3 20 18 6 98 18 70 7 44 12 7 12 9 26 33 36 40 12 8 6 7 14 7 38 78 35 16 29 15 3 15 7 80 4 80 23 6 11 25 17 6 Off-Street Parking Supply: Customer Only = 3,656 Employee Only = 1,487 Hourly Permit = 344 Monthly Permit = 901 Public = 74 Residents Only = 213 Other = 20 Total = 6,695 Source: COB GIS Department INDIAN ST SUNNYLAND 15 25 10 5 22 11 10 6 80 10 26 5 70 70 8 JERSEY ST KEY ST KENTUCKY ST OHIO ST 14 24 51 20 15 9 8 10 8 109 14 14 7 32 N STATE ST N FOREST ST YORK IOWA ST 66 5 23 23 17 YORK ST Downtown Sub-Area Off-Street Parking Supply Downtown Sub-Area Parking Study Path: M:\11\11068 Bellingham Parking\Graphics\GIS\MXD\City Center\FIG_6_Parking Supply - Offstreet.mxd FIGURE 6
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Utilization Table 1 provides a summary of parking utilization for the study area. Data was collected in the summer and autumn to understand the seasonal characteristics of parking within the Downtown Sub-Area. As shown in the table, there generally is not a seasonal change in parking occupancy when comparing summer and autumn data. The difference between the summer and autumn occupancy rates is between two and six percent, which is similar to the daily fluctuation seen for parking. The overall weekday occupancy for both summer and autumn is approximately 50 percent. The on-street parking has slightly higher occupancies (50 to 60 percent) as compared to off-street parking (40 to 50 percent). Table 1. Summary of Weekday On-Street and Off-Street Parking Utilization Location Average Percent Occupied Number of Spaces Studied Summer Autumn Difference (Autumn-Summer) All Parking 4,183 49% 51% +2% On-Street Parking Unpaid 1,249 55% 61% +6% Paid 1,467 50% 49% -1% Off-Street Parking Unpaid Public Lot 47 43% 49% +6% Paid Public Lot 1,040 43% 47% +4% Private Lot 380 39% 37% -2% Source: Transpo Group, 2011. The City Center Master Plan: Parking Element, January 2006 focused on the downtown commercial core area rather than the larger Downtown Sub-Area reviewed for this Parking Study. Occupancies for the downtown core in July 2005 were approximately 65 percent onstreet and 50 percent off-street during the weekday peak period (i.e., 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.). Typically, occupancies of around 85 percent are considered full because it becomes challenging to find vacant parking spaces and congestion can be created as a result of drivers having to circulate throughout the street system to locate a parking space. Overall average parking utilization for the Downtown Sub-Area is lower (i.e., 50 percent) indicating there is sufficient parking supply in examining the area as a whole. The location and user costs play a factor in the utilization of parking. The following describes in more detail parking utilization for on-street and off-street paid and unpaid parking spaces as well as parking characteristics for the individual neighborhoods included in the Downtown Sub-Area. Page 17
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 On-Street Paid and Unpaid Parking Utilization The graph below illustrates the weekday on-street parking utilization for the study area from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for both paid and unpaid parking spaces. As shown on the graph, the shape of the curves for the summer and autumn seasons are similar with unpaid parking having a slightly higher occupancy in autumn and paid parking having a slightly higher occupancy in the summer. Unpaid parking utilization is relatively consistent throughout the day with a peak between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. of 61 percent (or approximately 750 vehicles parked) in the summer and 68 percent (or approximately 850 vehicles parked) in the autumn. Paid parking utilization steadily increased throughout the day with peaks later in the afternoon. During the summer paid parking utilization peaked from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. with an occupancy of 61 percent (or 900 vehicles parked). In the autumn, paid parking utilization peaked from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with occupancy of 57 percent (or 840 vehicles parked). Off-Street Paid and Unpaid Parking Utilization The graph below illustrates the weekday off-street parking utilization for the study area from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for both paid and unpaid parking spaces. In addition, a distinction is made between public parking lots and private parking lots. As shown on the graph, the shapes of the curves for the summer and autumn seasons are generally similar for off-street parking except for the unpaid public parking during the autumn, which is 15 to 20 percent higher than summer between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The unpaid public parking represents only 47 parking spaces since generally the public parking within the study area is paid. With only 47 parking spaces, small increases and decreases in the number of parked vehicles can significantly change the overall occupancy. An average of 20 vehicles were parked in the unpaid public parking during both the summer and autumn seasons. Page 18
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Paid public parking peaked between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. with an occupancy of 51 percent (or approximately 530 vehicles parked) in the summer and 56 percent (or approximately 580 vehicles parked) in the autumn. Parking within the private lots peaked from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with an occupancy of 46 percent (or 175 vehicles parked) during the summer and 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. with an occupancy of 43 percent (or 165 vehicles parked) during the autumn. Neighborhood Parking Utilization The overall utilization in the study area for paid and unpaid parking shows that occupancy for both the summer and autumn are relatively consistent indicating that there is little variability between the two seasons. In addition, the utilization is well below 85 percent, which is characterized as full ; however, as expected, an examination of the blocks and parking lots within the study area shows that specific neighborhoods have much higher utilization. Appendix A provides graphics illustrating the average and peak hour utilization by block and off-street parking lot for both the summer and autumn seasons. These illustrations show: Lettered Streets: Within the Lettered Streets neighborhood in the vicinity of City Hall and other City and County government services, on-street parking utilization is 85 percent or higher during both the summer and autumn. This combined with an examination of duration (see following section and Appendix B) indicates that drivers may be parking within this neighborhood to avoid paying for parking near City Hall. Sehome and York: Higher utilizations are found during the autumn season along Forest Street and Holly Street within these neighborhoods as compared to the summer. City Center: The utilization is somewhat higher during the summer in this area; however, during the peak hour there are several blocks during both the summer and autumn that experience occupancies of 85 percent or more. Off-Street All Neighborhoods: In general, off-street parking utilization was relatively low 75 percent or less. The employee and hourly, daily, and monthly permit parking had the highest utilization. Page 19
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Duration Besides understanding how full parking is in the study area, it is important to understand the duration vehicles park. Overall the average length of stay is less than two hours throughout the study area both in the summer and autumn season. The two graphs below illustrate the length of stay for on a weekday during the summer and autumn season. In examining the different types of parking for the summer and autumn, most of the parked vehicles in the study area stay for one hour or less. % of Vehicles 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Length of Stay for Parked Vehicles City Center Summer Weekday Time Interval Unpaid On Street Vehicles Parked Paid On Street Vehicles Parked Unpaid Public Lot Parked Paid Public Lot Private Lot % of Vehicles 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Length of Stay for Parked Vehicles City Center Autumn Weekday Time Interval Unpaid On Street Vehicles Parked Paid On Street Vehicles Parked Unpaid Public Lot Paid Public Lot Private Lot Page 20
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 For the paid on-street parking, a majority of vehicles (74 to 78 percent) stay for approximately one hour or less whereas only 42 to 56 percent of the vehicles using the public paid parking lots stay for one hour or less. The average length of stay in the public paid parking lots is approximately three hours. Appendix B provides the average duration/turnover by block and parking lot, and the average number of vehicles that utilize a space during the summer and autumn. The data shows that on-street drivers generally parked for less than one hour while off-street parking lots drivers generally parked for two-hours or more. For the free parking areas within the Lettered Streets neighborhood near City Hall, average parking durations were three hours or more with vehicles staying for as long as six to seven hours along some blocks. This indicates that employees in the vicinity may be parking in the Letters Street neighborhood rather than paying for parking at off-street lots. For locations with shorter lengths of stay, more vehicles utilized each parking space. This is particularly evident in the City Center where for both the summer and autumn seasons most of the on-street parking spaces serve more than four vehicles during the count period. Comparison to Previous Study As part of the City Center Master Plan: Parking Element, data was collected in July 2005 in the CBD south of Flora Street/York Street, north of Chestnut Street, east of Bay Street/ Prospect Street and west of Garden Street. This represents a smaller area than the Downtown Sub-Area, which is the focus of this Plan. Data was collected within this study area from approximately 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in 2005. Table 2 provides a comparison between the 2005 and 2011 data for the CBD. Appendix C contains figures illustrating the comparison of 2005 and 2011 parking supply and demand for individual blocks and parking lots. Table 2. Comparison of 2005 and 2011 Parking Data for the Central Business District Change Change (Summer 2011 (Summer 2011 Location Summer 2005 Summer 2011 Autumn 2011 Summer 2005) Autumn 2005) On-Street Parking Supply 1,206 1,049 1,049-157 -157 Average Demand 1 783 572 552-211 -231 Utilization 65% 55% 53% -10% -12% Off-Street Parking Supply 825 872 872 +47 +47 Average Demand 1 304 420 459 +116 +155 Utilization 37% 48% 53% +11% +16% Source: Transpo Group, 2012. 1. Summer 2005 data represents the time period between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Summer and Autumn 2011 data represents 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. As shown in the table, the number of on-street parking spaces in the CBD has decreased since 2005. The decrease in parking supply is generally due to roadway improvements. Much of the decrease occurred along Forest Street where the City completed pedestrian and bicycle improvements including curb bulb-outs, narrowing the street, and providing a bicycle lane, which reduced the overall on-street parking along the corridor. Off-street parking supply increased by 47 spaces; therefore, the total loss in on-street parking (157 spaces) has not been fully replaced by off-street parking. In reviewing the overall on-street parking utilization, it is shown that there is not a need at this time to replace on-street parking that is eliminated. The comparison shows that on-street Page 21
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 parking demand decreased in the CBD from 2005 to 2011 by 211 to 231 vehicles. Parking demand may decrease due to a variety of factors including shift to off-street parking, economic conditions, or mode shifts such as from auto to transit, walking, or biking. This decrease in parking demand results in a decrease in the overall on-street parking utilization (even though the parking supply decreased) by 10 to 12 percent resulting in a utilization of only 53 to 55 percent in 2011 as compared to 65 percent in 2005. As the City of Bellingham changes and grows, there will continue to be changes in the overall parking supply of the CBD as well as the Downtown Sub-Area as a whole. On-street parking may be reduced due to changes such as accommodation of bus or loading zones, formularization of parking spaces, provision of pedestrian or bicycle facilities, and many other design elements. As development occurs and roadway improvements are completed, the City should continue to evaluate whether lost on-street parking needs to be replaced. Off-street parking was compared for ten publicly accessible parking lots in the CBD. Average off-street parking demand between 2005 and 2011 increased by 116 to 155 vehicles and parking utilization increased by 11 to 16 percent for a utilization of 48 to 53 percent. Similar to the on-street parking, off-street parking utilization is well below 85 percent or what is typically considered full. Analysis of the specific parking lots shows that average demand in the Parkade parking garage increased by roughly 130 to 160 vehicles while average demand of other lots increased by only a small amount (see Appendix C). This increase in demand for the Parkade between 2005 and 2011 results in an average parking utilization of approximately 50 to 55 percent as compared to only 27 percent in 2005. Parking strategies as outlined in the Parkade Efficiency Study were implemented between 2005 and 2011 and those have resulted in increased utilization for the garage. If on-street parking becomes more utilized and/or other parking changes occur such that the City wishes to encourage additional offstreet parking, management strategies such fee reductions and/or other incentives may be employed. Key Findings Supply. There are 9,468 parking spaces with 1,468 metered spaces, 1,305 nonmetered on-street spaces, and 6,695 spaces within parking lots. Demand/Utilization. For most areas, the parking utilization in the study area is less than 85 percent. On-street parking was more utilized at 50 to 60 percent while offstreet utilization is 40 to 50 percent. Duration of Stay. A majority of the vehicles stayed approximately one hour for onstreet parking and over two hours for off-street parking, which leads to the conclusion that most of the on-street parking is used by customers while off-street parking is for employees and residents who would park longer (see exception under neighborhood characteristics). Seasonality. Parking characteristics were similar for both the summer and autumn indicating no seasonal change. Neighborhood Characteristics. Lettered Streets: Near City Hall on-street parking utilization is 85 percent or higher and vehicles parked for more than four hours indicating that employees or visitors of government facilities may be avoiding paying for parking surrounding government offices given the free nearby parking. Sehome and York: Higher utilizations are found during the autumn season along Forest Street and Holly Street likely due to Western Washington University being in session. Page 22
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 City Center: During the peak hour there are several blocks during both the summer and autumn that experience occupancies of 85 percent or more. Off-Street All Neighborhoods: Utilization was relatively low 75 percent or less. The employee and hourly, daily, and monthly permit parking facilities had the highest utilization. Comparison of 2005 and 2011 Parking Characteristics. On-street parking utilization within the CBD has decreased since 2005 while off-street parking utilization has increased. Parking management strategies implemented between 2005 and 2011 have encouraged more off-street parking in lots such as the Parkade. Next Steps. Consider management strategies to make improvements in areas with utilization above 85 percent, ensure the parking system continues to operate well in the Downtown Sub-Area, and accommodate future demands. Page 23
Final Parking Study Downtown Sub-Area March 2013 Section 3. Future Parking Demand and Supply This section describes the forecasted parking demand for the Downtown Sub-Area. Understanding the future parking demands will assist in developing a holistic parking strategy through consideration of both existing and future conditions. In addition, a grasp of the future demands based on anticipated growth will help develop a set of action items that can be tied to a potential timeline based on specific conditions in the field. Methodology A simple model relating parking demand to land use was used to forecast future parking demand. The following provides details on the land use forecasts. Land Use Existing land use was based on data provided by the City of Bellingham, which relied on the US Census 2010 data and City GIS spatial data. Table 3 provides a summary of the existing land uses within the study area. As shown in the table, a large portion of the land use in the Downtown Sub-Area is office. Future land use was provided by the City of Bellingham, the land use projections are for a horizon year of 2036 consistent with the current Citywide planning efforts and the timeframe of the 2014 Comprehensive Plan update. Growth projections are based on a combination of the City s historic Downtown rate of development, the assumed rate of absorption of vacant commercial square-footage, and the Old Town assumed rate of development. Overall, the total forecasted growth by 2036 is approximately 690,000 square-feet of commercial space and 2,300 housing units. As shown in Table 3, growth in residential is anticipated to be four percent per year while annual growth for other land uses is less than one percent per year. Table 3. Existing and Future Land Use Land Use Existing (2012) 1 Future (2036) 2 Total Growth Percent Annual Growth Office 1,404,000 sf 1,695,000 sf 291,000 sf 0.8% Restaurant 528,000 sf 647,000 sf 119,000 sf 0.9% Government Office 480,000 sf 558,000 sf 78,000 sf 0.6% Light Industrial 720,000 sf 720,000 sf 0 sf 0.0% Retail 720,000 sf 839,000 sf 119,000 sf 0.6% Residential 3 1,371 du 3,522 du 2,151 du 4.0% Notes: sf = square-feet and du = dwelling units 1. Based on data provided by the City of Bellingham. 2. Based on growth projections from the City of Bellingham, 3. Represents occupied residential units. Parking Data The collection of on-street and off-street parking utilization data provides an understanding of existing parking demand. As discussed in Section 2, data collection included approximately 44 percent of the total parking supply. Hourly distribution/utilization curves were developed based on the existing data collection to determine existing parking demand for the 9,468 parking spaces in the Downtown Sub-Area. This model shows that the peak parking demand for the current land use occurs between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. with approximately 5,200 vehicles parked on the weekday during the summer and autumn seasons or a peak parking utilization of approximately 55 percent of the 9,468 parking spaces provided. Page 24