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Salem Comprehensive Parking Plan Executive SummarySALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN FINAL REPORT • July 2010 City of Salem SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 1 Parking is Part of Salem Salem has great existing resources in its exist- ing transportation network, and if effi ciently managed in a coordinated and multi-modal fashion, these previously untapped resources can become the key to improving mobility and convenience in downtown. The city is directly connected to Boston through commuter rail, bus service, and seasonal ferry service, and it is close Route 128 and Route 95. Investments in the infrastructure, such as the new Bridge Street bypass road leading into downtown Salem, have made for a city center with great connectivity. Downtown Salem has eleven pub- lic off -street lots, two public parking garages, hundreds of on-street spaces, and thousands of off -street private parking spaces. While the multitude of parking facilities and parking operators poses a challenge, new approaches to coordinating these assets can bring much greater effi ciencies while beneﬁ ting all parties. Key Questions This consultant’s approach focused on collect- ing as much existing use information as possi- ble to come up with a proﬁ le of existing parking activity in Salem. Key questions the data was intended to answer included: • How much parking is available for diff erent user groups, including residents, employ- ees, commuters, visitors and shoppers? • To what extent is existing parking being utilized in the downtown? • How are motorists directed to parking? • Who utilizes the most convenient parking spaces? • How much spillover is occurring in surrounding residential neighborhoods? • How are the unique parking demands during events, weekends, near Halloween, and during snow storms managed? Existing Parking Standards The primary area of focus for the Comprehen- sive Parking Program study is downtown Salem, which is almost entirely zoned Central Devel- opment (B5), with a number of other zones with diff ering land uses touching its periphery. KEY FINDINGS • General parking requirements in Salem exceed the most conservative national stan- dards from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), which bases its standards on stand-alone buildings in areas without transit or the ability to walk to other uses. Outside downtown, Salem’s codes require an excessive amount of parking. • Within the downtown, Salem has appro- priately eliminated parking requirements for all uses except residential. However, the current residential requirement exceeds even ITE standards. • Shared parking is allowed city-wide. How- ever, off -site parking must be within a conﬁ ned 400-foot radius, which is much lower than an easy 5-minute walk distance of 1,200-feet. • No front-yard parking is allowed in the downtown, helping to maintain a strong pedestrian and streetscape environment which facilitates vehicle trip reduction. • The City already maintains clear curb cut guidance to reduce excessive breaks in the sidewalk. Further detailed guidance on the design of curb cuts should be included that speciﬁ es an elevation equal to the sidewalk elevation in order to preserve a safe and level walking path across driveways • The City has no provisions in zoning for bicycle parking, car-sharing, transportation demand management (TDM), or revealing the cost of parking (pricing, unbundling, or cash-out). SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT2 Parking Inventory and Utilization The consultant, City staff , and City of Salem interns completed a parking inventory and con- ducted parking utilization and turnover counts in the downtown Salem study area on three separate dates: Tuesday August 18th, Thursday October 8th, and Saturday October 17th.8th, and Saturdabe7th. KEY FINDINGS • Of the over 5,500 parking spaces in the downtown, no more than 4,000 are uti- lized at the busiest time of a normal week (a utilization rate of 69-percent). This includes private spaces. For the publicly- available supply of 3,500 spaces, nearly 800 remain vacant at the busiest period (a utilization rate of 78-percent). • Utilization of prime curbside spaces on Washington, Essex, and other streets near the courthouse often approaches available capacity. • Turnover of prime curbside spaces on Washington and Essex is suffi cient, but demand outstrips availability, as open spaces ﬁ lled quickly. • The MBTA commuter lot and spaces along Bridge Street are heavily utilized all day on weekdays. • Many spaces south of Derby Street remain underutilized throughout the day. The Har- bor Garage is poorly utilized at all hours. • Residential streets east of the downtown are heavily utilized in the evening. Streets west of the downtown are not well utilized during the daytime and the evening. • Overall utilization patterns are less intensive during August vacation. Utilization Summary Within Salem’s downtown there are approxi- mately 5,500 combined on- and off -street parking spaces under private and municipal control (see table below). Nearly 1,400 on- street public spaces are conveniently located in front of most retail destinations. Several municipal lots, two municipal garages, and the MBTA lot within the downtown provide an additional 1,933 spaces of public parking. The remaining spaces are under private control for use by employees, customers and residents. Summary of Parking Supply Public Private Total On-street 1,393 18 1,411 Off-street 1,933 2,143 4,076 Total 3,326 2,161 5,487 The graph below summarizes the combined utilization of these spaces throughout the course of an average weekday. As shown, no more than 69-percent of these spaces are utilized at the busiest period of the day. Weekday Parking Utilization Proﬁ le 1,8531,7311,7841,7801,976 2,698 70% 80% 90% 100% 3,7203,8423,7903,7933,597 2875 30% 40% 50% 60% Vacant Occupied 2,875 0% 10% 20% 8AM 10AM 12PM 2PM 4PM 6PM SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 3 Map of Study Area PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACES While the peak utilization for all of Salem’s parking downtown doesn’t exceed 70-percent, the public supply (consisting of on-street spaces, surface lots, and garages) experiences a peak utilization just under 80-percent. Taken as a whole, the private parking supply is under 60-percent utilized throughout the day. GEOGRAPHIC UTILIZATION The consultant graphically summarized the average weekday parking utilization for the entire study area. It should be noted that utili- zation in several speciﬁ c locations occasionally hits 100-percent or even surpasses it during the day. However, nearby locations remain under-utilized. SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT4 Weekday Morning Parking Utilization Weekday Midday Parking Utilization SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 5 ON AN AVERAGE WEEKDAY: • The commuter lots at the train station are full by 8 AM and remain at that level until the end of the workday. • The Church Street lot is full or nearly full shortly after 8 AM. • The Museum Garage is never more than 85-percent occupied. • The South Harbor Garage is never more than 26-percent occupied. • Two-hour metered spaces in public lots are largely occupied, above 80-percent, throughout the daytime. • Less than half of the parking in the East Riley Plaza lot is used during the day and less than three-quarters full after the work- day. • The free parking along Bridge Street is over capacity by 8 AM and remains full until after work. • The unregulated public parking in West Riley Plaza is full or nearly full from 8 AM until after work. Weekday Evening Parking Utilization • Two-hour metered on-street parking as a whole is nearly 40-percent vacant during the day and then drops to only 25-percent vacancy through late afternoon and evening. • The spaces closest to the courthouse, on Federal Street, Lynde Street and northern Washington Street, are full or nearly full by 8 AM. • The spaces along southern Washington become full or nearly full by 10 AM and remain so into the evening. • Parking in the south east quadrant, speciﬁ - cally on Derby Street and Lafayette Street is very highly utilized in the evenings with some stretches of road over capacity. ON AN AVERAGE SATURDAY: • Commuter parking (city pay lot, MBTA lot, and Bridge Street) is less than half full throughout Saturday. • All other public parking is well utilized, spe- ciﬁ cally the two-hour metered parking (both on-street and in surface lots). SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT6 • The public surface lots are especially fa- vored throughout the day. • The Museum Garage is less than half-full throughout the day while the South Harbor Garage sees relatively high utilization. DURING AN AUGUST VACATION WEEKDAY: • Parking utilization is generally lower throughout Salem during the August vacation. • The city commuter pay lot and Bridge Street parking are highly utilized through- out the weekday while the MBTA lot re- mains less than three-quarters full. • The Church Street lots, Sewall Street lot, East Riley Plaza lot, Museum Garage, and South Harbor Garage do not see utilization above 85-percent throughout the day. • The Klopp Alley, Pickering Wharf, and West Riley Plaza lots see points throughout the day where they are full or nearly full. Public Workshop During the public parking workshop, approxi- mately thirty participants off ered their thoughts on areas of needs and opportunities as they relate to parking in downtown Salem. KEY FINDINGS • Participants were concerned about the lack of available front-door parking for their errands and for the accommodation of visi- tors and shoppers in the downtown. • Many participants were willing to park once and walk to multiple downtown destina- tions if they could be assured of ﬁ nding a space easily, even if it meant a slightly longer walk. • Some frustration with the 2-hour time lim- its was noted, with many noting that meter feeding took place. • A fair number of participants were willing to pay to ensure an available parking space. • Frustration was expressed with the manage- ment of the Sewall Street and Church Street lots which had limited availability. The Museum Garage was also noted to have rates too high for customers. • Many desired better information about parking locations and rates. SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 7 Results of Priorities Poster Activity Priorities Poster Activity The initial activity at the meeting provided insight into the parking priorities of the at- tendees. Responding to a variety of statements, participants were able to indicate the strength of their preferences. Areas of Need and Opportunity Participants were invited to indicate in writing and with colored marker on large maps the locations they park and what issues the ﬁ nd in downtown Salem. Participants were also asked for their suggestions on what could be improved in downtown. All comments made by participants at the workshop are paraphrased below (with issues indicated in black and opportunities in green). 25% 20% 14% 13% 10% 9% 5% 2%2% 0% Iwouldliketoparkonlyonetimeandwalk toallmydestinationswhenIcome downtown Idon'tmindparkingalittlefurtheraway frommydestinationifitmeansIdon't havetosearchforparking Ifindmyselfwastingtimemovingmycar becauseofthe2hourparkingrestrictions IwouldbewillingtopaymoretoparkifI knewIwasgoingtogetaconvenientspace foraslongasIwantedtostay Iwouldrunmoreerrandsindowntown SalemifIknewtherewouldbeconvenient parkingavailableatmydestination Iwouldliketohaveagreaterselectionof optionsforgettingdowntownthanusing mycar Iavoidpubliclotsand/orpublicgarages becauseIcan'taffordtoparkinthem Iavoidusingparkinggaragesbecausethey seemunsafe Iwouldgiveupdrivingtoworkifmy employerofferedmeamonthlycash benefittogiveupparking Iavoiddowntownatnightbecausesome ofthebackstreetsfeelunsafeduetoalack oflighting SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT8 Summary of Key Issues and Opportunities A. Some drivers park in the Northﬁ elds neighborhood and carpool downtown B. Parking on Bridge Street is dangerous C. MBTA Lot: Is not well maintained, needs garage because people use downtown spaces, and needs secure bike parking D. Create parking lot from iron junkyard E. New courthouse should have parking for lawyers, jury duty, judges, etc. F. Parking in front of District Court after hours G. Area needs tourist and shopper instructions and signage H. YMCA lot ﬁ lls up quickly I. Essex Street: Employees park in metered street spaces, People longer than the 30-minute limit, and Upper Crust delivery people use meters all day J. Signage on Essex Street is confusing/Reopen Essex Street to cars K. One-headed meter with two spaces L. Church Street lot: Churchgoers have to pay for parking on Sundays, lot ﬁ lls very quickly, is used by Lifelong Learners with 2 hour courses who receive tickets because of the timing, always full, and does not accept monthly passes M. Museum Place Garage: Not well-lit and poor pedestrian access, needs space for covered bike parking, ﬁ lls up too quickly during snowstorms, is too far to walk from work, is too expensive ($20) on Halloween N. Limit of 30 minutes in front of Museum Place mall or meters O. Meter parking around the Common P. Resident parking issue Q. Botts Court residents cannot obtain parking stickers R. 15 minute parking opposite a barber shop S. Not enough 12-hour parking at Riley Plaza/Need 3-story parking garage T. Tavern in the Square/RCG should pay for parking stickers for other businesses that have no parking now U. Two loading spaces at 40 Front Street no longer needed because restaurant is no longer there V. Del ﬁ no’s parking lot over taxed with residential parking W. Front Street Lot: Larger parking area needed and there are unused reserved spaces behind Fire Station X. Central Street meter feeding is a problem Y. Shetland Property employees park in neighborhoods Z. No signage along Derby Street in front of Custom House to restrict long term parking SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 9 Parking Survey Beginning in October 2009, a one-page park- ing survey was distributed to potential users of the downtown Salem parking system. Several hundred printed surveys were distributed at key downtown businesses and municipal destinations. The survey also was posted online through a link on the City’s webpage, and City staff emailed existing contact lists to encour- age participation. By January 2010, over 600 responses had been logged. KEY FINDINGS • Nearly two-thirds of respondents must search for parking every time they come to downtown. • With two-thirds of the respondents be- ing visitors or customers to the downtown, the fact that over 40-percent had to park illegally on occasion and nearly two-thirds would simply leave downtown because they could not ﬁ nd a space sometimes is alarm- ing. • Even though nearly half of the respondents had to pay for parking – mostly out of their own pocket – price was a concern of only 10-percent of respondents. • Over three-quarters of respondents had the availability or location of parking as their primary concern. • The average perceived time to ﬁ nd parking in downtown Salem was very long at over ﬁ ve minutes. Survey Results Doyoualwaysparkinthesame placeor do h? Same place, 38.8% Isearch, yousearch? Isearch, 61.2% Areyoueverforcedtoparkor stand illegally? Yes 43% standillegally? No 58% Have youeverfailedtofindparking dj tl ft? No 42% andjustleft? Yes 58% 3% Whatisthe mostimportantconsiderationforyou inchoosingwheretoparkinSalem? 39% 37% 10% 5% 3% 6%Easeoffindingaspace Location Price Safety/security 37%Type ofparking(i.e.,street, lot,garage) SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT10 Review of Innovative Parking Technologies Parking management technology has come a long way since parking became a consideration on the minds of city leaders. Many of these innovations dramatically change the operations and management of parking as well as alter the way a city looks. Sidewalks no longer need to be littered with hundreds of parking meters; there are advancements in parking payment technologies that greatly reduce this clutter. Cities no longer need to rely on an infantry of parking enforcement and revenue collection offi cers; there are innovative technologies that streamline both enforcement and revenue collections. Drivers no longer need to wonder if or where parking is available; new signing systems are able to provide dynamic and live information to drivers. KEY FINDINGS • Increased payment convenience can be provided to customers through the incor- poration of cell-phone payment. Certain vendors can provide this on top of existing meter and pay station technology through- out downtown. • Given the advantages of pay-by-space, Salem could convert meter posts to space numbers similar to those in Lowell and al- low customers to refresh and update pay- ments from any pay station in the down- town without returning to the car. • In-car meters can allow the City to begin to share underutilized residential streets dur- ing the daytime with employees that have in-car meters. • Real-time availability displays have great convenience for all types of users. Reduced technology costs can help make these avail- able to the City cost-eff ectively, especially given the desire to present this information in multiple locations beyond the garage entrance. SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 11 Lynde: 4 regulations Washington:Washington: 4 regulations Front: 3 regulations Hawthorne: 7 regulations Norman: 3 regulations Derby: 4 regulations Key Findings The consultant identiﬁ ed the following key ﬁ ndings that represented areas where the Salem parking system was not operating well. These ﬁ ndings contribute directly to the ﬁ nal recommendations. SUMMARY • Regulations are confusing. • Availability is very unbalanced with con- gested parking areas near vacant areas. • Parking information in Salem is among the best in the state, which means that other problems contribute to the unbal- anced availability. • Pricing is unbalanced and unfair to some user groups while others receive notice- able discounts. • Certain downtown connectivity barriers may limit the utilization of more remote spaces. • Private parking spaces are noticeably underutilized. Regulatory Confusion During the course of data collection, the consultant observed that a great deal of eff ort had been spent by the City over the years tailor- ing street regulations to satisfy parking needs in the downtown. Unfortunately, it was also clear that the amount of diff erent regulations was signiﬁ cant and that the variation in regula- tions – sometimes along just one block face – contributed to a great deal of confusion, delay, and possible driver frustration when seeking parking. In the downtown, there are thirteen separate on-street regulations and ﬁ ve diff erent regulations in public off -street lots. This is a lot of regulatory variation in a one-half-mile area. Furthermore, variation along single block faces was excessive – as high as seven regulations in a stretch along Hawthorne Boulevard. While tailored parking regulations might satisfy the needs of one user or user group, they are often at odds with the needs of another user or user group. This mix of parking regulations is not conducive to customer attraction and represents a number of problems, including: • Unclear expectations for new visitors or customers • A higher incidence of unintended user violations • Decreased rates of enforcement • Increased traffi c circling for parking • Increased sign maintenance cost and com- plexity • Sign clutter Regulations Along Select Block Faces in Downtown KEY CONCLUSION: The downtown regulatory environment is overworked, contributing directly to many perceived and real parking problems in Salem. SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT12 Unbalanced Availability Input from the general public and initial observations of the downtown both indicate that it is very diffi cult to ﬁ nd parking in Salem. The prime commercial streets of Washington and Essex are heavily utilized much of the day. Similarly, prime lots such as the City lot at the MBTA station, the Sewall Street lot, and the Church Street lot were diffi cult to ﬁ nd spaces in. However, mapping the parking utilization data revealed that there are many streets and lots that remain underutilized throughout the day in the downtown – some simply around the corner from heavily utilized locations. This characteristic of the downtown is not related to posted regulations. On blocks with varying regulations, the availability may be consistent. Similarly, on blocks with consistent regulations, the availability may vary widely from street to street – or simply across the street. KEY CONCLUSION: Existing regula- tions throughout the downtown core are not resolving real and perceived availability problems in areas of high demand, even where available parking exists nearby. LowHigh High Low High Low HighLow High Low High Low Weekday morning time period Parking Availability in Downtown Salem SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 13 Sufﬁ cient Parking Information In many communities, the poor utilization of some parking resources is attributed to inad- equate signing and other information about downtown parking resources. However, Salem has a strong parking information program, incorporating a website, parking signs through- out downtown, and parking information incorporated as part of its downtown wayﬁ nd- ing program. KEY CONCLUSION: The parking infor- mation in Salem is among the best in the state, with clear signing to direct patrons to reserve parking locations. Unfair Pricing Today, the majority of downtown Salem’s parking spaces are priced in one way or an- other. The table below summarizes the prices at facilities in the downtown if each had no regulatory restrictions. This exercise helps evaluate pricing structures. While some opportunities exist to improve parking information, existing systems in Salem are among the best in the state. City staff con- tinue to assess the need for additional signing, and an expanded wayﬁ nding program will place more signs in the coming year. Location Hourly Rate or Equivalent Daily Rate or Equivalent Monthly Rate or Equivalent Church St. Lot & Public Garages – Published Rate $1.50 $12.00 (daily max) $252 (equivalent) On-Street Meters & Other Public Lots $0.50 $4.00 (8-hr. equivalent) $84 (equivalent) MBTA Commuter Lot $0.50 (8-hr. equivalent) $4.00 $84 (equivalent) Public Garages – Monthly Pass $0.37 (8-hr. equivalent) $2.86 (equivalent) $60 City Lot at MBTA Station $0.25 (equivalent) $2.00 $42 (equivalent) Public Garages – Yearly Pass $0.25 (8-hr. equivalent) $1.98 (equivalent) $42 ($500 per year) On-Street Resident Pass ½ cent (8-hr. equivalent) $0.05 (equivalent) $2 ($25 per 2 years) Existing Pricing Structure in Downtown Salem SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT14 The hourly-paying general public pays the highest parking rates in Salem. Employees and residents with monthly or annual passes pay the lowest rates. This structure has some notable negative impacts: • The most valuable spaces to customers – on-street meters in front of their destina- tion – are one-third the price of the garag- es, leading to circling, low availability, and penalty for parking in a garage. • The Bridge Street lot is severely under- priced, making it the best deal in town for non-residents. KEY CONCLUSION: Parking pricing as currently structured in Salem is contrib- uting to the lack of availability on prime streets, inconveniencing visitors, and leaving facilities like the Harbor Garage underutilized. • Low-wage part-time employees that typi- cally need to park for only a few hours a day or week pay at least twice as much to park at meters or in the garage as those who can aff ord monthly or annual passes. Improving Connectivity The City has continued to improve the walking environment through improved sidewalks, crosswalks, benches, lighting, and wayﬁ nding. These improvements are critical for motor- ists seeking to park in Salem, because every motorist becomes a pedestrian upon exiting the car. While walking conditions are generally excellent in the core of downtown, there tends to be a walking barrier of sorts surrounding the core as deﬁ ned generally by Bridge, North, Norman/Derby, and Hawthorne Boulevard. For example, Derby Street experiences dramatic utilization changes from one side of the street to another. At over 60-feet in width with three travel lanes and parking lanes, accessing a free space on the other side of the street can be less desirable than circling the block for a preferred space. KEY CONCLUSION: Larger size and volume roadways surrounding the down- town core represent a barrier to motor- ists accessing parking outside the core. Roadway Barriers to Parking Access Derby Street Washington & Derby North Street SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 15 Under-Utilization of Private Parking While the City is mostly interested in improve- ments to the public parking system in Salem, a large number of private parking lots go underutilized every day in Salem. In aggregate, the private off -street parking system is never more than 50-percent utilized, representing hundreds of vacant spaces at the busiest hours of parking demand. Private owners seem to covet and protect this capacity, as evidenced by the preponderance of “No Parking” and “Violators Will Be Towed” signs in downtown. KEY CONCLUSION: Private parking lot operators are very protective of their parking, but there is very poor utilization of these parking assets. SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT16 Recommendations The recommendations that follow were developed through an eff ort by the consultant to rationalize the downtown parking system. That process is described below, followed by recommended actions for the short-term and then several additional recommendations for consideration. SUMMARY Short-Term Recommendations • Salem should implement demand-respon- sive pricing on- and off -street to help cre- ate availability and better balance parking demand in the downtown. • Designated employee parking areas should be established that are price and conve- nience competitive with customer spaces to help ease user conﬂ icts at prime front-door spaces. • Residential parking in nearby neighbor- hoods should continue to be protected with Salem’s resident permit system, and a new area-wide permit for downtown residents should be established. • A new permitting program for tour buses and jitneys can help rationalize curb regula- tions and reduce under-utilized tow-zone space in Salem. • The City should establish a parking & trans- portation fund that spends surplus parking revenues on downtown improvements and connections to remote parking. Decisions should be made in close coordination with Salem’s downtown business community. • On-going monitoring of parking utilization is necessary in order to adjust programs in response to performance on the ground. • The City should move to develop an imple- mentation program for pricing, regulatory, signing, and technology changes as soon as possible, including a robust outreach and education program. Additional Recommendations • The City should consider creating and of- fering a municipal management program for private parking facilities to improve utilization of these assets and generate new public and private revenues. • Several low-cost supply increases in existing lots and on wider streets should be consid- ered after better management practices have been operating successfully and before ad- ditional parking lots or garages are contem- plated. • Smart parking technologies should be con- sidered to enhance customer convenience, information, revenue collection, enforce- ment, and overall effi ciency. Rationalizing the Parking System One goal of the consultant’s recommendations was to help restructure parking regulations and pricing. Based on strong complaints from downtown customers, a key objective of this eff ort was to improve customer parking avail- ability and convenience in the downtown. This was closely followed by the objective of ensur- ing a clear supply of parking for downtown employees that discouraged long-term parking in key customer locations, such as on-street, in attractive lots, and on the lowest levels of garages. Finally, it was clear that a strategy to protect surrounding residential neighborhoods from spill-over parking should be reinforced. These policy goals were summarized spatially for the working group. The consultant then sought to move beyond the classiﬁ cation of users by speciﬁ c categories such as commuter, employee, courthouse visitor, downtown resident, neighborhood resident, and customer, to instead identify the core op- erational desire of each user group. In general, customers and visitors each desire short-term parking that is convenient to downtown desti- nations; employees and commuters generally return to the downtown daily and often seek monthly parking privileges; and residents in the core or nearby seek to have a parking space near their home that is not encumbered by other users. With these simple assumptions in mind, the consultant identiﬁ ed parking areas by short- term (or “public”) parking, long-term (or “monthly”) parking, and protected residential parking. The result is the basis for the following recommendations. SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 17 Policy Goal: Employee Parking Policy Goal: Customer Parking Policy Goal: PttRidtProtectResidents Policy Goals for the Comprehensive Parking Plan RRM P R M R M Recommended Parking Operations Areas in Downtown Salem SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT18 Short-Term Recommendations RECOMMENDATION 1: IMPLEMENT DEMAND-RESPONSIVE PRICING Within the core “public parking” area, imple- ment strategies that ensure availability for short-term visitors. The following strategies should be implemented simultaneously: Adjust On-Street Pricing by Block Face to Maintain 15-Percent Vacancy The goal of the comprehensive parking plan is to effi ciently manage demand for downtown parking while accommodating customer, employee, resident, and commuter parking needs. Demand-responsive pricing helps to put customers ﬁ rst in the “public parking” area by creating vacancies and turnover of the most convenient “front door” curb parking spaces to ensure availability for customers and visitors. Existing parking rates should be revised to rates that will create a 15-percent vacancy rate on each block – or roughly one space free for every 7 parked cars – rather than relying on arbitrary time-limits. Rates in some places may be zero. Rates in other areas may be subsequently raised or lowered based on future occupancy counts. The pricing should be supported by a City Council policy that ensures 15-percent avail- ability as opposed to a speciﬁ c set of prices. Revised Meter Rates Location Hourly Rate Hours of Operation Federal, Church, Washington (north of Essex) $1.50 8 AM – 4 PM Essex (btwn. North & Washington), Front, Central, Lafayette (north of Derby), Derby, Hawthorne, Washington (south of Front) $0.75 10 AM – 8 PM Congress, Lafayette (south of Derby) $0.50 10 AM – 4 PM Extend All Time-Limits to At Least 4-Hours Once a policy of market rate pricing is adopted with the goal of achieving an 85% occupancy rate, then time-limits need not be instituted. With no time limits, much of the worry and “ticket anxiety” for downtown customers disappears. Adjust Garage Pricing to Maximize Utilization Similar to the pricing goal of on-street meters, parking garages are not considered to be optimally utilized until they reach 90-percent of their capacity. Today, neither public garage meets this goal, and their spaces represent lost capacity that is more valuable on-street. To encourage greater use of the garages, demand- responsive pricing is again in order. Revised Garage and Lot Rates Location Hourly Rate Hours of Operation Church St. Lot $1.00 8 AM – 4 PM Museum Garage & Sewall St. Lot $0.75 8 AM – 4 PM Crombie, Front, & Riley Plaza East Lots $0.50 10 AM – 6 PM Harbor Garage $0.25 10 AM – 4 PM Implement a Clear Information Program Throughout the “public parking” operations area on streets where meters exist today, all existing parking regulatory signing can be removed (besides those reserved for special uses or safety clearance). Meters alone are an indication of public parking availability, and the four-hour time-limit will be evident on the meters themselves. The City should develop a strong outreach campaign to advise businesses and residents of the changes. Important parts of this campaign include: • Outreach brochures • Informational meetings • A comment line, email, and blog • A special notice webpage SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 19 The City also should consider having PCO’s hand out brochures and help answer questions, even if enforcement activity is signiﬁ cantly reduced for a month. RECOMMENDATION 2: PROVIDE EMPLOYEE PARKING AREAS A signiﬁ cant amount of employee parking occurs today in the “public parking” downtown core. Many employees feed meters. Others move their cars every hour or two. Some Salem residents park in surrounding residential areas to go walk to work in the downtown. A large amount of the capacity of the Museum Garage – especially on the lower decks – is taken by employees while the Harbor Garage remains underutilized. To incentivize the use of under- utilized parking assets, the following strategies are recommended. Establish a Monthly Permit Zone In areas that are utilized today mostly by employees, the City should formalize this operation for the beneﬁ t of employees, which will help to attract employees to these areas. Through a system of simple signs enforceable by normal ticketing, several existing parking areas should become “Monthly Permit” parking only. Revise the Monthly Permit Program The current monthly permit prices do not motivate the use of the Harbor Garage. Mean- while, many potential purchasers of monthly permits cannot aff ord the cost or the time it takes to obtain a permit. Therefore, a new pricing structure should be implemented which works to encourage the use of underutilized facilities. Permits should be made available for purchase through the web to speed transaction time and ease. Revised Permit Rates Location Monthly Rate Church St. Lot $75 Museum Garage, top three decks $65 Harbor Garage $40 Riley Plaza & on-street spaces $25 The City also should immediately investigate the use of in-car meters. For the employee parking program, an in-car meter can be a huge beneﬁ t by enabling part-time employees to park cost-eff ectively in the employee parking areas as well as on underutilized residential during the day for a low rate ($0.25 per hour). RECOMMENDATION 3: ENSURE AND PROTECT RESIDENTIAL PARKING Salem already employs an eff ective residential permit program that protects residential streets from parking by out of town commuters and employees. This program should continue to be enforced outside of the downtown. However, within the downtown, residential permit-only zones exist on Federal, Lynde, Ash, and Crom- bie Streets where there is also high demand for on-street parking – especially when residents have left for work, leaving spaces vacant but unusable by other non-permitted users. Convert Residential Parking to Public Parking On Federal, Lynde, Ash, and Crombie Streets, convert the existing residential permit zones to public parking and install meters or pay stations, with the “resident only” restriction limited to the hours of 5 PM – 8 AM and weekends. This aff ects approximately 100 existing residential units on these streets where about 60 residential spaces are signed today for permit parking. These residents would have access to a new district-wide permit allowing them to park on-street in the “public parking” SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT20 area on weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM. The permit would cost the same as the standard residential permit. The associated visitor pass would be limited to resident only zones. Initiate a District-Wide Parking Permit Program After other changes to the parking system have been implemented, the City may choose to off er district-wide permit parking to other downtown residents. Two variants of this permit would allow only those who live downtown either 24-hour or overnight parking in the public parking area at meters and time- restricted spaces. Initially only 200 permits would be sold at either $5,000 or $1,500 per year respectively. RECOMMENDATION 4: IMPLEMENT A TOUR & JITNEY BUS PARKING REGISTRATION Salem’s successful tourist economy is dependent on access by large tour buses and local trolley buses throughout the year. However, unpredict- ability often results in an over- or under-supply of curbside tour bus parking, depending on the desired location, the equipment used, and the time of year. A successful solution is to require that operators purchase a permit that covers the cost of the municipality posting and maintain- ing custom signs for private tour operators. With the permit application, operators can be required to provide information about the stop location(s), days and hours of operation, and amount of curb length required, helping to clarify when tow-zones need to be active and freeing up spaces for customers when they are inactive. RECOMMENDATION 5: ESTABLISH A PARKING & TRANSPORTATION FUND Surplus revenues from the employee permit program and other additional revenue sources, such as additional meter revenue, should fund public improvements that beneﬁ t the downtown. If downtown parking revenues seem to disappear into the General Fund, where they may appear to produce no direct beneﬁ t for downtown businesses, there will be little support for parking policies that may ultimately beneﬁ t business, such as increased permit fees, installing parking meters, or adjusting regulations. Potential uses for Parking and Transportation Fund revenues include: • Landscaping and streetscape greening • Increased frequency of trash collection • Street cleaning, power-washing of side- walks, and graffi ti removal • Parking, transit, pedestrian, and bicycle infrastructure and amenities • Additional parking enforcement • Garage improvements • Reconﬁ guration and restriping of Riley Plaza west lot (see Recommendation 9) • Marketing and promotion of Salem’s merchants • Additional programs and projects as rec- ommended by downtown stakeholders and approved by the Board of Selectmen RECOMMENDATION 6: MONITOR PARKING UTILIZATION An important part of maintaining the success of any of these recommendations will be moni- toring parking utilization on a regular basis. A recurring annual or biennial monitoring regime can allow the City to modify its pricing, permitting, zoning requirements, and other key policies. Based on the detailed utilization information collected for this study, a much smaller and targeted utilization eff ort can be conducted (potentially in-house or with the use of students or volunteers) by focusing on area of high demand and only casually observing other areas to conﬁ rm the results of this eff ort. SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT 21 RECOMMENDATION 7: IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM In order to implement these short-term recom- mendations eff ectively, it is advised that the City seek professional assistance to implement the various strategies. A variety of tasks are needed, including: • Development of signs and sign locations • Establishment of ﬁ nal operations area boundaries • Reﬁ nement of pricing structures • Recommended on-line permit purchase services • Identiﬁ cation of appropriate parking tech- nologies (i.e. additional pay stations, smart meters, in-car meters, real-time parking occupancy signs, etc.) • Public outreach publications • Facilitation of information meetings • Reconﬁ guration of existing meter mechanicals • Monitoring Additional Recommendations RECOMMENDATION 8: MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR PRIVATE PARKING The utilization study revealed that between 900 and one thousand privately held and operated parking spaces remain vacant at the busiest times of day in downtown Salem – a vacancy rate of at least 40-percent throughout the entire day. This is a signiﬁ cant amount of underutilized parking supply – mostly con- tained in commercial and residential surface lots scattered throughout the downtown. A well-structured public program should be established that clearly outlines a beneﬁ cial and consistent arrangement that the City can off er to landowners in exchange for the ability to utilize their parking. Key elements would include: • Clear removal of private liability concerns; • A lease payment at a valuable rate in excess of current parking revenues but below the full market potential so as not to discourage more productive redevelopment; • Higher lease payments for parking that is entirely municipally managed; lower for parking that is retained as exclusive private use; • Clearly stated maintenance, security, and operating terms that keep the facility in good condition for the public and the land- owner; and • Assurance that parking can be returned to the landowner on short notice if a redevel- opment plan is approved and/or permitted. RECOMMENDATION 9: EXPAND EMPLOYEE PARKING SUPPLY As the downtown grows, demand for em- ployee parking may increase. If supplies in the “monthly permit” areas begin to be insuffi cient, expansion of that parking supply may be warranted. Parking Reconﬁ guration and Expansion at Riley Plaza A cost eff ective approach to parking supply increase is to reconﬁ gure lots and add-on street parking where travel lane capacity is excessive. Both of these strategies happen to be very ap- plicable to Riley Plaza and surrounding streets. The image below suggests how this parking supply could be increased by over 120 spaces. SALEM COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN • FINAL REPORT22 RECOMMENDATION 10: IMPLEMENT SMART PARKING SOLUTIONS After the short-term recommendations are implemented, it is very likely that demand for improved parking technologies that provide greater customer conveniences will grow. Many vendors off er very advanced solutions that the City would be wise to consider as part of furthering customer convenience, increasing revenues, and attracting economic development. • Smart meters • Multi-space meters • Cell phone payment • Variable daily pricing • MBTA pass integration • Debit card integration • Real-time space availability sensors • Mobile applications