Key Findings and Recommendations Introduction and Overview Task 1 Existing Conditions Analysis Task 2 Parking Demand Analysis...

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3 Table of Contents Introduction and Overview... 1 Key Findings and Recommendations... 1 Task 1 Existing Conditions Analysis... 1 Task 2 Parking Demand Analysis... 1 Task 3 Facilities Cost Analysis... 2 Key Definitions... 3 Study Area... 3 Task 1 Existing Conditions Analysis Parking Inventory Parking Regulations Parking Spaces by Space Type Time-Limit Restrictions and Metering Parking Occupancy Analysis Occupancy by Area Parking Facility Occupancy Comparative Analysis ( ) Pricing and Time Restrictions On- and Off-street Parking Management Task 2 Parking Demand Analysis Parking Demand Analysis - Methodology Methodology Overview Growth Areas Planned Development Parking Demand Analysis - Projected Demand Downtown Railroad Square Demand SMART Station Demand Long-term Growth Task 3 Facilities Cost Analysis Cost of Parking Construction Replacing or Expanding Garage Constructing a Mixed-Use Facility in Lot Facility Descriptions Facility Costs Garage 5 Evaluation List of Figures Figure i: Map of Santa Rosa Parking Study Area Boundaries... 4 Figure 1-1: Map of Time Limit and Metering Restrictions... 7 Figure 1-2: Map of Weekday Midday Occupancy... 8 i

4 Figure 1-3: Map of Weekday PM Occupancy... 9 Figure 1-4: Map of Weekend Midday Occupancy... 9 Figure 1-5: Map of Weekend PM Occupancy Figure 1-6: Overall Study Area On- and Off-street Occupancy Figure 1-7: Downtown Focus Area On- and Off-street Occupancy Figure 1-8: Railroad Square Focus Area On- and Off-street Occupancy Figure 1-9: Demand for On-street Parking in the Downtown Focus Area and 4 th Street Corridor Figure 2-1: Subareas within the Parking Study Area Analyzed for Future Parking Demand Figure 3-1: Example Layout of a Mixed-use Layout with a Parking Facility List of Tables Table 1-1: Parking Inventory by Area... 5 Table 1-2: Parking Inventory by Regulation Type... 6 Table 1-3: Parking Inventory by Time Limit (within Study Area)... 6 Table 1-4: Off-street Occupancy for Select Parking Facilities Table 1-5: Off-street Occupancy for Select Parking Facilities Table 1-6: Comparison of Off-street Occupancy: 2000 to Table 2-1 Existing and Planned Parking Study Area Land Use Information Table 2-2 Parking Demand Based on Planned Development (Transit Growth not Included) Table 2-3: Near-term and Mid-term Growth Estimates Table 2-4: Near-term and Mid-term Growth Estimates, Downtown Area Table 2-5: Near-term and Mid-term Growth Estimates, Railroad Square Area Table 3-1: Construction Costs for Garage 5 Replacement and Expansion Options Table 3-2: Construction Costs for Alternative Mixed-Use Facilities within Lot Table 3-3: Walker Consultants 2014 Repair Cost Table Table 3-4: Estimated Repair, Replacement, and Expansion Costs Appendices Appendix A Inventory For All Off-street Facilities Appendix B Inventory For All On-street Facilities Appendix C Occupancy For All Off-street Facilities Appendix D Garage 5 & Lot 7 Additional Counts ii

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7 Introduction and Overview This report summarizes the analysis and findings from the data collection efforts conducted for the City of Santa Rosa. The purpose of the study is to review parking occupancy data to understand the patterns of parking use in the overall study area described in Figure 1 on the following page. This report includes three (3) tasks. Task 1 details existing conditions and analyzes parking inventory, regulations, and occupancy conditions; the section focuses on the Downtown and the Railroad Square areas to establish a baseline understanding of the current parking utilization; and whether or not there is sufficient parking to meet current and future demands. Task 2 includes a demand analysis looking at future growth, including an evaluation of historical patterns, current demand, and anticipated future development needs to understand trends and how parking needs may change over time. Task 3 evaluates costs for potential replacement or expansion of garage facilities in Santa Rosa s Downtown. Key Findings and Recommendations Task 1 Existing Conditions Analysis Overall, there is excess parking supply in within Santa Rosa including the Downtown and Railroad Square defined subareas. However, hot spots 1 of high demand exist in some areas, especially near and adjacent to 4 th Street in the Downtown area. Within the Downtown focus area, on-street capacity reaches 84 percent on weekdays and 86 percent on Saturday. Within many on-street blockfaces, occupancy is over 95 percent. Despite this high on-street occupancy, there is supply in several garages within the Downtown area that is not being used. Off-street parking in Lots 2, 10, and 11, and Garage 5 is in higher demand relative to the remaining off-street garage parking. With the most active destinations in Downtown on 4 th Street, it follows that many users prefer to park on 4 th Street, closest to their destination, when possible. Because there is adequate supply overall, but high demand in the most desired areas, demand management tools are recommended for this area. Increased pricing within highly demanded on-street blocks and facilities relative to the underutilized off-street parking garages could also be used to distribute demand. Additionally, wayfinding in the Downtown area could be used to direct users to available parking. In the Railroad Square focus area, occupancy data suggests that many parkers are avoiding time limits and metering by parking north of the study area where several blocks of parking are unrestricted. Additional discrepancies between metering and time restriction locations and demand are highlighted in Task 1. Task 2 Parking Demand Analysis Overall, projected demand increases based on planned future development estimate that there is adequate supply overall in the defined Downtown and Railroad Station Areas. However, based on future development alone (not demand created by SMART patronage), parking demand in the Downtown area is expected to increase 8 percent of weekends; parking demand in the Railroad Square Area is expected to increase 18 to 41 percent. This increase in demand will exacerbate hot 1 Areas where 4 or more adjacent blocks are over 85% occupied. 1

8 spots of high demand that already exist as well as areas directly adjacent to new development projects. The opening of the new SMART station will bring increased demand for longer term parking to an area that will likely be nearing capacity once planned development projects are complete. Because of this, it is important that SMART and the City decide on a plan of action for managing parking in this area and ensuring that short-term parking is available for visitors and longer-term parking is adequate to meet the needs of nearby residents. Because increased demand in areas that currently have high occupancy will cause constraint on parking supply in key subareas within the Railroad Station area, it is recommended that a strong parking management policy be implemented as parking demand growth continues and before SMART service begins. There are many potential mid-to-long-term solutions for managing parking demand. Some of these options include: Expanding time limit and metering restrictions on unrestricted blocks and/or increasing onand off-street meter price. Encouraging alternative mode usage within the City by improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, improving transit access, and/or supporting a carsharing program. Encouraging use of any addition parking facilities further away from the station and outside the parking study boundary to be used by longer-term parkers. Increasing shared parking and establishing public-private partnerships to expand supply within and adjacent to the SMART Station area. Encouraging employers to offer transit pass programs or parking cash-out program to decrease employee parking demand. Establishing a Parking Benefit District with member businesses to encourage transit-oriented design principles in the area will support improved downtown access through parking management and help guide the investment the of parking fees in transportation and urban design related amenities. Task 3 Facilities Cost Analysis The City of Santa Rosa has recently undergone a cost estimate analysis to determine the costs of implementing short-term and long-term repairs on Parking Garage 5 in order to expand its useful life. While overall supply in the Downtown area is adequate, supply expansion is also considered due to high demand for Garage 5 in particular. This evaluation compares the cost of (1) repairing Garage 5, (2) replacing the Garage 5 structure, and (3) expanding parking supply with a new facility at either the Garage 5 or Lot 7 sites. Total costs of repairs are between $288,000 and $1.4 million for repair (short-term and long-term repair estimates). Replacement of Garage 5 is estimated at $7.8 million. Expanding supply in either Garage 5 or Lot 7 costs approximately $10-15 million. Cost per total space is between $30,000- $40,000 for all expansion options in Garage 5 and Lot 7 estimates. 2

9 Key Definitions The following terms are used when discussing parking occupancy: Inventory: In this report, parking inventory refers to a collection of the number of public parking spaces as well as regulations restricting access or putting time limitations on that parking. Occupancy: The number of cars parked in a specific area, lot, or blockface during one period of observation. It is often expressed as the percentage of the total supply of spaces that is occupied by parked cars. Parking Event: A parking event refers to each instance where a single, unique vehicle is observed parked in a single, unique space. Peak: The time period associated with the highest observed level of occupancy in a specific area or parking facility. Practical Capacity: The occupancy level or number of vehicles that can be parked in a facility or area before it becomes difficult for a driver to find a space without having to circle around or cruise for parking. Practical capacity is typically set at an 85 percent occupancy level. For onstreet parking this equates to roughly one vacant space per blockface. Study Area The project study area was defined by City staff and CDM Smith as part of a Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) funded project to collect parking data information around the San Francisco Bay Area. This area is bounded by College Avenue to the North, Brookwood Avenue to the East, Sonoma Avenue to the South, and Pierson Street/Madison Street to the West. US Highway 101 is a partial boundary, while the Railroad Square historic district and surrounding areas to the West of US Highway 101 are also included. The defined study area encompasses all areas included in the 2001 Santa Rosa Parking Study. 2 Two focus areas are included in the study area boundaries: Downtown and the Railroad Square focus areas. These study areas are defined by areas of high parking demand due to a high density of retail, restaurant, employment, and entertainment destinations. The Study Area boundaries are shown in Figure i. 2 By CDM Smith, formally Wilbur Smith Associates, for the City of Santa Rosa 3

10 Figure i: Map of Santa Rosa Parking Study Area Boundaries 4

11 Task 1 Existing Conditions Analysis The existing conditions analysis takes a look at the current parking inventory, parking regulations (including time restrictions, pricing, and other regulations within the study area) and the parking occupancy during various times of the day. Parking occupancy is a count of the number of vehicles parked in the area, usually by blockface or parking facility, representing the demand for parking during the time of data collection. 1.1 Parking Inventory Parking inventory data was collected on 334 on-street blockfaces and 15 public off-street parking facilities within the study area. Of the 334 blockfaces, 66 do not allow on-street parking per City regulations. The Downtown focus area includes almost half (46 percent) of the total spaces, largely due to the 9 public off-street parking facilities in the area. The Railroad Square focus area makes up 8 percent of the total spaces within the study area. Table 1-1 shows a count of the total spaces. Available spaces are the total spaces, excluding loading, passenger drop-off, and bus/taxi-only spaces. A full inventory of onand off-street parking can be found in Appendix A and B. Table 1-1: Parking Inventory by Area Study Area* Downtown Focus Area Railroad Square Focus Area Available Spaces** Total Spaces Available Spaces Total Spaces Available Spaces Total Spaces On-street 2,934 3, Off-street 3,480 3,517 2,445 2, Total 6,414 6,645 2,932 3, *Includes Downtown and Railroad Square Focus Areas **Excludes loading, passenger drop-off, and bus/taxi-only spaces. 1.2 Parking Regulations Parking Spaces by Space Type Three (3) percent of the total spaces are for permit-holders only. Additional regulations include 24- minute loading zones, passenger drop-off areas, and taxi or school bus-only spaces. However, these regulations sometimes apply only during specific times of day (for example, loading from 7AM-11AM). An adjusted total space count was used for the occupancy analysis to account only for generally available spaces (excluding loading, passenger drop-off, and bus/taxi-only). Therefore, on some blocks, there are differences in the number of available spaces during certain times of the day; for instance, there may be a total of 10 available spaces on a block during the AM period, but 12 during the Midday period. 5

12 Table 1-2: Parking Inventory by Regulation Type Total Spaces Time/Meter Regulated Spaces* Unregulated Spaces ADA Spaces Motorcycle Loading, Drop-off, or Bus/taxi-only Reserved for Permit Spaces Entire Study Area On-street 3,128 1,802 (58%) 1,100 (35%) 14 (<1%) 8 (<1%) 194 (6%) 10 (<1%) Off-street 3,517 3,119 (89%) 0 (0%) 92 (3%) 67 (2%) 37 (1%) 187 (5%) Total 6,645 4,921 (74%) 1,100 (17%) 106 (2%) 75 (1%) 231 (3%) 197 (3%) Downtown Focus Area On-street (78%) 31 (5%) 8 (1%) 5 (1%) 82 (14%) 0 (0%) Off-street 2,477 2,166 (87%) 0 (0%) 63 (3%) 29 (1%) 32 (1%) 187 (8%) Total 3,046 2,609 (86%) 31 (1%) 71 (2%) 34 (1%) 114 (4%) 187 (6%) Railroad Square Focus Area On-street (86%) 12 (5%) 2 (1%) 3 (1%) 14 (6%) 0 (0%) Off-street (86%) 0 (0%) 10 (3%) 30 (10%) 1 (<1%) 0 (0%) Total (86%) 12 (2%) 12 (2%) 33 (6%) 15 (3%) 0 (0%) *Includes any space that is priced and/or regulated by a 12-minute, 24-minute, 1-hour, 90-minute, 2-hour, 4-hour, or 10-hour time restriction Time-Limit Restrictions and Metering Time-limit restrictions are in place for 58 percent of the on-street spaces within the study area, with a higher percentage in the Downtown and Railroad Square focus areas. Two(2)-hour and 10-hour time restrictions exist within all the off-street parking facilities, except for Lot 6, which is a permit-only lot. Altogether, many types of parking restrictions exist, including 12-minute, 24-minute, 1-hour, 90-min, 2- hour, 4-hour spaces, and 10-hour spaces. For most of these time periods, there are a mixture of metered and unmetered paces. Table 1-3 lists the number of spaces within each time-limit category. Figure 1-1 shows a map of all time-limit and metering regulations. Pricing for all on-street and surface lot metered parking is $1.00/hour, and pricing for garage parking is $0.75/hour as of November Table 1-3: Parking Inventory by Time Limit (within Study Area) Space Type Time Restriction min 1 hour 90-min 2-hour 4 -hour 10-hour On-street , Off-street * 0 388* Total ,790* * *Note: Since the time of data collection, Lot 7 has been changed from 2-hour to 10-hour parking 6

13 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Figure 1-1: Map of Time Limit and Metering Restrictions Note: Lot 7 has been changed to 10-hour parking since data collection, as of Febraury

14 1.3 Parking Occupancy Analysis The parking occupancy analysis details how public parking is utilized in the Santa Rosa study area, the Downtown focus area, and the Railroad Square focus area. Occupancy data was collected five times a day per one weekday and one weekend day. Early AM (5 AM), AM (9 AM), Midday (12 PM), Early PM (4 PM), and PM (8 PM) time period collections were done for both Saturday, August 9 th and Tuesday, August 12 th, Throughout the study area, the parking occupancy peaks during the PM periods on both the weekday and weekend. The highest occupancy throughout the study area is 45 percent during the weekday PM period. On-street parking occupancy within the Downtown focus area reaches 86 percent on-street occupancy during the Saturday PM period and 84 percent during the weekday PM period. However, off-street occupancy is much lower at 32 percent occupancy on Saturday and 33 percent occupancy on weekdays during the PM period. Figures 1-2 through 1-5 show the occupancy during the Midday and PM periods on both weekends and weekdays. Figure 1-2: Map of Weekday Midday Occupancy *note that Garage 5 occupancy was collected on five weekdays during the Midday time period. Occupancies ranged from 81%-92% throughout these days. Occupancies for non-regulated spaces ranged from % occupancy throughout 4 days of space-specific data collection. 8

15 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Figure 1-3: Map of Weekday PM Occupancy Figure 1-4: Map of Weekend Midday Occupancy 9

16 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Figure 1-5: Map of Weekend PM Occupancy Occupancy by Area Overall Study Area In the entire study area, parking occupancy on-street peaks during the PM period at 46 percent (Saturday). Throughout all the garages, parking occupancy peaks during the PM period at only 27 percent (weekday). Most of the available off-street spaces are in Garages 1, 3, 9, and 12. These garages have higher demand during the Midday period, while demand decreases during the PM period (when on-street parking peaks). At their highest observed occupancy during the day (Midday), there are still 1,461 spaces available within these four garages, significantly lower than the 85 percent practical capacity threshold. 10

17 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Figure 1-6: Overall Study Area On- and Off-street Occupancy Downtown Focus Area Altogether, the Downtown focus area has a peak occupancy at 53 percent during the late afternoon period (data collected at 4 PM). However, this overall occupancy is noticeably perforated by space type; within on-street areas there is relatively high occupancy, while off-street facilities see lower occupancies when compared to on-street blockfaces. Within the Downtown focus area, on-street capacity reaches 84 percent on weekdays and 86 percent on Saturday. Practical capacity is defined as 85 percent: the point where on average, one space will be available within a typical block of eight spaces. Therefore, Santa Rosa s on-street parking within the Downtown operates effectively; the Downtown focus area generally has an efficient parking supply, with generally enough on-street supply to accommodate all users parking demand without causing significant circling for parking. However, during periods of increased (peak) demand and special events, there are likely to be more vehicles circling for parking, causing traffic congestion. See Figures 1-3 and 1-5 for PM peak occupancies on the Tuesday and Saturday collection days. While on-street parking is at practical capacity, there is excess supply within the Downtown area s offstreet facilities. Off-street demand is higher during the afternoon periods (Early AM through Early PM collection periods), peaking at 50 percent. However, during the period of highest overall demand, offstreet occupancy only reaches 33 percent. 11

18 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Figure 1-7: Downtown Focus Area On- and Off-street Occupancy Railroad Square Focus Area Parking occupancy peaks at 46 percent during the weekday Midday (12 PM) period within the Railroad Square focus area. On Saturday, occupancy peaks at 44 percent during the PM period. Onstreet occupancy is higher, at 66 percent (Tuesday Midday). Off-street occupancy is at 49 percent, with the highest occupancy within Lot 14 (57 percent, Tuesday Midday). Figure 1-8: Railroad Square Focus Area On- and Off-street Occupancy 12

19 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Parking Facility Occupancy All Off-street Facilities The off-street parking facilities within the Downtown focus area are looked at in detail, in order to respond to the City s parking supply concerns around the highly-demanded 4 th Street retail corridor. Specifically these facilities include: Lots 2, 10, 11, and Garages 3 and 5. Within these facilities, the parking lots are filled to capacity during weekday evening periods (both the Early PM and PM periods). However, there is excess capacity in the parking garages, especially Garage 3. Additionally, these garages experience higher demand during the Midday period. Overall, on weekdays there is excess capacity in Garages 3 during the PM period. During the Midday period these garages are in higher demand, but there is also excess capacity (68 spaces) in Lot 7. While weekend capacity is constrained in Lot 10 and 11, the remaining facilities have excess capacity during all time periods. Garage 5 weekday occupancies were collected separately and discussed in the next section. For an occupancy table including all off-street facilities, see Appendix C. Table 1-4: Off-street Occupancy for Select Parking Facilities Number of Available Spaces Percent Occupancy Weekday Peak Occupancy Early Early Total Spaces Available Spaces* AM Midday Availability** AM PM PM GARAGE % 48% 59% 54% 16% GARAGE % 60% 87%** 69% 58% LOT % 64% 84% 88% 96% LOT % 72% 41% 55%** 83% LOT % 20% 89% 78% 98% LOT % 25% 87% 86% 92% Total 1,308 1, % 51% 67% 67% 47% Number of Available Spaces Percent Occupancy Weekend Peak Occupancy Early Early Total Spaces Available Spaces* AM Midday Availability*** AM PM PM GARAGE % 9% 19% 14% 10% GARAGE % 14% 38% 27% 50% LOT % 31% 40% 25% 70% LOT % 11% 18% 17% 47% LOT % 12% 85% 70% 91% LOT % 15% 52% 86% 92% Total 1,308 1, % 13% 30% 24% 35% *Does not include spaces reserved for loading, passenger drop-off, or taxi/bus-only **Average of five weekday occupancy collections from August 2014 through February Additional occupancies were collected due to unusual data findings. ***Number of spaces open during the peak period time. Calculated per-garage. Note: cells highlighted in red show occupancy levels greater than 85%, including four additional counts collected in December Garage 5 Midday Occupancy Due to specific concerns about the occupancy of Garage 5, additional counts were collected to look at how occupancy in unregulated spaces compared to occupancy throughout the Garage. Data collection was completed by the City of Santa Rosa staff, on four weekdays (December 16-19, 2014). This collection showed that occupancy in unregulated and ADA/accessible spaces was very high, while occupancy in reserved vehicle spaces, 5-minute spaces, and motorcycle spaces was very low. Table 1-5, shows that unregulated spaces were 100% occupied on two of the four data collection days. However, reserved spaces were not fully utilized. 13

20 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Table 1-5: Off-street Occupancy for Select Parking Facilities Date Unregulated (153 spaces) Reserved (35 spaces) 5-minute/ motorcycle (4 spaces) ADA/accessible (5 spaces) 12/16/14 93% 74% 0% 80% 12/17/14 92% 60% 25% 80% 12/18/14 100% 66% 0% 100% 12/19/14 100% 60% 0% 80% Comparative Analysis ( ) Off-Street Historical Analysis Compared to the data collected in September 2000 for the 2001 Parking Study, on-street occupancy has increased significantly along 4 th Street and within one block of 4 th Street. However, overall offstreet occupancy has decreased. Table 1-6 shows the occupancy from data collected in September 2000 compared to occupancy collected in August During the Midday period, demand increases slightly in Garage 1, Lot D, Lot 2, and Lot 4 and decreases in the remainder (most significantly in Garage 9). During the Early PM period, demand decreases in all Garages in 2014, but increases in most lots (except Lot 6, 13, and 14). Some of this demand decrease could be due to some seasonal variation. While most facilities within two blocks of 4 th Street (Lot 2, 7, 10, 11 and Garages 3 and 5) were over 85% capacity during the October 2000 study, current data collection shows that fewer parkers are currently using these off-street facilities during the Early PM period (especially in Garage 3 and 5 throughout the day and Lot 7 during the Midday period). Table 1-6: Comparison of Off-street Occupancy: 2000 to 2014 Facility Peak Period - Midday Difference - Midday Early PM period* Difference Early PM Garage 1 37% 43% 6% 40% 8% -31% Garage 3 62% 59% -3% 59% 16% -43% Garage 5 88% 81% -8% 87% 58% -29% Garage 9 63% 45% -18% 67% 13% -54% Garage 12 31% 20% -11% 34% 18% -16% Lot D 81% 41% -39% 45% 83% +38% Lot 2 92% 84% -8% 94% 96% +2% Lot 4 71% 79% 8% 71% 79% +8% Lot 6 56% 38% -18% 56% 6% -49% Lot 7 100% 41% -59% 72% 83% +10% Lot % 89% -11% 92% 98% +5% Lot 11 97% 87% -10% 82% 92% +9% Lot 13 17% 53% 35% 29% 5% -24% Lot 14 48% 49% <1% 44% 28% -16% Total 54% 48% -6% 54% 27% -27% *2PM during the September 2000 collection and 4PM during the August 2014 collection. Note: Facilities highlighted in red have decreasing occupancies during both the Midday and Early PM periods. 14

21 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis On-Street Historical Analysis The most significant change within the historical data is the increase in parking demand within the Downtown focus area from 2000 to Parking demand during the Early PM period 3 increased from 51 percent in 2000 to 74 percent in 2014 within the Downtown focus area. This is particularly interesting because during the same time period the demand for off-street parking decreased significantly. Overall, parking demand for on-street parking in the Downtown focus area increased, even though occupancy throughout the Downtown (including off-street) decreases in the area. Economic downturn is one possible factor in the overall decrease. A potential factor for the increase in on-street parking demand is the implementation of pricing at the Santa Rosa Plaza, just east of the Downtown focus area. 4 Focusing in on the areas of high demand surrounding the 4 th Street retail corridor, occupancy on 4 th Street as well as the surrounding side streets between B Street and E Street (see Figure 1-3 through 1-9), occupancy on this 4 th Street corridor has risen by 24 percent during the weekday Midday period and 19 percent during the weekday Early PM period. Figure 1-9: Demand for On-street Parking in the Downtown Focus Area and 4 th Street Corridor Midday Period PM Period Pricing and Time Restrictions Parking pricing and time limits are tools to help manage parking demand, increase parking availability, and reduce overall traffic congestion (by reducing the number of vehicles circling to look for parking). Pricing and time restrictions should be in the locations of highest demand. In general, this tool is used effectively in Santa Rosa: time restrictions and metering are concentrated within the areas of highest demand, notably the Downtown focus area and the Railroad Square focus area. However, there are some areas where metering exists, but data analysis shows low demand for parking. In areas where metering exists, but there is low parking demand, parkers may be driving 3 Note that during the 2000 data collection, the early PM period is 2:00pm; during the 2014 data collection the early PM period is at 4:00pm. Both Midday collection periods are at 12:00pm

22 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis further away from their destinations to park on an adjacent block that is unmetered or does not have time restrictions. For example, on Sonoma Avenue, the unregulated parking to the East of E Street is in higher demand than the metered and time restricted parking to the West of E Street. This suggests that users are avoiding the restrictions by parking in the adjacent unrestricted parking. Alternatively, there are areas with high demand, but no parking time or meter restrictions. In the Railroad Square focus area, occupancy data suggests that many parkers are avoiding time limits and metering by parking north of the study area where several blocks of parking are unrestricted. Time restrictions in these areas would balance demand more evenly throughout the area. Some examples of areas where regulations could be adjusted to more efficiently match demand include: Metering currently exists but parking demand is low: Fourth Street from E St to Hope Street Sonoma Avenue from Santa Rosa to E Street Time limits do not exist but parking demand is high: 6th Street from Wilson Street to Morgan Street Davis Street from 5th Street to 7th Street A Street from 7th Street to Morgan Street On- and Off-street Parking Management Santa Rosa has excess supply overall throughout the study area. The Railroad Square focus area currently has adequate supply on- and off-street. The Downtown focus area s on-street parking and off-street parking in Lots 2, 10, and 11, and Garage 5 is in higher demand relative to the remaining offstreet garage parking. In the garages, there is a larger supply of parking, but it is not being utilized. There are reasons why users prefer certain facilities and on-street areas. Users first choice for parking is typically directly in front of their destination. With the most active destinations on 4 th Street, it follows that many users prefer to park on 4 th Street, closest to their destination, when possible. Another reason for this difference could be that visitors are not aware of available parking in Garages 3, and 5 or Lot 7; each of these facilities are within 200 feet a reasonable walking distance of the 4 th Street commercial corridor that generates a lot of activity. Lack of wayfinding can make it difficult for visitors to find these locations. Last, because garage pricing is only $0.25/hour less expensive than on-street and surface lot pricing, visitors have little monetary incentive to utilize these larger facilities if it is possible to find on-street parking. Visitors may prefer to circle the block, rather than park offstreet, causing potential traffic congestion. This is especially true in the evening period, since time limit restrictions are only valid until 6pm and lose their ability to create turnover in the spaces within the Downtown focus area. 16

23 Task 2 Parking Demand Analysis This section includes a parking demand analysis for the City of Santa Rosa, providing a high-level estimate of projected future changes in parking demand. These changes are estimated based on planned and proposed development projects, specifically from the City of Santa Rosa s March 2014 Pending Development Report. 2.1 Parking Demand Analysis - Methodology Methodology Overview In order to calculate how much demand is generated by each type of land use, specific to the Santa Rosa parking study area, a model was developed based on the Urban Land Institute (ULI) shared parking spreadsheet model. However the model was calibrated to specifically represent the City of Santa Rosa. The ULI spreadsheet model uses case studies, data collection, and other observations regarding multi-land use developments and shared parking alternatives to segregated parking requirements. 5 The shared parking aspect of this model represents the shared-nature of public parking facilities. This shared parking aspect takes into account that demand from many different land uses are using the public on- and off-street parking supply during different times of the day: shoppers, residents, and employees of multiple locations make use of common facilities. Shared parking and time-of-day variations for different land use type are accounted for, along with reduced demand due to the transit-oriented nature of new development. This is built into the model by assuming that public parking demand from residents within the area will be lower than current amounts. 6 Therefore, new residents are assumed to drive and re-park within the study area at a lower rate, instead using walking and transit modes at a higher rate. The ULI default values for demand generated by development are mainly derived from suburban developments with high automobile use that do not fully suit all types of shared parking developments such as an existing downtown. Therefore, the model is calibrated using the current parking demand from existing conditions data, the reduced driving based on the US Census mode share in Santa Rosa 7, as well as the current land use amounts and types. Additional adjustments to the model were made to account for the fact that the majority of new development, particularly retail, will provide no private parking. It is assumed that new residential parking will have at least one parking space provided per residential unit, consistent with the transit-oriented nature of the area. 8 This assumption takes into account that residents make use of on-street parking spaces, but a majority of new development will include parking for residents. The model also assumes that retail and commercial development will not include any private parking. 5 Shared Parking, 2nd Edition, Urban Land Institute, Parking demand from residents within the study area is assumed to be 40% lower than current amounts 7 The 2013 American Community Survey, US Census, shows that 64% of trips are made with automobile in Santa Rosa s downtown census tract. This value was used to make adjustments to ULI default demand values. 8 The ULI model assumes that residential units require spaces per unit. Our model takes into account of Santa Rosa s reduced automobile mode share relative to the national average. The model assumes that some private parking is provided and that each residential unit will create additional demand for public parking, approximately 0.2 spaces per unit. This Common parking minimum requirements in the San Francisco Bay Area are 1 space per unit for lower-end minimum parking requirements. For more information, see MTC s Parking Code Guidance: Case Studies and Model Provisions. 17

24 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Growth Areas Baseline Supply and Occupancy At the time of data collection (Saturday, August 9 th and Tuesday, August 12 th, 2014), the existing study area parking supply inventory (public on- and off-street parking) provided a total of 6,645 parking spaces (this includes all types of spaces, including short-term and ADA/accessible spaces). In order to assess localized demand where new development is projected, parking data was isolated for the Downtown Area (2,932 existing parking spaces) and the Railroad Square/SMART Station area (1,117 spaces). These areas are the focus locations where changes in parking demand from new development are likely to occur. Growth Area Boundaries Two subareas were created to look at projected growth Downtown Area and the Railroad Square/ SMART Station Area. Most development that is planned within the study area is occurring in these areas, and the impact of future development on parking demand is expected to be the highest due to this development as well as the SMART rail station opening. In addition, current parking demand is already high in the Downtown area, reaching about 85% capacity within on-street facilities during the PM period for both weekdays and Saturdays. Figure 2-1 shows a map of the boundaries that were included for these three areas. A few planned developments are outside the study area boundary but included in the analysis due to their close proximity (north of Railroad Square/SMART area). Figure 2-1: Subareas within the Parking Study Area Analyzed for Future Parking Demand 18

25 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Planned Development Planned development units, as of March , are taken into account when analyzing the projected increase in demand. Within this study area, several developments are pending or in the planning stage. 10 All retail and office properties are assumed to have minimal private parking while residential properties are assumed to have approximately 1 space per unit. 11 The planned development projects included in this analysis are: Art House (21 units, residential; 2,005 sq. ft. retail), Approved (Downtown) Wilibees of Sonoma (6,500 sq. ft. retail), Proposed (Downtown) Museum on the Square (69,000 sq. ft. office, 10,000 sq. ft. restaurant, 1,000 sq. ft. public services, and 12,000 sq. ft. museum space), Approved (Downtown) Sixth & Davis (15 units residential, 1,840 sq. ft. retail), Proposed Railroad/SMART) Fourth & Davis (7,592 sq. ft. retail, 43,700 sq. ft. office), Approved (Railroad/SMART) The New Railroad Square (186 units residential, 90,000 sq. ft. office/ retail); currently inactive (Railroad/SMART) Santa Rosa Canners (93 units residential), Approved (Railroad/SMART) West End Village (45 units residential, 4,738 sq. ft. retail), Approved (Railroad/SMART) Pullman Lofts (72 units residential, 4,610 sq. ft. retail), Proposed (just outside Railroad/SMART focus area boundaries) Table 2-1 shows the existing land uses as well as the overall square footage and/or unit estimates corresponding to each respective land use type within the analyzed area located in the Santa Rosa parking study area. This information was provided by the City and was based on the City s GIS inventory. According to this information, the Santa Rosa study area currently has approximately 1.5 million square feet of utilized retail, restaurant, office, and other space utilized within the bounds of the Downtown focus area and 312,000 sq. ft. within the Railroad Square/SMART Station area. Table 2-1 Existing and Planned Parking Study Area Land Use Information Downtown Railroad Square/SMART Station Area Land Use Existing Planned Existing Planned Office (sq. ft.) 706,933 69, % 52, , % Retail/Restaurant (sq. ft.) 477,818 18,505 +4% 198,290 18,780 +9% Banks (sq. ft.) 138,451 Industrial (sq. ft.) 15,250 42,006 Library (sq. ft.) 38,625 Church (sq. ft.) Educational (sq. ft.) 9,108 City/County/ State (sq. ft.) 44,776 12, % Other Public/Museum (sq. ft.) 1,000 10,228 Total (sq. ft.) 1,509, ,505 +7% 312, , % Residential (units) % % Business, Motel/Hotel (rooms) Cinema (seats) 4,513 *Note: Land use categories are exclusive. 9 Some information from the March 2014 report was edited according to personal communication with City staff. 10 The New Railroad Square development, although currently inactive, was still considered in the analysis. 11 Demand for new development is based off of demand from current development as well as ULI model values for different land uses. These model values were adjusted for office and retail spaces to account for the lower drive-access mode share in the City of Santa Rosa. 19

26 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis 2.2 Parking Demand Analysis - Projected Demand Parking demand was estimated for each of the study areas for the peak demand time (the Midday period on weekdays and the PM period on weekends) based on the inclusion of the planned developments. Because it is currently listed as inactive, the Railroad Square/SMART Station area was analyzed with and without the New Railroad Square development. Projected demand estimates are listed in Table 2-2. Table 2-2 Parking Demand Based on Planned Development (Transit Growth not Included) Land Use Day of Week Inventory Peak Occupancy Current Demand Peak Occupancy Growth TOD Downtown Area Weekday 1,525 (52%) 1,633 (60%) +8% Total 2,932 Saturday 938 (32%) 938 (35%) +3% Railroad Square Area Including the New Railroad Square development Weekday 476 (43%) 934 (84%) +41% Total 1,117 Saturday 492 (44%) 654 (58%) +14% Excluding the New Railroad Square development Weekday 476 (43%) 676 (61%) +18% Total 1,117 Saturday 492 (44%) 587 (53%) +9% Downtown Based on the demand projection model, the Downtown Area overall has enough parking supply to accommodate the projected increase in parking demand. The demand model estimates that planned development will increase occupancy from 52% to 60% during the weekday peak period. However, specific blocks and facilities within the Downtown may be more affected than others, which will put a strain on supply in subareas of the Downtown. In particular, this growth will put a strain on facilities that are already known for filling up and are also in close proximity to the developments, such as Garage 5. Two of the three planned developments that are modeled are nearby Garage 5. The demand for the planned office, retail, police and museum space will require strong parking management within both the on- and off-street facilities in the subarea around the 3 rd Street planned developments. A large amount of demand may be able to be accommodated by Garage 9 and Garage 12. The model assumes that these developments will not include any private parking, but any private parking constructed along with these developments will help accommodate some of the demand. Overall, much of the planned development is concentrated around Garage 5; the proximity of these developments to Garage 5 should be considered when evaluating options for parking supply expansion in this area (Task 3 in the following section). 20

27 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Railroad Square Demand The large amount of planned development in the Railroad Square Area is projected to have a significant impact on the overall parking demand. Weekday occupancies increase much more than weekend occupancies due to a high amount of planned office land use relative to other land uses. All parking supply in the study area (image on right) are expected to increase from 50 percent to about 84 percent occupancy during the peak weekday period if the New Railroad Square Development is included in the demand analysis. Without this development, the impact is lower (see Table 2-2). Both scenarios are likely to produce spillover into neighboring areas. Altogether, on-street parking supply is likely to be constrained in areas where occupancy is already high and areas nearby new development. It is important that supply be properly managed in order to accommodate potential growth. Several considerations must be taken into account when evaluating the demand projections. First, the New Railroad Square development, which is currently inactive, consisting of 186 out of 484 of the total planned residential units and 90,000 square feet of retail and office units, is a large driver of this growth. Additionally, this is a worst-case scenario, as it was assumed that private parking for retail and office developments are not provided in order to stay consistent with demand projections throughout the City. However, policies in the City still include parking requirements in this area. Therefore, some of the demand will be accommodated by this inclusion. Additionally, approximately 1 space per unit of private parking for residential developments are provided; if the new development has a large amount of private parking and the neighborhood is more transit-oriented than existing conditions, public parking demand will be lower than projected. Compact land uses and more amenities that encourage alternative modes of travel such as pedestrian scale lighting, landscaping, seating, and bike facilities can reduce the amount of automobile trips made by residents in the area. Increased demand in areas that currently have high occupancy will cause constraint on parking supply in key subareas within the area. The estimated demand values listed in Table 2-2 do not take into account increased demand due to rail patrons once the SMART station opens, which is discussed in the following section. 2.3 SMART Station Demand The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) system is a passenger rail system that is currently under construction and planned to start operating in The Santa Rosa Railroad Square SMART station site is located at the 1904 Historic Depot, between 4 th and 5 th Street. No station parking is planned to be constructed along with this station. In the Railroad Square/SMART Station area defined for this study, parking demand was estimated for the planned development scenario. As discussed in the previous section, there is parking availability in the overall Railroad Square Area (although subareas may be constrained) prior to considering the demand generated by a future SMART station (see Table 2-2). 21

28 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis The 2014 report on SMART ridership estimates that 49 percent of riders will access the station by driving alone and another 5 percent will access the station by carpooling. 12 While SMART ridership projects by station have changed over the course of the project and are currently being re-evaluated, projections based on the Final Environmental Impact Report estimates 7,000 to 10,000 users a day for the entire line. 13 It is not clear how many riders are projected for the Santa Rosa Railroad Square station; however, given the high occupancies based off of future demand scenarios, the drive-access to the station will be highly affected by parking availability. When considering the demand generated by the SMART station after opening, it is likely that parking demand will exceed supply within the Railroad Square/SMART Station area. Demand due to planned and proposed development alone is projected to be near practical capacity closest to the station with the New Railroad Square development, likely leaving any availability on the streets furthest away from the station (such as Madison Street and West 8 th Street). Expanding parking supply will encourage more SMART riders to drive to the station. Additional parking could discourage some users from taking alternative modes due to the convenience of new parking supply. There is a trade-off between the cost, environmental impact, economic development, land use impacts, and service provided between expanding parking supply and encouraging ridership. Because demand for long-term parking will likely be higher than the supply in this area, it is important that SMART and the City decide on a plan of action early. If most of the new development is transitoriented, overall supply is estimated to be adequate to meet future land use development demand without supplying additional parking due to the transit-oriented nature of the area; however, it is unlikely to provide the long-term parking demanded by rail patrons. 2.4 Long-term Growth In addition to the development that is currently planned for near-term growth, long-term growth potential should be considered when evaluating the overall parking supply and demand in the area. It must be kept in mind that the projects in this section are broad estimates; it is impossible to know the scale, exact location, and nature of future growth. When evaluating increased demand with increased growth, the potential for reducing parking demand with transit-oriented development policies should be considered. More growth, when developed in the right way, can significantly reduce automobile usage. This evaluation uses multipliers based on current demand by land use as well as factors accounting for Santa Rosa s driving mode share (US Census, 2013 American Community Survey). However, it does not account for the potential for decreased driving mode share with transit-oriented policies. The Downtown Station Area Specific Plan outlines the vision for future development in the City of Santa Rosa. Development projections in this plan offer a longer-term vision for growth (approximately 0-10 years). Growth estimates are provided for both areas evaluated in this report. This plan estimates that the Courthouse Square subarea, approximately aligning with the Downtown Focus Area, is expected to increase in 1,273 residential units, 147,500 sq. ft. of office/public institutional development, and 164,090 sq. ft. of retail land use. The Railroad Square subarea is projected to 12 The Wickers group, Sonoma & Marin County Survey, September SMART Down the Track. 2013/2014 Marin County Civil Grand Jury. April 25,

29 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis increase in 344 residential units, 50,000 sq. ft. of office/public institutional development, and 94,960 sq. ft. of retail development. These growth estimates are listed in Table 2-3. Additionally, the City of Santa Rosa s General Plan provides a vision of the City in While providing a more high-level estimation, this plan estimates a 35% increase in both housing units and employment within the Urban Growth Boundary. Much of this growth will focus on the downtown as the major center for business, residences, and recreation. Table 2-3: Near-term and Mid-term Growth Estimates Downtown Land Use* Existing Planned Specific Plan Projections* Existing Railroad Square Planned Specific Plan Projections Office/public/institutional (sq. ft.) 805,584 82, , , ,700 50,000 Retail/Restaurant (sq. ft.) 477,818 18, , ,290 18,780 94,960 Residential (units) , *Only partial land use categories listed; hotels, cinema and industrial uses not included. ** Boundaries for Specific Plan areas do not align exactly with the boundaries used for this report. Therefore, comparison values should be viewed as broad estimates. The Downtown Station Area Specific Plan was adopted by the City Council on October 9, Downtown Assuming the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan growth projections listed above, Table 2-4 lists the projected parking occupancy with the estimated long-term growth in the Downtown Area. The Specific Plan projects high very high residential growth estimates relative to the planned growth as well as an increase in office and retail uses. Altogether, the projected long-term demand for parking on both weekdays and weekends increases with the increase in development. While there is an 18% increase in office/public/ institutional uses and a 34% increase in retail/restaurant land uses, the demand for weekday parking increases by 27%. Because of the significant increase in retail and restaurant development, demand for weekend parking increases as well, but with a lower rate compared to weekday demand. However, this is largely due to less demand for some of the larger off-street facilities during the weekend evening period. 14 On-street parking supply during the weekend evening periods is highly utilized. This significant increase in demand would make it very difficult to find a parking space on-street during the weekend PM period. Table 2-4: Near-term and Mid-term Growth Estimates, Downtown Area Peak Occupancy Land Use Day of Week Inventory Planned Development Specific Plan Growth Projections Downtown Area Weekday 1,633 (60%) 2,540 (87%) Total 2,932 Saturday 938 (35%) 1,733 (59%) Note: It was assumed only residential development provides private parking (approximately 1 space per unit) and other uses provide littleto-no private parking. The downtown boundaries defined for the Specific Plan encompass a larger area than the boundaries defined for this project, therefore this should be viewed as a general estimation. 14 Not including Lots 2, 10, and 11, which are above 95% occupied during the time. 23

30 Section 2 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Railroad Square The Specific Plan growth projections for the Railroad Square area are lower for some land uses than the planned development scenario. Therefore, to estimate long-term growth, two scenarios were projected: (1) the planned development land uses with an increase in only retail/restaurant land uses to match the Downtown Specific Plan and (2) a 35 percent growth in all land uses in addition to the planned development. This is to provide a range of potential demand given the available flexibility for growth in the future. Additionally, these estimates assume very little private parking and do not account for decreased driving due to transit-oriented development policies, more walkable neighborhoods, and more compact development, they should only be used as broad estimates, rather than exact figures. Table 2-5: Near-term and Mid-term Growth Estimates, Railroad Square Area Land Use Day of Week Inventory Planned Development Peak Occupancy Scenario 1: Increased Retail/restaurant Scenario 2: 35% Additional Growth Railroad Square Area Including the New Railroad Square development Weekday 934 (84%) 1,110 (99%) 1,086 (97%) Total 1,117 Saturday 654 (58%) 845 (76%) 701 (63%) Excluding the New Railroad Square development Weekday 676 (61%) 863 (77%) 743 (66%) Total 1,117 Saturday 587 (53%) 793 (71%) 616 (55%) 24

31 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis Task 3 Facilities Cost Analysis The City of Santa Rosa has recently undergone a cost estimate analysis to determine the costs of implementing short-term and long-term repairs on Parking Garage 5 in order to expand its useful life. Another consideration is to demolish the garage and allow the site to be privately developed. While overall supply in the Downtown area is adequate, supply expansion is also considered due to high demand for Garage 5 in particular. Garage 5 is more popular for visitors to the 4 th Street retail corridor, Lot 7 is nearby this facility and is seen as an alternative location for expanding parking supply. Therefore, this section will briefly discuss additional options for expanding and replacing the current Garage 5 and Lot 7 parking facilities. This facilities cost analysis examines two possible locations for expanding the public parking supply in Downtown Santa Rosa. The first option is to construct a new parking structure or mixed use facility that replaces or expands the 199 spaces in Garage 5. The second option is to construct a new mixed use facility that replaces and expands the current parking supply of 120 spaces in surface Lot 7. After evaluating these two options, we compare these costs to the costs of repairing Garage 5, as evaluated by Walker Consultants in June Cost of Parking Construction The cost of constructing a new parking facility depends on a wide range of factors including the size of the structure and the type of the structure. In evaluating the costs, it is important to know that constructing a new facility is one of several factors that comprise the total cost of providing parking. Because the properties in question are already owned by the City, land costs are not a factor in this evaluation. Additional components of a parking facility include: Planning and Design: Planning and design soft costs can include initial demand and planning studies as well as surveying, soils engineering, architectural design, and structural engineering fees. Financing Costs: Financing costs will vary depending on the mechanism used to finance construction but can include legal fees, the cost of securing and repaying bonds, and the interest on construction loans. Between financing costs and planning and design expenses, Todd Litman of the Victoria Transportation Planning institute estimates that soft costs can increase the cost of a parking facility by as much as 30-40% for a standalone project. 15 Equipment and Furnishings: The level of equipment and furnishings provided within the structure including barrier gates, elevators, ticket spitters, and payment stations can range into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and can affect both the initial cost of a parking facility as well as upkeep and maintenance costs. Maintenance and Operations: Maintenance and operation costs include cleaning, lighting, maintenance, repairs, security, landscaping, fee collection, enforcement, insurance, labor and administration. Typical annual costs per space can run anywhere between $200 for basic 15 Litman, Todd, Transportation Costs and Benefit Analysis: Techniques, Estimates and Implications: Parking Costs. Victoria Transport Policy Institute DRAFT 25

32 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis maintenance of a surface lot to as high as $800 per space for a facility with attendants and additional security and lighting needs Replacing or Expanding Garage 5 Currently, Garage 5 has 199 spaces and three levels. The cost estimates provided are in response to the City s interest in extending the useful life of Garage 5 as well as expanding the overall supply within this facility. Anecdotal evidence shows that available occupancy within Garage 5 during the Midday period is constrained to reserved spaces for employees only. Because the City has expressed concern for providing parking for both visitors as well as employees, options for expanding supply within Garage 5 are evaluated. Several options for replacing Garage 5 are evaluated in this section: a three-level garage replacing the current facility (Alternative 1), a four-level garage expanding current supply (Alternative 2), a fivelevel garage expanding current supply (Alternative 3), and a six-level that includes one underground level (Alternative 4). Table 3-1 shows the estimated costs for each option, not including demolition of the current structure. Table 3-1: Construction Costs for Garage 5 Replacement and Expansion Options Garage Details Description Alternative 1: 3-level replacement Alternative 2: 4-level expansion Alternative 3: 5-level expansion Alternative 4: 6-level expansion Spaces/floor Site Area (SF) 22,000 22,000 22,000 22,000 New Structure Levels Below Ground levels Total spaces Ground Floor Ceiling Height Existing Spaces Total floor area 66,000 88, , ,000 Total parking spaces Net Added new spaces SF/space Base Construction Costs $ 4,390, 000 $ 5,870, 000 $ 7,000, 000 $ 8,630, 000 Base construction cost/sf Overhead, contingency, bond, and insurance costs (45%) 1,980, 000 2,640, 000 3,150, 000 3,880, 000 Design and Engineering (18%) 1,150, 000 1,530, 000 1,830, 000 2,250, 000 Escalation (4%) 300, , , , 000 Total Construction Cost 7,820, ,440, ,460, ,350, 000 Cost/SF Cost/Stall 39,300 39,300 37,600 38,600 Cost/Net new stall N/A 157,400 93,900 77,100 Note: Construction cost values greater than 100,000 are rounded to the nearest $10,000. Values between $10,000 and $100,000 are rounded to the nearest $100. Construction Costs 3.3 Constructing a Mixed-Use Facility in Lot 7 While, Garage 5 does not have much available capacity during their peak afternoon occupancy period, Lot 7 has some availability during the afternoon and Early PM periods (up to 72 spaces available 16 Victoria Transport Policy Institute. Parking Cost, Pricing, and Revenue Calculator DRAFT 26

33 Santa Rosa Parking Analysis during the Midday period counts). 17 However, each of these facilities have different peak periods; supply in Garage 5 supply is constrained during the Midday period and Lot 7 is in higher demand during the evening PM period. A mixed-use facility at the location of the current Lot 7 could consist of a combination of parking, office, retail, and/or residential development. One of the primary benefits of a mixed-use parking facility in this location is that the street front and nearby area may become more inviting for pedestrians to walk by and visit. This would encourage users to walk between the 4 th Street commercial corridor and Lot 7 s location south of 3 rd Street Facility Descriptions Alternative 1 An example of a mixed-use parking facility at this site could consist of one level of retail, one level of office, and three levels of parking two structural levels (3 rd and 4 th floors) and one roof level (5 th floor). The Lot 7 parcel has a 45,000 square foot developable footprint. Assuming 130 possible spaces per level on this parcel, a total of 390 net new spaces could be created by this facility, including floors, ramps and roof. 18 Alternative 2 A second example of a mixed-use development on this site could consist of developing 15,000 square feet with office and ground-floor retail (Figure 3-1). The remaining portion of the site would be used to provide parking for residents, shoppers, and Downtown visitors. This alternative consists of a 5-level parking garage on a 30,000 square foot developable footprint. With approximately 78 spaces/level, this would create a total of 390 new spaces. A lower building height within the mixed-use retail/office portion would make a taller parking decks mostly hidden from view from 3 rd Street. Figure 3-1: Example Layout of a Mixed-use Layout with a Parking Facility Facility Costs Table 3-2 summarizes the estimated costs for an above-ground mixed-use parking facility to be constructed on Lot 7. It should be noted that the cost assumptions used are broad estimates, 19 but actual costs range widely between specific projects. For example, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission provided a summary of costs in a recent study on parking structure best practices, with a 17 Because original counts were higher than a typical weekday, Lot 7 occupancy data was collected during 4 weekdays during the Early PM period in January through February Occupancies for this time ranged from 33-55% for 2-hour and 10-hour metered spaces. 18 This estimate assumes approximately spaces per acre of parking a more compact layout than exists in the current lot. The site is approximately 45,000 square feet in area (1.03 acres), where there are an existing 120 spaces. 19 Base costs estimated assuming Very High Seismic Zone, a long span structural system, dual wall lateral system, a deep foundation, and the highest quality façade/finish. Estimates also take into account total levels, number of levels below ground, square feet per space, total number of spaces, and the total building area. Cost estimates generated with the aid of Watry Design, Inc. Parking Garage Price Generator. Available at: DRAFT 27