Bolton Downtown Parking Study Update

Transcription

1 Bolton Downtown Parking Study Update 2012

2 Terms of Reference, Bolton Downtown Parking Study Update In 2010, Council approved the terms of reference for the Update of the 2004 Bolton Downtown Parking Study Research and inventory the parking changes in the Core Area Summarize the changes and the net affect of parking availability Create a map of the Core Area parking inventory Perform a peak parking demand utilization study Measure the weekday parking duration Determine the impacts of the Mayfield Rd Transit Hub Parking Facility Determine the impacts on parking with the completion of the BAR Determine the impacts on parking with the intensification of the Core Area Identify parking space deficiencies Identify potential solutions to parking deficiencies with costs Review the Cash in Lieu of Parking Program (CLPP) Review the Towns zoning bylaw parking standards Review potential passive transportation solutions for the Core Area

3 2011 Study Findings Paradigm Transportation Solutions Ltd. was retained to update the 2004 parking study which included, in addition to terms of reference tasks, a survey of accumulation and turnover of all parking stalls in the Core Area and a parking user survey and a business survey. The following are the highlights of their study: The number of parked cars (parking demand) during peak periods has stayed relatively the same while the number of parking stalls has increased by 158 since the 2004 report The Core Area parking is used up to 70% Weekdays and 60% Saturdays. This indicates a surplus of 30% to 40% of the parking supply A parking surplus of about 180 (Friday Survey) and 280 (Saturday Survey) stalls compared to the practical capacity of 560 stalls The peak parking demand was a total of about 380 vehicles compared to a parking supply of about 560 stalls

4 2011 Study Findings, Con t Only 14% of the parking durations were longterm parking (greater than 4 hrs), representing about 50 stalls during the peak Friday parking demand. Only 2% parked for more than 10 hrs (Concluding no commuter parking problem) In almost all areas of the Core, the total parking demand is significantly less than the capacity of the parking supply There is no justification to increase parking supply or any changes to the operation, except for possibly the zoning requirements

5 Highlights from the Parking Survey Primary Purpose to Visit Core Area 59% of visits to the core were for personal service / errands; 17% of surveyed visitors were in the core to dine; 16% of surveyed visitors work in the core; 5% of surveyed visitors were in the core for the GO bus; and 3% of surveyed visitors were shopping in the core

6 Highlights from the Parking Survey Trip Origin 48% of the surveyed patrons came to the downtown core from locations within Bolton; 9% of surveyed patrons came to the downtown core from locations in Caledon; 6% of the surveyed patrons came to the downtown core from locations in Brampton and Toronto All other locations account for 3% or less each of all prior locations

7 Highlights from the Parking Survey Perception of Parking Supply About 25% of respondents indicated that they have left the core area due to a lack of parking on occasion. However, when asked whether it was difficult to find parking, 98% of respondents indicated No. Patrons were asked if they felt parking in the core was adequate. The results indicated that 66% of patrons felt parking was adequate.

8 Previous Parking Supply Improvements The Town has spent a total of $450,000 on parking improvements within the Core Area, creating 98 new parking spots for a cost of $4590/space. Some spaces included on street parking designation which was at low cost. The cost to create the additional parking spaces in the west side municipal lot was, $418,000 for 61 spaces = $6850/space. The Region spent an estimated $110,000 in the removal of the old well and creating 8 new spaces on the Towns lands, east side of Chapel St. The remainder of the spaces were created through redevelopment and reconfiguration of parking spaces on private property for a total of 158 new spaces. West Side * Construction $418,000 Property, Expansion and upgrades of existing Municipal Lot East Side Demolition Construction $30,000 (Estimated) $110,000 (Region Costs) Lighting Improvements $10,000 Improved Security Demolition of Storage Building (Private Property Works) Chapel St Parking Expansion & Improvements On Street Pavement Markings & signs $2,000 Designation of On Street Permit Parking Spaces Lighting $20,000 Improved Security $590,000 This represents an estimate on what was spent in total to create parking spaces in the Core Area, not including the redevelopment of sites, like Tim Hortons, etc * Council has approved $365,000 in 2012 for Phase 2 of the upgrades of the west side municipal parking lot.

9 Next Steps Provide and consult with the BIA on the findings of the Bolton Core Area Parking Study Update Consider the timing and budget needs for the future review of the parking standards in the zoning bylaw

10 Go Forward Questions/Discussions Additional Questions? Are there any additional questions or comments?

11 THANK YOU

12

13 PROJECT SUMMARY PROJECT NAME:... BOLTON DOWNTOWN CORE PUBLIC PARKING DRAFT FINAL REPORT CLIENT:... TOWN OF CALEDON 6311 OLD CHURCH ROAD CALEDON, ON L0S 1T0 PH: FAX: CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE:... MS. ESTELLE WILLARD CONSULTANT:... PARADIGM TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS LIMITED 43 FOREST ROAD CAMBRIDGE, ON N1S 3B4 PH: FAX: CONSULTANT PROJECT MANAGER... PHIL GRUBB, P.ENG. SURVEY MANAGER/DATA ANALYST... JILL JUHLKE, C.E.T. REPORT DATE:... JANUARY, 2012 PROJECT NUMBER:

14 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CONTENT The Town of Caledon Council recently adopted the Bolton Community Improvement Plan which identified the need to update the 2004 Parking Study to investigate the current parking demand/need in the core area of Bolton, additional public parking options including consideration of possible intensification and relaxing of parking standards. The last parking study of downtown Bolton 1 was undertaken in Since then significant initiatives in implementing its recommendations to add additional parking supply. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Ltd. was retained by the Town of Caledon to update the 2004 parking study including a survey of accumulation and turnover of all parking stalls in the core, a parking user survey and a business survey. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS The main findings and conclusions of the study are as follows based on the objectives of the study terms of reference as follows: 1 Review the 2004 Parking Study: The 2004 Parking Study made several recommendations for improved parking supply based on a survey of core area parking demand and utilization in March of The key findings of this 2010 report indicate that the number of parked cars (parking demand) during peak periods has stayed relatively the same while the number of parking stalls has increased from that reported in the 2004 report. 2 Research and inventory the changes in the Core Area and the net effect of parking availability since the previous study (parking stall additions, stall deletions and changes in land use affecting the parking demands): Table E.1 below indicates that the peak parking demand for the core area resulted in 81% utilization during the peak hour in the 2003 weekday survey. The 2010 survey indicates that the parking supply is utilized to 58% during the peak weekday time period due to the additional parking available. The table shows an increase of 207 stalls since However, it is noted that the 2003 survey did not include on-street parking on Mill Street, Elm Street and Ann Street which consists of a total of 49 parking stalls. While these stalls were available in 2003, they have since been marked to improve parking efficiency. Therefore excluding Mill Street, Elm Street and Ann Street, the net increase in parking supply between the two surveys is an increase of 158 stalls. The peak parking demand in the core was very similar in the 2003 and 2010 surveys and there is now a significant surplus of parking overall in the core. It is noted that most core area patrons in the intercept survey conducted feel that parking is currently adequate in the core area but the majority of the merchants/businesses (53%) indicated that the adequate supply of parking was a significant issue. 3 Develop a map illustrating the parking inventory on both public and private property. A map of the parking inventory is provided in Figure 2.2 of the report. 4 Perform a peak parking demand utilization study. A peak parking demand study was conducted on Friday, November 26 th, 2010 and Saturday, November As with the 2004 Parking Study, the Friday parking demand observed was significantly higher than during the Saturday survey. Table E.1 indicates that the peak parking demand was a total of about 380 vehicles compared to a parking supply of about 660 stalls. 1 Bolton Downtown Core Public Parking Study, Marshall Macklin Monaghan, September 2004

15 Table E.1: Comparison of 2004 and 2010 Parking Demand and Utilization 2003 Survey 2010 Survey Difference Parking Characteristic Weekday Saturday Weekday Saturday Weekday Saturday Peak Parking Demand Parking Supply Peak Parking Utization 81% 58% 58% 42% -23% -16% Supply Minus Demand Effective Parking Capacity (1) Parking Surplus Note(1) Defined as 85% of the parking supply 5 Measure the weekday parking duration of public parking spaces and quantify the number of spaces being used by commuters and employees in the core. Overall, parking in duration of 30 minutes (0.5 hours) or less represented more than 45-50% of the total parking within the core. In 2004, 33-45% had a stay of less than 0.5 hours indicating that short term parking has increased. Parking in duration of 90 minutes (1.5 hours) or less represented 72% of the off street parking, 85% of on street parking and 73% of the total parking within the core. Few vehicles were parking for the entire survey day (10 hours). If long term parking is assumed to include parking durations over 4 hours in length, about 14% of the parking durations were long term parking, representing about 50 stalls during the peak Friday parking demand. 6 Determine the impacts of the future transit Hub Parking facility at Mayfield Road and Highway 50 on public parking availability in the core. At the time of this survey, the transit hub parking facility was operational at Mayfield Road and Highway 50. A small number of GO riders were observed using the downtown terminal. About 2% of the parking was observed to be 10 hours or more which would represent characteristics of GO riders or downtown employees. 7 Determine the impact of the completion of the Bolton Arterial Route on public parking availability. As indicated above most of the patrons of the core were parked for short duration convenience type purposes arriving by automobile. These types of trips are sensitive to travel time and distance if services can be obtained at more convenient locations. The patron intercept survey conducted indicated that about 50% of patrons were from Bolton and about 50% were from external communities; many likely passing through the Core area on Highway 50 (Queen Street). It is expected that a good portion of the external through trips will divert to the new arterial bypass resulting in reduced parking demands in the core area especially during the morning and afternoon peak hour. About 30% of respondents indicated they would avoid the core when the bypass is in place indicating that parking demands will reduce in the future. 8 Identify potential intensification of the Bolton Core Area in accordance with the Towns Official Plan and the impacts on public parking availability as a result. The Downtown Bolton Parking Study can address parking issues related to existing development/uses. Any analysis of parking issues related to future development/uses must recognize that precise information regarding future intensification in the Bolton Core cannot be provided at this time for reasons noted in the report. Based on very preliminary estimates of intensification potential of 23 townhouses and 146 apartment units, it is estimated that parking demands may increase by vehicles based on vehicle ownership rates. If all this parking was accommodated with the existing parking supply (which is unlikely) in the core, there would still remain excess parking supply in the core area. It is recognized that peak residential parking demands will occur at different times of the day and accordingly the residential parking is not expected to significantly reduce the commercial parking supply. More details on the type, location and building footprints are required to provide a more rigorous analysis.

16 9 Identify parking space deficiencies including Accessible Parking needs and their locations in consideration of future land/business uses. In all areas of the core, the total parking demand is significantly less than the capacity of the parking supply. Accordingly, there are no critical deficiencies at this time. The accessible parking requirements for the core area total to 22 stalls and the number by location is provided in Figure 4.1 of the report. It was noted that 2 (2 required) handicapped stalls were visible in the Royal Courtyard Back Lot and 5 (7 required) were available in the Royal Courtyard Main Lot. Further investigation will be required to determine that the accessible parking meets the requirements of the Town based on Figure 4.1. Although not yet approved, the Town of Caledon is proposing a revised standard contained in Schedule H to By-law This revised standard would increase the accessible parking to 33 stalls in the core area. 10 Identify potential solutions to parking deficiencies. Although parking deficiencies do not currently exist, some of the smaller lots east of Queen Street/north of King Street reach their parking capacity at least once or more during the day. To improve parking accessibility a walkway could be established between Elm Street and Chapel Street to make the use of surplus parking on Elm Street more convenient. Also, if opportunities arise, additional parking on some vacant lands could be established as shown in Figure 5.3. These are not seen as critical needs as parking demands in lots north of King Street and east of Queen Street experience a maximum of about 65% of their supply. It should be noted that some of these lots are designated for customers only and are not available for general use. 11 Identify the cost of construction of additional public parking space options and associated improvements to solve parking deficiencies. As noted above, the conclusion of this study indicates that there are no critical needs or improvements necessary given the availability of parking stalls in the core. This is further supported by the potential reduction in parking demand likely to occur with the proposed Highway 50 bypass of the core area and intercept surveys from the large majority of downtown patrons that indicated they did not have difficulty finding parking and that parking is adequate. Completion of the bypass will allow parking on both sides of Queen Street at all times of the day, increasing the parking supply during peak hours. 12 Review the cash in lieu parking program and provide recommendations on updates and revisions to the bylaw. This study has confirmed that the cash-in-lieu allowance for a parking stall of $7500 continues to represents the approximate cost of a parking stall. It is our recommendation that the cash-in-lieu formula not be based on the full cost of parking but rather using a portion of the cost such as 75% (i.e. $5600 per stall). This is supported by the fact that any parking provided through cash-in-lieu would be available for general use and not as a dedicated space for the payee. It is further recommended that a 5 year payment option be provided to ease the impact of the cash-in-lieu amount which is currently allowed only with Council approval. The objective of this is to encourage development and redevelopment by reducing the financial impacts of providing parking in the core. 13 Review passive transportation solution for the Core Area bicycle needs and location of bicycle parking facilities. Bicycle parking for residential developments range from 0.6 per unit to 1 per unit in selected Canadian cities. A parking standard requirement of 0.75 bicycles per unit for residents and visitors is recommended for residential uses. Table 4.4 identifies recommended bicycle parking standards for application in the Bolton core as well as for suburban commercial areas based on floor areas by development type. The bicycle parking facilities should be distributed among the parking lots in the core in close proximity to building entrances. 14 Review the Towns zoning bylaw regarding parking standards in the Core Area and recommend necessary changes. The parking bylaw was reviewed and compared to published data by the American Parking Association and the parking demand data published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers. The existing by-law categories are grouped to include several different types of land use with varying peak parking demands based on ITE data. It is recommended that the parking standards

17 be updated to separate different land uses where their parking requirements are quite different and, adjust the parking requirement to a more appropriate standard based on observed data published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers as well as comparisons to newer bylaws developed by other municipalities. This overhaul of the parking standards is a significant undertaking that cannot be accomplished within the scope of this study. It is further recommended that the Bolton core area parking requirements be reduced by 25% of the above-noted bylaw requirements for non-residential uses to reflect the shared use of parking available. For future residential intensification in the core, it is recommended that parking standards be adjusted to reflect the car ownership rates in Bolton for Townhouse and Apartments of 1.5 and 0.60 per unit (excluding visitor parking) respectively in recognition of the potential shared use efficiencies associated with the mix of residential and commercial land uses.

18 CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW STUDY PURPOSE AND SCOPE EXISTING CONDITIONS PARKING SURVEYS PARKING INVENTORY PARKING USAGE AND DURATION STUDY RESULTS FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, STUDY RESULTS FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, COMBINED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY STUDY RESULTS GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PARKING USERS PRIMARY TRIP PURPOSE TRAVEL MODE GROUP SIZE TRIP ORIGIN PRIMARY RESIDENCE LOCATION FREQUENCY VISITING CORE IMPACT OF A BYPASS OF CORE AREA PARKING CHARACTERISTICS OF PARKING USERS WALKING DISTANCE THRESHOLDS PARKING LOCATION RE-PARK VEHICLE IF VISITING MULTIPLE ESTABLISHMENTS IN CORE ADEQUATE PARKING PAY FOR PARKING ARRIVAL TIME BUSINESS SURVEY RESULTS EMPLOYEE PARKING PARKING STANDARDS REVIEW REVIEW OF PARKING STANDARDS SHARED PARKING SUMMARY OF FINDINGS CASH-IN-LIEU BENEFITS OF CASH-IN-LIEU CASH-IN-LIEU ISSUES SETTING CASH IN LIEU FEES FOR PARKING OVERVIEW OF CASH IN LIEU FEES POLICIES IN MUNICIPALITIES IN ONTARIO CASH IN-LIEU PARKING IN BOLTON SPECIAL NEEDS PARKING ACCESSIBLE PARKING BOLTON ACCESSIBLE PARKING STANDARDS ACCESSIBLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS BICYCLE PARKING Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page i

19 5.0 FUTURE PARKING NEEDS PROPOSED INTENSIFICATION EXISTING PARKING NEEDS EXTERNAL INFLUENCES SURVEY SCHEDULE APPENDICES APPENDIX A PARKING SURVEY CONDUCT APPENDIX B - DETAILED FRIDAY PARKING SURVEY RESULTS APPENDIX C DETAILED SATURDAY PARKING SURVEY RESULTS APPENDIX D BUSINESS SURVEY COMMENTS APPENDIX E - COMPARISON OF PARKING STANDARDS Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page ii

20 FIGURES FIGURE 1.1: BOLTON CORE STUDY AREA... 1 FIGURE 2.1: PARKING INTERVIEW SURVEY FORMS... 5 FIGURE 2.2: PARKING INVENTORY... 7 FIGURE 2.3: PARKING USAGE AND DURATION- FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29 TH, FIGURE 2.4: PARKING USAGE AND DURATION- SATURADAY, NOVEMBER 27 TH, FIGURE 2.5: COMPARISON OF FRIDAY AND SATURDAY PARKING USAGE AND DURATION FIGURE 2.6: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PARKING USERS FIGURE 4.1: LOCATION OF ACCESSIBLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS FIGURE 5.1: OVERALL CORE AREA AND EAST OF QUEEN PARKING CAPACITY VS DEMAND FIGURE 5.2: LOTS AND STREET LOCATIONS OCCASIONALLY EXPERIENCING HIGH USAGE FIGURE 5.3: POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page iii

21 TABLES TABLE 2.1: PARKING INVENTORY... 6 TABLE 2.2 FRIDAY OCCUPANCY AND DURATION RESULTS BY PARKING AREA TABLE 2.3: SATURDAY OCCUPANCY AND DURATION RESULTS BY PARKING AREA TABLE 2.4: RESULTS OF BUSINESS / MERCHANT SURVEYS TABLE 2.5: NUMBER OF PEAK EMPLOYEES IN CORE TABLE 2.6: EMPLOYEE PARKING LOCATION TABLE 4.1: PARKING COST PER SPACE TABLE 4.2: SAMPLE DISABLED PARKING STANDARDS TABLE 4.3: SCHEDULE A TO BYLAW TABLE 4.4: SCHEDULE H TO BYLAW TABLE 4.5: ACCESSIBLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS TABLE 4.6: REQUIRED BICYCLE SPACES TABLE 5.1: POTENTIAL FUTURE CORE AREA DEVELOPMENT TABLE 5.2: COMPARISON OF 2004 AND 2010 PARKING DEMAND AND UTILIZATION TABLE D.1: COMPARISON OF PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN TOWN OF CALEDON Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page iv

22 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview The Town of Caledon Council recently adopted the Bolton Community Improvement Plan which identified the need to update the 2004 Parking Study to investigate the current parking demand/need in the core area of Bolton, additional public parking options including consideration of possible intensification and relaxing of parking standards. The study area is shown in Figure 1.1 below. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Ltd. was retained by the Town of Caledon to update the 2004 parking study including a survey of accumulation and turnover of all parking stalls in the core, a parking user survey and a business survey. Figure 1.1: Bolton Core Study Area Bolton Core Parking Study Figure 1.1 Paradigm Bolton Core Study Area Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 1

23 One of a community s most valuable downtown assets is its parking system. Parking is often viewed as one of the basic elements in sustaining a healthy downtown and in promoting the expansion of retail and office activity. The supply, location and price of parking are very sensitive issues for downtown businesses and adjacent neighbourhoods. Inadequate supply or high parking prices can serve as deterrents to the attraction of new businesses to downtown areas and can impact adjacent neighbourhoods. The study area is comprised of street front commercial uses, including retail establishments, restaurants, grocery stores and offices. The last parking study of downtown Bolton 2 was undertaken in Since then significant initiatives in implementing its recommendations have been achieved. These include the addition of a total of 93 parking spaces and a further increase of 24 spaces to be completed by These include: Acquisition of land and construction of an additional 47 stalls to expand the existing public parking lot (Sterne Street and Ann Street). Planning to reconfigure the original lot in 2011 is expected to increase the number of stalls by 24. Pavement markings on Elm Street and Mill Street to achieve more efficient use of 15 spaces. 8 additional parking spaces on the Region s former and now abandoned well. The removal of the steel structure at the rear of 29 Queen Street North to create 8 parking spaces. Arrangements with the United Church at King Street and Nancy Street to allow downtown employees to park on the property. 2 additional parking spaces on Mill Street 44 additional spaces as a result of removal of part of the outdoor shopping mall on the south side of King Street east of Queen Street. 1.2 Study Purpose and Scope The Terms of Reference indicated the following requirements: 1 Review the 2004 Parking Study 2 Research and inventory the changes in the Core Area and the net effect of parking availability since the previous study (parking stall additions, stall deletions and changes in land use affecting the parking demands). 3 Develop a map illustrating the parking inventory on both public and private property. 4 Perform a peak parking demand utilization study. 5 Measure the weekday parking duration of public parking spaces and quantify the number of spaces being used by commuters and employees in the core. 6 Determine the impacts of the future transit Hub Parking facility at Mayfield Road and Highway 50 on public parking availability in the core. 7 Determine the impact of the completion of the Bolton Arterial Route on public parking availability. 8 Identify potential intensification of the Bolton Core Area in accordance with the Towns Official Plan and 2 Bolton Downtown Core Public Parking Study, Marshall Macklin Monaghan, September 2004 Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 2

24 the impacts on public parking availability as a result. 9 Identify parking space deficiencies including Accessible Parking needs and their locations in consideration of future land/business uses. 10 Identify potential solutions to parking deficiencies. 11 Identify the cost of construction of additional public parking space options and associated improvements to solve parking deficiencies. 12 Review the cash in lieu parking program and provide recommendations on updates and revisions to the bylaw. 13 Review passive transportation solution for the Core Area bicycle needs for and location of bicycle parking facilities. 14 Review the Towns zoning bylaw regarding parking standards in the Core Area and recommend necessary changes. 15 Conduct one public meeting and one presentation to Council. In addition to the above and to assist with the study, a survey of parking users and businesses in the core area was conducted. The study results were documented in two Working Papers, the contents of which are included in this report. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 3

25 2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS 2.1 Parking Surveys In order to determine existing conditions three types of surveys were undertaken as follows: Parking Inventory: Survey of the number, location, type of parking stalls and control in the core area summarized in Section 2.2. Parking Accumulation and Duration Counts: This survey involved the counting of the total number of cars parked by location and determining their length of stay based on license plate recording each half hour during the survey days. Direct Interview Surveys: This survey involved interviews of parking users near the GO bus stop on King Street (weekday only) during bus departure and arrivals times. When not interviewing bus patrons on the weekday, parking patrons on Queen Street north of King Street were interviewed. On Saturday, the staff member visited local businesses and interviewed the owner or manager. The parking user and direct interview forms are shown in Figure 2.1. For the parking patron survey, the interviewer asked the questions and completed the form, ensuring that the correct information was obtained. For the business survey, the interviewer offered to leave the form for the manager/owner to complete for pick up later that day. The parking accumulation survey was conducted on the streets and in the lots (both private and municipal) in the core commercial area of downtown as shown in Figure 1.1. The core commercial area is mainly comprised of private parking lots east of Queen Street and public/private parking lots west of Queen Street. A small amount of on-street parking is provided in the core area with stalls located on Elm Street, Mill Street, Ann Street, King Street and Queen Street. Twenty samples (one every half hour) of parking duration and accumulation data were collected throughout the study area on Friday, November 26, 2010 and 12 samples (one every half hour) were collected throughout the study area on Saturday, November 27, The parking patron surveys were conducted on King Street at the GO bus stop and mainly on Queen Street north of King Street. The business surveys were conducted amongst the businesses in the core, mainly on Queen Street north of King Street. The parking interview surveys were designed to obtain the characteristics of parking users and the experience and opinions of both parking users and businesses regarding parking supply, usage and control in the core area. No targets were set on the sample rate for each survey since the survey was voluntary and depended on the good will and interest of both the public and businesses as well as the amount of pedestrian traffic in the area. However, a total of 64 parking patron surveys were completed and 38 business surveys were completed over the two days. More details regarding the survey conduct and methodology are contained in Appendix A. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 4

26 Figure 2.1: Parking Interview Survey Forms Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 5

27 2.2 Parking Inventory An inventory of parking areas and facilities was conducted during the planning for the parking survey with the results outlined in this section. They are shown in Table 2.1 and Figure 2.2 below and are as follows: All parking within the core is free of charge; Parking restrictions are in place on Queen Street north of King Street prohibiting parking between the hours of 6 am and 9 am southbound on Queen Street (west side) and between the hours of 4 pm and 7 pm northbound on Queen Street (east side). These restrictions are in place Monday through Friday; A total of 658 parking stalls are provided in the study area. Of those, 85% (557 stalls) are provided in parking lots and 15% (101 stalls) are provided on-street; 32% (209 stalls) of the total parking available in the core area is provided in the Royal Courtyards lot located on the southwest corner of the intersection of King Street and David Street; 17% (110 stalls) of the total parking available in the core area is provided in the Sterne Street municipal lot located north of Sterne Street, east of Ann Street; 6% (41 stalls) of the total parking available in the core area is provided in the TD Bank lot on the east side of Queen Street south of Sterne Street; 6% (42 stalls) of the total parking available in the core area is provided in the Royal Courtyards back lot located at the intersection of Queen Street and Willow Street; and The remaining parking areas represent 5% or less respectively of the total parking available in the core area. By comparison, the 2004 Parking Study reported a total of about 450 stalls in the same study area so the parking supply has increased by some 208 stalls (46% increase). There is close to a 90 stall increase west of Queen Street and 120 stall increase east of Queen Street. Excluding the Mill Street (17 stalls) and Elm Street (20 stalls) on-street parking which were not considered in the 2004 report but were available for parking, an additional net supply of about 170 stalls has been provided in the core (38% increase). Much of the parking increase is a result of initiatives summarized in Section 1.1. TABLE 2.1: PARKING INVENTORY Parking Lot Location # Stalls % of total On-Street Parking Location # Stalls % of total Royal Courtyards Lot % Elm St east side 10 2% Kinsmen Lot 16 2% Elm St west side 10 2% Old Baffo's Lot 9* 1% Mill St 17 3% Lot 2 (east side Chapel St) 6 1% Queen St east side 17 3% CIBC Lot 19 3% Queen St west side 19 3% Baffo's Lot 34 5% Ann St (firefighter parking) 8 1% Laundry (west side Chapel St) 4 1% Ann St (Prenderci Gusto) 4 1% Jade Spa (west side Chapel St) 7 1% King St north side (post office) 4* 1% Lot 1 (north side King e of Queen) 24* 4% King St south side w of Nancy 8* 1% TD Bank Lot 41 6% King St south side w of Queen 4* 1% Tim Hortons Lot 25 4% On-Street Total Mr. Sub Lot 11 2% GRAND TOTAL Royal Courtyards Back Lot 42 6% Parking Lot % of Total Sterne St Municipal Lot % On-Street % of Total Parking Lot Total 557 *estimated stall count % 15% Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 6

28 Figure 2.2: Parking Inventory Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 7

29 2.3 Parking Usage and Duration This section outlines the analyses of the parking accumulation and duration data and provides profiles for the Friday and Saturday surveys: Study Results for Friday, November 26, 2010 The results of the parking accumulation data for the study area for Friday, November 26, 2010 are shown in Figure 2.3 below. The results indicate that: The overall number of parked vehicles peaked between 1:00pm and 1:30 pm with 58% of all available parking stalls used in the study area as a whole. Peak demand was reached within the different parking areas as follows: The number of vehicles using off street parking west of Queen Street was highest between 11:30 am and 12:00 pm at 51% of the available stalls used; The number of vehicles using off street parking east of Queen Street was highest between 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm at 65% of the supply; The number of vehicles using on street parking in the core was highest between 11:00 am and 11:30 am at 39% of the supply; and The number of vehicles using the Sterne Street municipal lot was highest between 12:30 and 1:00 pm at 68% of the supply; and Peak parking demand was considerably less than the practical effective capacity (559 or 85% of the supply) within the core as a whole during the Friday survey. By comparison, the 2004 Parking Study noted that overall parking utilization was much higher approaching 85% usage (practical capacity) with peak use similarly occurring around 1:00 pm. The municipal lot and off-street parking east of Queen Street were approximately 90% used in The results of the parking duration data for the study area for Friday, November 26, 2010 are also shown in Figure 2.3 below. The results indicate that: Overall, parking in duration of 30 minutes (0.5 hours) or less represented more than 50% of the total parking within the core. In 2004, 33% had a stay of less than 0.5 hours. Parking in duration of 90 minutes (1.5 hours) or less represented 72% of the off street parking, 85% of on street parking and 73% of the total parking within the core; Conversely, parking in duration of more than 90 minutes (1.5 hours) represented 28% of the off street parking, 15% of the on street parking and 27% of the total parking; Few vehicles were parking for the entire survey day (10 hours) as indicated by the low percentages: 2% of the off street parking, 0% of the on street parking, and 2% of the total parking; These durations would represent the characteristics of GO Transit riders, which appear to have minimal impacts on parking usage, or employees. If long term parking is assumed to include parking durations over 4 hours in length, about 14% of the parking durations were long term parking. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 8

30 Figure 2.3: Parking Usage and Duration- Friday November 29 th, 2010 Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 9

31 It can be assumed that the shorter duration of the vehicles utilizing on street parking within the core indicates that these stalls were being used by patrons visiting single establishments or running errands in the area and were not visiting multiple establishments from any single parking location. Table 2.2 below outlines the average occupancy, maximum occupancy, average length of stay and maximum length of stay for each lot and block face in the study area for Friday, November 26, TABLE 2.2 FRIDAY OCCUPANCY AND DURATION RESULTS BY PARKING AREA Average Percent Occupancy Maximum Percent Occupancy Time of Maximum Occurrence Number of Average Maximum Average Maximum LOTS Stalls Occupancy Occupancy Length of Stay Length of Stay Royal Courtyards % % 13:00 2:15 10:00 Kinsmen % % 6 occurences 5:21 9:00 Old Baffo's % % 16:30 1:40 9:00 Lot % % 3 occurences 1:46 10:00 CIBC % % 15:30 0:34 4:00 Baffo's % % 16:00 2:40 10:00 Laundry % % 11:00 1:33 5:00 Spa % % 5 occurences 3:30 6:30 Lot % % 12:30 / 13:00 2:45 10:00 TD % % 10:00 1:03 10:00 Tim Hortons % % 11:30 0:46 8:00 Mr Sub % % 15:30 0:36 1:30 Sterne Lot % % 12:30 1:45 10:00 Royal Courtyards Back Lot % % 10:30 / 11:00 2:02 9:30 ON STREET Number of stalls Average Occupancy Average Percent Occupancy Maximum Occupancy Maximum Percent Occupancy Time of Maximum Occurrence Average Length of Stay (hh:mm) Maximum Length of Stay (hh:mm) Elm St East Side % 2 20% 11:00 / 11:30 2:23 4:30 Elm St West Side % 3 30% 14:00 / 15:30 1:53 9:00 Mill St % 8 47% 9:00 1:28 5:30 Queen St East Side % 15 88% 12:30 / 13:00 1:05 4:00 Queen St West Side % 10 53% 14:30 0:53 5:30 Ann St - Firefighters % 4 50% 4 occurences 5:05 9:30 Ann St - Prederci Gusto 4 0 0% 1 25% 7 occurences 1:10 2:30 King St - Post Office % 4 100% 11:00 0:30 0:30 King St - west of Nancy % 3 38% 4 occurences 0:53 3:00 King St - west of Queen % 4 100% 11:00 1:42 7:00 ON STREET TOTAL % 54 53% 11:00 1:42 9:00 OFF STREET TOTAL % % 1:00 2:01 10:00 GRAND TOTAL % % 1:00 1:51 10:00 Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 10

32 It is noted the Total and Grand Total Maximum Percent Occupancy indicated above is the sum of all maximum occupancy within each area regardless of the time of day. As noted in Figure 2.3, when the time of maximum occupancy is considered, the maximum parking usage is 58% of the total stalls or 380 stalls. Comprehensive mapping and graphs showing the Friday average and maximum occupancy per lot and block face is provided in Appendix B Study Results for Saturday, November 27, 2010 The results of the parking accumulation data for the study area for Saturday, November 27, 2010 are shown in Figure 2.4 below. The results indicate that: The overall number of parked vehicles peaked between 1:30pm and 2:00 pm with 42% of all available parking stalls used in the study area as a whole compared to 58% noted for the Friday survey; Parking demand patterns were relatively similar for all types of parking within the core; Peak demand was reached within the different types of parking areas as follows: The number of vehicles using off street parking west of Queen Street was highest between 2:30 and 3:00 pm at 55% of the supply; The number of vehicles using off street parking east of Queen Street was highest between 1:30 and 2:00 pm at 41% of the supply; The number of vehicles using on street parking in the core was highest between 12:00 and 12:30 pm at 28% of the supply; The number of vehicles using the Sterne Street municipal lot was highest between 12:00 and 12:30 pm and between 1:00 and 1:30 pm at 62% of the supply; Peak parking demand was considerably less than the practical effective capacity (559 or 85% of the supply) within the core as a whole during the Saturday survey. By comparison, the 2004 Parking Study noted that overall parking utilization was much higher during the Saturday survey approaching 65% usage in the study area as a whole with peak use similarly occurring between 1:30 and 2:00 pm. However, off street parking west of Queen Street and on-street parking were occupied to between 80% and 90% in The results of the parking duration data for the study area for Saturday, November 27, 2010 are shown in Figure 2.4 below. The data indicates that: Overall, parking in duration of 30 minutes or less represented more than 45% of the total parking within the core which is slightly lower than the Friday survey and similar to what occurred in 2004; Parking in duration of 90 minutes or less represented 71% of the off street parking, 80% of on street parking and 72% of the total parking within the core; Conversely, parking in duration of more than 90 minutes represented 29% of the off street parking, 20% of the on street parking and 28% of the total parking; Few vehicles were parking for the entire survey period (6 hours) as indicated by the low percentages: 4% of the off street parking, 0% of the on street parking, and 4% of the total parking; and It can be assumed that the shorter duration of the vehicles utilizing on street parking within the core indicates that these stalls are being used by patrons visiting single establishments or running errands in the area and are not visiting multiple establishments from a single parking location. If long term parking is assumed to include parking durations over 4 hours in length, about 9% of the parking was long term parking. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 11

33 Table 2.3 below outlines the average occupancy, maximum occupancy, average length of stay and maximum length of stay for each lot and block face in the study area for Saturday, November 27, Figure 2.4: Parking Usage and Duration- Saturday, November 27 th, 2010 Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 12

34 TABLE 2.3: SATURDAY OCCUPANCY AND DURATION RESULTS BY PARKING AREA Maximum % occupancy Average Length of Stay Maximum Length of Stay Number of Average Average % Maximum LOTS stalls Occupancy occupancy Occupancy Royal Courtyards % % 1:20 6:00 Kinsmen % % 3:06 6:00 Old Baffo's % % 2:41 6:00 Lot % % 2:21 6:00 CIBC % % 0:55 6:00 Baffo's % % 1:38 6:00 Laundry % % 3:38 6:00 Spa % % 2:30 5:30 Lot % % 1:21 6:00 TD % % 1:12 5:30 Tim Hortons % % 0:47 4:30 Mr Sub % % 0:38 1:00 Sterne Lot % % 2:25 6:00 Royal Courtyards Back Lot % % 1:37 6:00 Average Length of Stay Maximum Length of Stay Number of Average Maximum ON STREET stalls Occupancy Occupancy Elm St East Side % % 4:30 5:00 Elm St West Side % % 1:21 3:00 Mill St % 1 5.9% 0:38 1:00 Queen St East Side % % 1:23 4:30 Queen St West Side % % 0:48 2:00 Ann St - Firefighters % % 1:00 1:00 Ann St - Prederci Gusto % 0 0.0% 0 0 King St - Post Office % % 0:50 2:30 King St - west of Nancy % % 1:00 1:30 King St - west of Queen % % 1:04 3:30 ON STREET TOTAL % 34 34% 1:15 9:00 OFF STREET TOTAL % % 2:01 10:00 GRAND TOTAL % % 1:33 10:00 Comprehensive mapping showing the Saturday average and maximum occupancy per lot and block face is provided in Appendix C. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 13

35 2.3.3 Combined Friday and Saturday Study Results The comparative results of the parking accumulation data for the study area for both Friday, November 26, 2010 and Saturday, November 27, 2010 are shown in Figure 2.5 below. The results indicate that: Total parking demand peaked between 1:00 and 2:00 pm on both days; however the total demand on Friday was 16 percentage points higher at 58% of the supply than on Saturday at 42% of capacity; Parking demand patterns were relatively similar on both days; however Saturday had a sharper drop off in demand, beginning at 3:30 pm, than Friday which had a gradual drop in demand for all types of parking within the core; Peak parking demand was less than 68% of the effective capacity (559 vehicles) within the core on Friday and 49% of effective capacity on Saturday. The comparative results of the parking duration data for the study area for Friday, November 26, 2010 and Saturday, November 27, 2010 are shown in Figure 2.5 below. The results indicate that: Overall, parking in duration of 30 minutes or less represents more than 45% of the total parking within the core on both days; Parking in duration of 90 minutes or less represents 73% of the total parking on both Friday and Saturday; Conversely, parking in duration of more than 90 minutes represents 27% of the total parking on both Friday and Saturday; and Few vehicles are parking for the entire survey day, 10 hours on Friday and 6 hours on Saturday, as indicated by the low percentages: 2% on Friday and 4% on Saturday. 2.4 General Characteristics of Parking Users A total of 64 parking patrons surveys were completed on Friday, November This section outlines the general characteristics of parking users as summarized in Figure 2.6: Primary Trip Purpose The primary trip purpose of the respondents is shown in Figure 2.6 below. The results indicate that: 59% of visits to the core were for personal service / errands; 17% of surveyed visitors were in the core to dine; 16% of surveyed visitors work in the core; 5% of surveyed visitors were in the core for the GO bus; and 3% of surveyed visitors were shopping in the core Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 14

36 Figure 2.5: Comparison of Friday and Saturday Parking Usage and Duration Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 15

37 Figure 2.6: General Characteristics of Parking Users 933 Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 16

38 2.4.2 Travel Mode The respondents had the following travel characteristics as shown in Figure 2.6; 95% of surveyed patrons arrived in the core in a passenger vehicle either as a the driver or a passenger; 3% of surveyed patrons walked to the core; and 2% of surveyed patrons arrived in the core by taxi Group Size Surveyed patrons were asked how many people came to the core with them. The results of which are shown in Figure 2.6. The results indicate that: 14% were alone; 29% were in a group of two; 57% were in a group of three Trip Origin The respondents were asked where they were prior to coming to the downtown area, the results of which are shown the table in Figure 2.6. The results indicate that: 48% of the surveyed patrons came to the downtown core from locations within Bolton; 9% of surveyed patrons came to the downtown core from locations in Caledon; 6% of the surveyed patrons came to the downtown core from locations in Brampton and Toronto respectively; and All other locations account for 3% or less each of all prior locations Primary Residence Location Respondents were asked where their primary residence was located, the results of which are presented in Figure 2.6. The results indicate that: 48% of the surveyed patrons reside within Bolton; 13% of the surveyed patrons reside in Caledon; 5% of the surveyed patrons reside in Palgrave; and The remaining residence locations account for 3% or less each of the total About 64% of surveyed parking patrons indicated that they do not live within walking distance of the core area Frequency Visiting Core Respondents were asked how often they visit the core, the results of which are shown in Figure 2.6. The results indicate that: Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 17

39 36% of patrons visit the core daily (weekdays); 28% of patrons visit the core weekly (1-2 times per week); 14% of patrons visit the core 3-4 times per week; 14% of patrons visit the core 1-2 times per month; 5% of patrons visit the core at other intervals (yearly, etc.); and 3% of patrons visit the core 2-3 time per month Impact of a Bypass of Core Area Surveyed patrons were asked if they would avoid coming downtown if there was a bypass of the area, the results of which are shown in Figure 2.6. The results indicate that: 70% of surveyed patrons would not avoid coming downtown if there was a bypass; and 30% of surveyed patrons would avoid downtown if there was a bypass Respondents that indicated they would avoid downtown if there was a bypass were then asked what route or when they would use a bypass, the results of which are shown in Figure 2.6. The results indicate that: 50% of surveyed patrons would use Coleraine Drive; and 20% of surveyed patrons would use a bypass for through trips; and 10% of patrons would respectively use Albion Vaughan Line, a bypass if it was faster and would sometimes use a bypass if provided 2.5 Parking Characteristics of Parking Users Walking Distance Thresholds The patrons were asked how far from their intended destination they were willing to park and walk. The results are shown in Figure 2.7 and indicate that: 23% of respondents would be willing to walk a half block; 28% of respondents would be willing to walk one block; 30% of respondents would be willing to walk two blocks; and All other responses accounted for 3% or less Parking Location The parking locations of the respondents were as follows: 66% of surveyed patrons parked in the Royal Courtyards lot and walked to their destination; 14% of surveyed patrons were parked in the Tim Horton s lot. However this may be overstating the actual percent of core visitors parking at this location as the interviewer was stationed near the Tim Hortons; 8% of surveyed patrons were parked in the Sterne Street municipal lot; and Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 18

40 3% or less of surveyed patrons were parked in the following locations: Chapel Street; CIBC lot; Queen Street; Baffo s Lot; and Royal Courtyard back lot Re-park Vehicle if Visiting Multiple Establishments in Core Surveyed patrons were asked if they re-park their vehicle if visiting multiple establishments in the area, the results of which are shown in Figure 2.7. The results indicate that: 69% of patrons do not re-park their vehicle; and 31% of patrons re-park their vehicle Surveyed patrons that indicated they re-park their vehicle were then asked why they re-park their vehicle if visiting multiple establishments in the area, the results of which are shown in Figure 2.7 below. The results indicate that: 89% of patrons re-park their vehicle for convenience; and 11% of patrons re-park their vehicle for convenience and speed Adequate Parking About 25% of respondents indicated that they have left the core area due to a lack of parking on occasions. However, when asked whether it was difficult to find parking 98% of respondents indicated No. Patrons were asked if they felt parking in the core was adequate. The results indicated that 66% of patrons felt parking was adequate Pay for Parking Parking patrons were asked if they would be willing to pay for parking. The results of which are shown in Figure 2.7 below and indicate that: 70% of patrons would not be willing to pay for parking; and 30% of patrons would be willing to pay for parking Respondents that indicated they would be willing to pay for parking were then asked how much they would be willing to pay. The results indicate that: 50% of patrons would be willing to pay $1.00 per hour; 22% of patrons would be willing to pay $2.00 per hour; 11% of patrons would be willing to pay $1.00 to $2.00 per hour; 6% of patrons would be willing to pay $1.25 per hour and 5% of patrons would be willing to pay $0.05 to $1.00 per hour Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 19

41 Figure 2.7: Parking Characteristics of Parking Users Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 20

42 2.5.6 Arrival Time Figure 2.7 shows that the arrival times of surveyed patrons were distributed though out the day. The results indicate that: Arrivals of surveyed patrons peaked during the 1:00 pm hour with a total of 11; A second, slightly smaller peak occurred during the 10:00 am hour with 10 arrivals; and A small number of surveyed patrons (2 in the am during the 5:00 hour, 1 in the pm during the 6:00 hour) were in the core for the GO bus. 2.6 Business Survey Results A total of 38 business surveys were conducted to provide an indication of the merchant s opinion on the importance of several issues / concerns. The surveys were conducted on Saturday, November 27, Business/Merchant Perceptions The results are outlined in Table 2.4 below and indicate that: TABLE 2.4: RESULTS OF BUSINESS / MERCHANT SURVEYS Business Intercept Survey Issue / Concern More parking should be provided within a reasonable walking distance of the commercial core Property owners obtaining relief from Town's minimum on-site parking requirements Parking management (duration, enforcement) Downtown employees using prime public parking spaces Consistent application of current zoning requirements Did not respond / NA % Not an issue % Somewhat of an issue % A significant issue 6 9.1% 3 5.5% % % % % 3 8.1% 0 0.0% % % % % % % % % % % 2 5.4% 0 0.0% % Parking Within Walking Distance of Core 53% of businesses think that more parking should be provided within walking distance of the commercial core; 32% of businesses think that lack of parking within walking distance of the commercial core is somewhat of an issue; and 6% of businesses think it is not an issue Obtaining Relief from Town s On-Site Parking Requirements 8% of businesses think that property owners should be obtaining relief from the Town s minimum on-site parking requirements; 24% of businesses think that minimum on-site parking requirements are not an issue; and 33% of businesses did not have an opinion Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 21

43 Parking Management (Duration, Enforcement) 31% of businesses think that parking enforcement in the core is a significant issue; 24% of businesses think that parking enforcement in the core is somewhat of an issue; and 22% of businesses think that parking enforcement in the core is not an issue Core Employees Using Prime Public Parking Spaces 16% of businesses think that downtown employees using prime public parking spaces in the core is a significant issue; 30% of businesses think that downtown employees using prime public parking spaces in the core is somewhat of an issue; and 27% of businesses think that downtown employees using prime public parking spaces in the core is not an issue Consistent Application of Current Zoning Requirements 5% of businesses think that consistent application of current zoning requirements is somewhat of an issue; 22% of businesses think that consistent application of current zoning requirements is not an issue; and 36% of businesses did not have an opinion Employee Parking Businesses were also asked the peak number of employees onsite at any given time. The results are shown in Table 2.5 below and indicate that: 24% of businesses have two employees at any given time; 11% of businesses have three or four employees respectively at any given time; 8% of businesses have one or six employees respectively at any given time; and TABLE 2.5: NUMBER OF PEAK EMPLOYEES IN CORE Number of Peak Employees Count of Businesses % % % % % % % % % % % % % % TOTAL % Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 22

44 Businesses were asked the location of where their employees park. The results are shown in Table 2.6 below and indicate that: 26% of employees park on the property; 21% of employees park in the Green P (Sterne Street) lot; 18% of employees park in the Royal Courtyards; 8% of employees park on Chapel Street (this could be on-street or off-street); 5% of employees park in other areas such as a reserved spot; and 3% of employees park on Mill Street, in the Kinsmen Lot and at the TD Bank respectively TABLE 2.6: EMPLOYEE PARKING LOCATION Employee Parking Location Count % No response % On the property % Green P % Royal Courtyards % Chapel St 3 7.9% Other (reserved/spot as favor) 2 5.3% Mill St 1 2.6% Kinsmen 1 2.6% TD Bank 1 2.6% TOTAL % Detailed business survey comments are provided in Appendix C. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 23

45 3.0 PARKING STANDARDS REVIEW 3.1 Review of Parking Standards The Study Terms of Reference requires a review of parking standards in the Town. Minimum parking requirements are set out in the Town of Caledon Zoning By-law. Table D.1 in Appendix D provides a side-by-side comparison of the current parking requirements contained in the existing by-law. As a further comparison, the chart includes parking standards for the former Town of Dunnville (similar in size to Bolton) and two additional columns, which show the most restrictive and least restrictive parking requirements identified in a publication entitled Parking Standards, prepared by the American Planning Association (APA), The purpose of this additional information is to provide a perspective upon which to compare Caledon s existing standards with those found elsewhere in North America. In addition, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) has published a document 3 that identifies peak parking generation for various land uses from American and Canadian data. This document summarizes the results of actual surveys of parking demand collected by transportation professionals over the years. Unlike most municipal by-laws that have borrowed parking standards from other municipalities or based pm municipal rates published in the APA Parking Standards document, the ITE publication data is based on hard objective data. Table D.1 also provides a comparison of the various parking standards discussed above with the ITE data leading to the comment column which identifies whether the current bylaw requirement should be revised as highlighted in yellow. In most cases the comments are based on the 85 percentile parking generation data published by ITE. In other cases, limited data providing an average peak parking demand was used. The comments are primarily based on the ITE data where sufficient observations were available. In some cases the existing by-law categories are grouped to include several different types of land use with varying peak parking demands based on ITE data. Several additional categories of land uses are included in the table so our interpretation of the Caledon standard that would be applied to these uses was used for comparison purposes. Useable or gross leasable area has been used where consistent with existing bylaws or where supported by available parking demand data as they typically correlated better with parking demand. 3.2 Shared Parking Sharing parking spaces typically allows 20-40% more users compared with assigning each space to an individual motorist, given that several users may be away at any particular time. For example, 100 employees can typically share parking spaces, since at any particular time some employees are on leave, may not be at work, may be away on business, may be absent or using an alternative commute mode. Public parking facilities, including on-street parking spaces, can usually be shared efficiently among many destinations. This is the value of municipal involvement in parking and cash-in-lieu programs as this promotes shared parking and a more efficient use of space than would otherwise be the case with dedicated parking for each use. Currently in Bolton and many other municipalities, the parking requirements for each land use of a mixed use development are calculated individually, and the aggregate number of required parking spaces must be 3 Parking Generation, 3 rd Edition, Institute of Transportation Engineers, Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 24

46 provided on site. However, studies have shown that shared parking on one site between different land uses can be a more efficient use of land compared to providing dedicated parking for each use. The premise of this argument is based upon the fact that different land uses may have different peak demand periods for parking. Some municipalities will permit developers to determine their parking needs based upon a formula which will calculate each use proposed on the basis of peak parking demand during specific times of the day. The resulting analysis will determine the appropriate amount of parking needs for the overall development. Downtown core areas involve mixed land uses and, as such, due to shared parking, their parking by-law requirements should be lower than for more suburban uses. Accordingly, it is recommended that the zoning by-law requirements for core areas be 25% less than for suburban area sites. Some municipalities have included a shared parking formula in their zoning by-law and this should be considered in the Town of Caledon. In other municipalities, shared parking calculations are used as a basis for obtaining variances to the by-law. 3.3 Summary of Findings The table in Appendix D highlights standards that are significantly higher than the more reliable ITE rates. This tends to result due to the grouping of many land uses into one parking standard category in the Caledon Bylaw, although these uses may have different peak parking requirements. It is recommended that the parking standards be updated to separate different land uses where their parking requirements are quite different, adjust the parking requirement to a more appropriate standard based on observed data published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers as well as comparisons to newer bylaws developed by other municipalities. This overhaul of the parking standards cannot be accomplished within the scope of this study. It is further recommended that the Bolton core area parking requirements be reduced by 25% of the abovenoted bylaw requirements for non-residential uses to reflect the shared use of parking available. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 25

47 4.0 CASH-IN-LIEU In Ontario, as well as in many other jurisdictions in North America, developers are given an option of payment of cash-in-lieu of providing on site private parking. Municipalities then use the fees collected to provide public parking, to replace the private parking. In Ontario, Section 40 of the Planning Act, RSO 1990 gives a clear legislative basis to enact a cash-in-lieu of parking policy. Traditionally, such parking policies have been applied to downtown core areas. Typically, commercial properties in these areas have limited, or no, potential to accommodate on-site parking and this situation is no different in the Bolton core. Such potential on-site parking deficiencies are aggravated when lands are being redeveloped or changes in land uses are proposed. To encourage redevelopment and to expand public parking, a cash-in- lieu policy can be an effective tool. 4.1 Benefits of Cash-in-Lieu Professor Donald Shoup, in his book entitled The High Cost of Free Parking, identifies the benefits of cashin-lieu policies. They are as follows: 1. Flexibility: Developers gain an option of providing all required parking spaces on-site or, if too difficult or expensive to provide, they can instead pay the in-lieu fee. 2. Shared Parking: Public parking built with cash-in-lieu revenue can be shared among different sites, which may have different peak parking demands resulting in more efficient use of parking space and land area. 3. Park Once: When all businesses have on-site parking, customers may have to move their vehicles from one site to another, if visiting more than one business. Shared parking allows customers to park once and walk to various businesses. 4. Historic Preservation: Parking requirements can discourage the re-use of historical buildings, if additional parking is difficult to achieve on site. Without the cash-in-lieu policy, an historical building may have to be demolished, if the proposed re-use requires additional on -site parking. 5. Consolidation: Some municipalities will permit property owners to remove existing on-site parking spaces and use cash-in-lieu fees. This option consolidates scattered parking spaces and permits shared parking among businesses. It also enables land owners to increase density by permitting them to use more of the land for buildings and less for parking. 6. Fewer Variances: When providing on-site parking is difficult, property owners request variances to reduce on-site parking requirements. Cash-in-lieu fees permit municipalities to treat all property owners equally resulting in fewer variances which effectively reduce the parking supply. 7. Better Urban Design: Parking requirements often result in many surface lots for smaller businesses. Consolidation of parking can make parking garages more financially attainable. Parking garages result in less land being used for parking and make land assembly more feasible. This results in a better looking and more pedestrian friendly city. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 26

48 4.2 Cash-in-Lieu Issues Professor Shoup noted that developers have raised the following concerns, with respect to cash-in-lieu of parking policies: 1. Lack of On Site Parking: Parking is a valuable asset for a development. The lack of on- site parking can make it difficult for developers to attract tenants and customers. Public parking may not be conveniently located for all businesses. 2. High Fees: Municipalities may not be able to build and operate parking facilities as cheaply as the private sector. Municipalities may pay additional costs to improve the architectural design of parking areas, which will be paid by the in lieu fees. Landowners may choose not to lease a property to a tenant that will require additional parking, i.e.: a restaurant, due to high fees. Should the tenant go out of business, the landowner would have no means to recoup the in-lieu fees paid. 3. No Guarantees: Unless the cash-in-lieu parking policy has specific guarantees included, it is possible that revenue generated by the policy may not be used to create additional parking spaces, within a reasonable time frame. Some municipalities use cash-in-lieu fees to retire debt or maintain existing parking facilities, without building new parking areas. 4. Fewer Parking Spaces: Some municipalities cannot immediately commit to building one public space for every private space not provided. When this happens, cash-in-lieu programs reduce the total number of parking spaces. Municipalities may argue that fewer spaces will be required, as shared parking enables parking spaces to be more efficiently used. Municipalities, which utilize cash-in-lieu fees, in place of granting variances, to reduce parking requirements, will increase the parking supply Setting Cash in Lieu Fees for Parking Municipalities with no parking revenue due to the provision of free parking have two basic options. The first is to calculate the appropriate fee per space, on a case by case basis, for each project. The second option is to charge a uniform fee per space, for all projects. Most, if not all, municipalities select the uniform fee approach. A widely accepted formula for calculating an in-lieu fee is as follows: In lieu fee = (C + (L x 30 m²) x S ) x d where, C = estimated cost of constructing one parking space, including aisle space. L = land value per m² at current value. 30 m² = number of m² allocated to one parking space, including aisle space. S ( ) = number of parking spaces seeking cash-in- lieu payment. d = discount factor. A discount factor is often applied for the following reasons: The developer would not have sole use of the parking space as it would be available to other businesses. The location and timing of providing the parking space would be at the sole discretion of the municipality. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 27

49 The municipality may wish to subsidize the cash-in-lieu amount so that the cost of parking does not discourage intensification or expansion of the core area. In one example, the following fee was determined: In lieu fee = ( x 30 x 1) x 0.5 = $ per space. In this case, a 50% discount factor has been applied to the actual cost of constructing a parking stall. Such a discount would be less onerous to businesses wishing to expand or rezone their properties (encouraging economic development), reflects the fact that any municipal parking available is not dedicated for use of the establishment and may reduce the number of variance applications that occur. 4.4 Overview of Cash in Lieu Fees Policies in Municipalities in Ontario Many of the municipalities surveyed do not permit land owners the choice to unilaterally select payment of fees over providing on-site parking, but rather this decision is made at the discretion of the municipality. Typically, a formal application process has been established to review each application on its own merit by a committee established by the municipality. If the land owner is permitted to pay fees in lieu, the payment schedules are set out in agreements between the municipality and the land owner, Most municipalities surveyed provide for a discount of up to 50% of the actual cost of providing a parking space. The discount creates an incentive to use the cash in lieu policy rather than requesting a minor variance for relief from the parking provision. The following are examples of fees previously used from selected municipalities in Ontario. Port Dover (Norfolk) $ per parking space Norwich $1, East York (Toronto) $2, Milton $7, Woolwich $1, Muskoka Lakes $1, Hamilton $2, London $8, Ottawa (suburban) $3, (urban) $8, While many of the municipalities require a lump sum payment others surveyed permit the fees to be paid over a five year period on an annual basis and one municipality permitted fees to be paid monthly. Most municipalities surveyed advised that the cash-in lieu policy is not used extensively, and the revenues collected are minimal. London, Ontario has used the policy only once since it was enacted in 1991 and has now eliminated the requirement for on- site parking in the commercial core areas of the city. 4.5 Cash in-lieu Parking in Bolton Section 5 of the Town of Caledon Zoning Bylaw indicates that the parking spaces required by Subsections and of the Bylaw are not required within the Bolton Core area subject to obtaining a Minor Variance for the parking space deficiency and executing an agreement with the Town respecting the cash-inlieu of some for all of the parking required in accordance with the applicable Town Bylaw. Based on information contained in the 2004 Parking Study, the cash-in-lieu of parking rate was based on the full cost of constructing a parking stall and the purchase of associated land requirements ($7500 per stall). A recent estimate of the value of land in the core area by the Town is $500,000 per acre. Parking lots can be developed based on a range of 240 to 300 sq. ft. per space. Taking the more conservative value of $300 per space, the land cost of a parking stall is estimated at about $3445 per space. Assuming Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 28

50 construction costs of $4000 per space, the cost of surface parking per space is estimated at $7445 which is reasonably close to the existing cash-in-lieu currently in place. TABLE 4.1: PARKING COST PER SPACE Area per stall 300 sq.ft. Conversion from Acres to square feet sq.ft. No. of stalls per Acre 145 Cost of land per Acres $500,000 Land cost per stall $3,445 Construction cost per stall $ 4,000 Total $ 7,445 Parking Stall Cost at 75% of cost $ 5,583 Parking Stall Cost at 50% of cost $ 3,722 As noted above, if the stall is provided as part of the public parking system, the use of the stall will not be dedicated to the land owner but rather it will be shared with all the surrounding uses. It is therefore our recommendation that the cash-in-lieu formula not be based on the full cost of parking but rather using a portion of the cost such as 50% or 75%. It is further recommended that a 5 year payment option be provided to ease the impact of the cash-in-lieu amount and allow future revenues to off-set parking costs. The current Bylaw requires Council approval in order for this provision to be allowed. The above recommendations are expected to increase the use of the option and help generate more economic activity in the core area. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 29

51 4.0 SPECIAL NEEDS PARKING 4.1 Accessible Parking The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing 4 (MMAH) provides some guidelines on accessible parking supply. It indicates that separate parking stalls for the handicapped should be provided in the layout of parking areas. It addresses three issues: 1. Supply 2. Size of the stalls 3. Location The Ministry document indicates that a general guideline is to provide 1% of the available stalls as accessible parking, with a minimum of 1 per lot. If a lot is adjacent to a facility that would frequently provide services to the handicapped, the number should be increased to 5%. Generally, accessible parking standards are based on the number of spaces required given the size of the lot or parking area. The following is a sample of recent accessible parking standards that have been used by a random sample of municipalities or agencies based on an internet search. It can be seen that the City of St. Catharine s standard is similar to that contained in the MMAH reference. TABLE 4.2: SAMPLE DISABLED PARKING STANDARDS Parking Lot Size 1 to to to to to to 200 over 200 Ontario Government Facilities additional per 100 Parking Lot Size 1 to to to to to to to 500 over 501 City of St Catharines additional per 100 2% of total Parking Lot Size 1 to to to 400 over 400 Town of Halton Hills additional per 400 to a maximum of 20 Parking Lot Size 1 to to to to to to to 500 over MMAH Document additional per 100 2% of total Parking Lot Size 0 to to to to to 999 over 999 City of Niagara Falls additional per 1000 Parking Lot Size 0 to to to to 400 over 400 City of Kingston per additional per 100 Based on the Ontario Government Facilities 5 ranges, the required parking supply for each source was determined and the results were averaged to provide a recommended disabled parking standard. The MMAH document indicates that handicapped spaces should be at least 4.5 metres wide but when two spaces are located together, 6.3 metres can be used for both spaces with an aisle in the centre. Disabled parking spaces should be located as close as possible to building s accessible entrance and on a level surface desirably with ramps located where required. 4 Commercial Parking, A Planner s Handbook, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Standards for Barrier Free Design of Ontario Government Facilities, October 2004 Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 30

52 4.1.1 Bolton Accessible Parking Standards Section of the Town of Caledon Zoning Bylaw indicates that barrier free parking requirements should be provided in accordance with the provisions of the barrier free access requirements of the Town of Caledon Bylaw as may be amended from time to time. Bylaw indicates the number of accessible parking stalls in Schedule A as shown below. TABLE 4.3: SCHEDULE A TO BYLAW It can be seen that the accessible parking requirements are similar to that identified in Table 4.2. Bylaw provides requirements regarding location, signage, installation and maintenance, operation and penalties and enforcement. Although not yet approved, the Town of Caledon is proposing a revised standard contained in Schedule H to By-law This document proposes more aggressive standards as shown in Table 4.4 below Accessible Parking Requirements Based on Table 4.3, the accessible parking requirements for each lot are shown in Table 4.5 totaling 22 stalls for the core area under existing By-law and the revised requirement under the proposed By-law totaling 33 stalls. It was noted that 2 (2 required) handicapped stalls were visible in the Royal Courtyard Back Lot and 5 (7 required) were available in the Royal Courtyard Main Lot. Further field investigations will be required to determine any additional marked accessible parking stalls currently in place the additional required on a lot by lot basis. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 31

53 TABLE 4.4: SCHEDULE H TO BYLAW Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 32

54 TABLE 4.5: ACCESSIBLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS Number of Bylaw Bylaw LOTS Stalls Royal Courtyards Kinsmen Old Baffo's Lot CIBC Baffo's Laundry Spa Lot TD Tim Hortons Mr Sub Sterne Lot Royal Courtyards Back Lot Total Figure 4.1: Location of Accessible Parking Requirements (Bylaw ) Volunteer Fire Fighter Parking On-Street Parking with stall count 1 Accessible Parking Required Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 33

55 4.2 Bicycle Parking The Town policy and programs support increased use of alternative modes such as cycling for both recreation and functional travel including commuting to and from work. Adequate and safe bicycle parking provisions are important to encourage cycling rather than driving to work or to the services available in the Core and can therefore contribute to reducing the area required for automobile parking. Inadequate parking and the fear of theft or damage are major deterrents to cycling. An increasing number of municipalities are providing zoning provisions requiring bicycle parking. Recent studies in Toronto, after considering best practices elsewhere have developed recommendations as noted in Table 4.6 including the provision of shower facilities in new developments for visitor and employee parking. While intended for new developments, these parking guidelines can be applied to the Bolton core area where existing development has not been required to provide such parking at the time they were approved. New developments should be required to provide bicycle parking and shower facilities as prescribed below and these should contribute to reducing vehicle parking requirements to some degree. TABLE 4.6: REQUIRED BICYCLE SPACES Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 34

56 Bicycle parking for residential developments range from 0.6 per unit to 1 per unit in selected Canadian cities. A study for the City of Toronto has recommended a requirement of 0.75 bicycles per unit for residents and visitors. The above parking requirements are recommended for application in the Bolton core and should be determined based on floor areas by development type. Bicycle parking racks should be distributed among the parking lots in the core in close proximity to building entrances The bicycle parking facilities such as showers should be encouraged. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 35

57 5.0 FUTURE PARKING NEEDS 5.1 Proposed Intensification As part of the South Albion-Bolton Community Plan work, the Town of Caledon Planning Department undertook an assessment of the intensification opportunities in Bolton, including identifying the intensification potential in the core. This information had been compiled for the purposes of allocating population to Bolton as part of the 2006 population study. The potential intensification sites and the number of units were estimated and since updated based on the potential zoning and/or the potential capacity of the site. This was based on the best information that was available at the time. The estimates are very preliminary and therefore no information was available to consider the footprint of future buildings and their possible encroachment onto the municipal parking lots. The estimated potential development in the core area is summarized in Table TABLE 5.1: POTENTIAL FUTURE CORE AREA DEVELOPMENT General Location West of Queen East of Queen Total Resident Parking Visitor Parking Total Bylaw Parking Resident Parking Town House Apartment Total Comments apartments could be on parking lots Apartments could develop on parking lots Total of 93 residential units Assumes more than 4 units in each townhouse development Includes visitor parking Based on TTS survey The above development would generate the need for up to 170 parking spaces based on the current parking bylaw of the Town (i.e. town house-2 stalls/unit, apartment- 1.5 stalls/unit, visitor parking stalls/unit). It is noted that since the peak visitor parking occurs during evenings and weekends when core area parking needs are lower, all of the visitor parking could be accommodated with the shared use of municipal parking in the core area. It is further noted that the car ownership rates in Bolton for Townhouse and Apartments are 1.5 and 0.62 per unit respectively indicating the Bylaw requirements may be high and should be lower for the core area. The entire intensification development may require a total of stalls. All of the townhouse development and about 33 apartment units (43 units in total) are expected to involve redevelopment of existing land uses. However, up to 50 apartment units could be developed on existing parking lots. Assuming the full development occurs in a single building of 10 stories at square foot units per floor, the development could use 6000 square feet of space. Assuming 300 square feet per stall, parking supply could be reduced by 20 stalls. If two buildings of 5 stories each were to develop, about 40 stalls would be lost. Assuming visitor parking is accommodated with shared use of existing parking, an additional 95 to 115 stalls will be required to accommodate the development based on the existing Bylaw requirement. With the reduced parking noted above, an additional 50 to 70 stalls would be required for the 50 unit development. However, if these developments occur on vacant land or through redevelopment of existing uses (excluding parking lots) the required residential parking would be between 70 and145 stalls based on the TTS survey requirement and the existing Bylaw respectively for all the intensification noted. 6 Note: an additional 22 townhouse units have been projected south of Willow Street which are largely outside the study area boundaries and are not likely to affect the core area parking. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 36

58 A further complicating factor is the Special Policy Area in the Bolton Commercial Core. The Special Policy Area was originally put in place so that more flexible flood plain policies could be applied. Now through the provincial policy conformity exercise, the Province is proposing to modify the Regional Official Plan to introduce more stringent policies for SPAs. These policies will limit intensification to what is already permitted in the Official Plan. Any change would require approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources or Municipal Affairs and Housing. This approach (which is quite different from the existing SPA policies Section ), could mean that even the above conservative estimates of the intensification potential in the core are too high. Regional and area municipal staffs are currently in discussions about the proposed modifications with the Province, so the impact of the SPA policies is not fully known at this time. In summary, the Downtown Bolton Parking Study can address parking issues related to existing development/uses. Any analysis of parking issues related to future development/uses must recognize that precise information regarding future intensification in the Bolton Core cannot be provided at this time for the reasons noted above. 5.2 Existing Parking Needs Section 2 summarized the overall parking utilization in the core area during Friday, November 26, 2010 and Saturday, November for the 658 parking system in the core area. Overall, the 2010 data shows that the total parking supply in the core area peaks at 58% utilization (381parked cars) on Friday and 42% utilization on Saturday (276 parked cars). The supply minus the peak parking demand is in the order of 280 and 380 stalls on the Friday and Saturday respectively suggesting that the overall parking supply is more than adequate. The capacity of a parking system is generally assumed to be 85% of the supply at which point there is some difficulty easily finding an empty parking stall and this creates significant park-search traffic. Based on this the parking surplus in the core is about 180 and 280 stalls for Friday and Saturday respectively. TABLE 5.2: COMPARISON OF 2004 AND 2010 PARKING DEMAND AND UTILIZATION 2003 Survey 2010 Survey Difference Parking Characteristic Weekday Saturday Weekday Saturday Weekday Saturday Peak Parking Demand Parking Supply Peak Parking Utization 81% 58% 58% 42% -23% -16% Supply Minus Demand Effective Parking Capacity (1) Parking Surplus Note(1) Defined as 85% of the parking supply By comparison, the 2004 Parking Study survey completed in 2003 indicated peak utilization was about 80% (weekday) and 60% (weekend) in the downtown core overall based on a parking inventory of 451 stalls. Note the 2004 Parking Study did not include parking on Mill Street, Elm Street and Ann Street (49 stalls). The parking surplus was 19 and 122 during the weekday and Saturday respectively in the 2003 survey. It is noted that both studies identified a total peak parking demand of about 260 vehicles on the Saturday. The weekday demands are also similar between the 2003 and 2010 surveys based on peak accumulations. The 2010 weekday report was based on surveys undertaken on a Friday in late November while the 2004 survey was undertaken on a Wednesday in March The overall supply of parking has increased by 207 stalls while the parking demand has remained essentially the same over the past 7 years. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 37

59 Based on the results of this study, there is currently no critical need to increase parking supply in the core area with a parking surplus of about 180 (Friday Survey) and 280 (Saturday Survey) stalls compared to the capacity of 560 stalls ( which is 85% of supply) as shown in the graph (Figure 5.1.A) below. The intercept survey also confirmed that over 98% of patrons did not think it was difficult to find parking on the survey day and only 25% suggested they have previously left the core due to a lack of parking (perhaps prior to recent parking supply increases). About 66% of parking users suggested that parking was adequate. The business survey however did indicate that 53% of merchants think that the adequate supply of parking is a significant issue. It is apparent that peak parking utilization in individual lots on the east side of Queen Street and on King Street experienced 80% utilization or more during one or more specific times of the day as shown in Table 2.2 and 2.3 in Section 2 and Figure 5.1.B below. However the parking capacity on the east side of Queen Street exceeds the peak demand by about 100 stalls during the weekday survey and 200 stalls during the Saturday survey as shown in Figure 5.2. This is largely due to unused capacity on Mill Street, Elm Street, Lot 1 and the Royal Courtyard lots. As well, on King Street the maximum peak utilization is less than 70% of the supply on that street. It is noted also that the parking supply east of Queen Street and north of King Street considered together also does not reach more that 66% utilization. The available supply on the east side of Queen Street located south of King Street and along Mill Street and Elm Street is however, not conveniently located relative to the location of the high demand lots and some lots are signed for customer parking only and are not available for adjacent businesses. Accordingly, if new parking supply were to be considered, it would be more important to situate this on the east side of Queen Street in the vicinity of Chapel Street north of King Street. Some potential use of vacant land parcels as shown in Figure 5.3 could also be used to provide more convenient parking. Another enhancement would be the creation of a walkway between Elm Street and Chapel Street to allow parking on Elm Street to be more conveniently used by patrons of businesses on Chapel Street. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 38

60 Figure 5.1: Overall Core Area and East of Queen Parking Capacity vs. Demand Figure 5.1.A: Overall Core Area Hourly Parking Demand vs. Capacity Number of Stalls Used Total Friday Total Saturday Capacity (85%) 8::00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 3:00 3:30 2:00 2:30 1:00 1:30 Time of Day 4:00 4:30 5:00 5:30 Figure 5.1.B: East of Queen Street Overall Parking Demand vs. Capacity Number of Stalls Used Total Friday Total Saturday Capacity (85%) Time of Day Bolton Core Parking Study Figure 5.1 Paradigm Overall Core Area and East of Queen Parking Capacity vs Demand Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 39

61 Parking lot lot or or street close to to or or exceeding 80% utilization at (weekday) least once during the survey days Volunteer Fire Fighter Parking On-Street Parking with stall count Parking lot with stall count Figure 5.2: Lots and Street Locations Occasionally Experiencing High Usage Bolton Core Parking Study Figure 5.2 Lots and Street Locations Occassionally Experiencing High Usage Paradigm Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 40

62 Figure 5.3: Potential Enhancement Opportunities Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 41

63 5.3 External Influences The Study Terms of Reference required an assessment of the potential impact of the planned future bypass (BAR) that will divert through traffic from Queen Street to Coleraine Drive as well as the Transit Hub Parking Facility at Mayfield Road and Highway 50. The following assessment is provided: 1. Bolton Arterial Route (BAR): The intercept survey summarized in Section 2 indicated that most of the patrons of the core were for short duration convenience type purposes arriving by automobile. These types of trips are sensitive to travel time and distance if services can be obtained at more convenient locations. About 50% of patrons were from Bolton and about 50% were from external communities; many likely passing through the Core area on Highway 50 (Queen Street). It is expected that a good portion of the external through trips will divert to the new arterial bypass resulting in reduced parking demands in the core area especially during the morning and afternoon peak hour. About 30% of respondents indicated they would avoid the core when the bypass is in place. 2. Transit Hub: At the time of the survey the Transit Hub Parking Facility was in operation at Mayfield Road and Highway 50. Therefore, at the time of the survey many of the GO bus riders may have relocated to park at this facility rather than park downtown. The survey results measured the impact of this change and may have resulted in lower weekday parking demands. About 5% of the parking users in the core were GO bus patrons not generating significant parking demand (i.e. walk or drop-off). The potential decrease in demand caused by the BAR further supports the conclusion that additional parking supply is not required. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 42

64 APPENDIX A PARKING SURVEY CONDUCT Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 43

65 A. SURVEY METHODOLOGY AND CONDUCT A.1 Survey Methods In order to conduct the parking accumulation counts, the patron surveys and the business surveys, the following survey methods were utilized: Parking Accumulation and Duration Counts: This survey method involved a team of five counters walking a specified route each half hour of the survey day recording the last three digits of the license plates of vehicles parked in each stall on each block face or lot (private and municipal lots). Direct interview survey: This method required placing one interview staff near the GO bus stop on King Street (weekday only) during bus departure and arrivals times. They approached bus patrons and asked them to complete the survey. When not interviewing bus patrons on the weekday, the staff member approached parking patrons on Queen Street north of King Street. On Saturday, the staff member visited locals businesses and interviewed the owner or manager. For the parking patron survey, the interviewer asked the questions and completed the form, ensuring that the correct information was obtained. For the business survey, the interviewer offered to leave the form for the manager/owner to complete for pick up later that day. A.2 Survey Locations and Sample Size The parking accumulation survey was conducted on the streets and in the lots (both private and municipal) in the core commercial area of downtown as shown in Figure 1.1. The core commercial area is mainly comprised of private parking lots east of Queen Street and public/private parking lots west of Queen Street. Minimal on-street parking is provided in the core area; however stalls are located on Elm Street, Mill Street, Ann Street, King Street and Queen Street. Twenty samples (one every half hour) of parking duration and accumulation data were collected throughout the study area on Friday, November 26, 2020 and 12 samples (one every half hour) were collected throughout the study area on Saturday, November 27, The parking patron surveys were conducted on King Street at the GO bus stop and mainly on Queen Street north of King Street. The business surveys were conducted amongst the businesses in the core, mainly on Queen Street north of King Street. No targets were set on the sample rate for each survey since the survey was voluntary and depended on the good will and interest of both the public and businesses. However, a total of 64 parking patron surveys were completed and 34 business surveys were completed over the two days. 2.3 Survey Schedule The goal of the survey was to collect parking accumulation and duration data for 10 hours on Friday, November 26, 2020 and for six hours on Saturday, November 27, 2010 in addition to the parking user and business surveys. Friday was used for the weekday survey as the Town staff indicated this is the day of the week with the highest parking activity. In order to do so, a team of five parking accumulation counters (including the onsite supervisor) and one interviewer was mobilized in Bolton. The survey was conducted from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on Friday and from noon to 6:00 pm on Saturday. The schedule was designed to provide all-day work of up to 10 hours in length. To conform to Ontario Ministry of Labour requirements, after a maximum of five hours, at least 30 minutes of break time was required. However since each walking route was designed to be completed in approximately 20 minutes, break periods for the accumulation staff was built-in. The interviewers were provided approximately one hour of break time over the course of each survey day. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 44

66 During the course of the survey, the supervisor was available to assist with any issues that arose, answer questions, provide additional supplies and to retrieve collected data. The supervisor was also responsible for determining if and when to stop work due to unforeseen circumstances (inclement weather, etc.); however the survey went smoothly and all work was completed as scheduled. A.4 Design of the Parking Accumulation Routes In advance of the survey, Paradigm staff visited the study area and developed walking routes designed to capture the parking accumulation and turnover data in an efficient and logical manner. The routes are shown in Figure A.1 below. Each route took no more than about 20 minutes per half hour to complete. Routes that included the larger parking facilities (Royal Courtyards, Sterne Street municipal lot) had less on-street work to complete. In addition, the work was designed such that it could be transferred between staff if assistance was required. For the parking lots, each row was numbered on the data collection forms and maps given to each staff member so the proper data was collected for each row at all times. Figure A.1: Parking Study Routes 16 Rte 2 Rte Rte Rte 1 Rte Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 45

67 A.5 Design of the Parking Patron Interview Form The parking patron interview form is shown in Figure A.2 below and was designed to collect the following information: Primary trip purpose; If the patron s residence was within walking distance of the core; How they arrived in the area that day; What time they arrived in the area that day; Where were they prior to arriving in the core; Where the patron parked; How far away from destination the patron was willing to park; If the patron has ever left the area due to lack of parking; If it was difficult to find parking that day; Would patron pay for parking and how much; How often the patron visits the core; Where the patron lives; How many people were in the patron s group; Would the patron avoid coming downtown if there was a bypass; Does the patron re-park their vehicle if visiting multiple establishments in the area; and Does the patron think parking in the core is adequate A.6 Design of the Business Interview Form The business interview form is shown in Figure A.3 below and was designed to collect information with three options for answers: not an issue; somewhat of an issue and a significant issue. The addressed issues/concerns included: More parking should be provided within a reasonable walking distance of the commercial core area; Property owners obtaining relief from Town s minimum on-site parking requirements; Parking management (duration, enforcement); Downtown employees using prime public parking spaces; What is the peak number of employees in your establishment at any one time and where do they park?; Is there a need for an employee parking space near the core for employees so the prime customer spaces are not used?; Consistent application of current zoning requirements; and Did the business have any suggestions regarding improving parking in the downtown Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 46

68 Figure A.2: Parking Patron Interview Form Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 47

69 Figure A.3: Business Interview Form Surveyor: Day/Time: Business Name: ISSUE/CONCERN More parking should be provided within a reasonable walking distance of the commercial core area. Property owners obtaining relief from Town s minimum on site parking requirements. Bolton Downtown Business/Merchant Survey (On behalf of the Town of Caledon) Not an issue Somewhat of an issue A significant issue Not an issue Somewhat of an issue A significant issue Parking management (duration, enforcement). Not an issue Somewhat of an issue Downtown Employees Using Prime Public Parking Spaces A significant issue Not an issue Somewhat of an issue A significant issue Comments (Please note specific issues, if applicable) What is the peak Number of Employees in your establishment at any one time and where do they park? No. Parking Location: Is there a need for an employee parking space near the core for employees so the prime customer spaces are not used? Consistent application of current zoning requirements. Yes No Any Suggested Locations Not an issue Somewhat of an issue A significant issue Do you have any suggestions regarding improving parking in the downtown. Not an issue Somewhat of an issue A significant issue Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 48

70 A.7 Sampling Procedure Parking accumulation and duration counts were conducted each half hour over the course of the survey day by staff walking a set route and collected the last three digits of the license plates of cars parked in each stall for each lot (private or municipal) or block face. Staff was instructed to complete their route at approximately the same time each half hour in order to maintain continuity throughout the course of the survey. Throughout the course of the survey, Paradigm staff maintained contact with parking count staff to ensure all questions were answered and adequate supplies were provided. To ensure both the parking patron and business surveys could be easily retrieved for review if necessary, they were sequentially numbered with their distribution location noted. A set of 100 patron and 100 business surveys were printed for distribution to staff. In addition, business cards of the Paradigm contact person were given to the interviewers in case addition information was requested by the patrons. As the survey progressed, Paradigm staff monitored the number of surveys conducted and distributed each day to determine if the sampling rate required adjustment. A.8 Interview Conduct In general, the parking patron survey was conducted by approaching individuals and asking if they would consent to the survey. The survey was conducted by one staff member near the GO bus stops on King Street during bus arrival and departure times and on Queen Street north of King Street at all other times. Generally, the survey hours were from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on Friday, November 26, Interviews were conducted with as many people as possible recognizing that to achieve a final useable sample, more surveys would have to be completed than required to account for invalid responses. This type of survey relied on the willingness of the patrons to complete the survey, and at times it was difficult to convince patrons the survey was very quick and easy to complete and did not collect personal information; therefore a sample rate was not set in advance of the survey. The business survey was conducted by visiting the business establishments in the core and asking the manager or owner to consent to the survey. The survey hours were from noon to 6:00 pm on Saturday, November 27, The interviews were conducted with as many businesses as possible with the staff member providing the option of the leaving the form with the business for them to fill out and be picked up later that day. Due to the type of survey, a predetermined sample rate was not set as the survey relied on the willingness of businesses to participate. Each staff member was equipped with a sufficient number of surveys (interview staff), a clipboard, writing instruments and parking accumulation forms. The survey, both parking and interviews, were self-directed with support provided by Paradigm staff when needed. Experienced staff were employed for this survey in order to keep the level of supervision low and the quality of data high. Prior to finalizing the survey, each surveyor ensured the date, time, location and their initials were properly filled out which assisted with final data assembly. A.9 Manpower Requirements and Scheduling In order to conduct a survey of this type, a total of six staff were required and operated in shifts of up 10 hours in length. Five staff were assigned to parking accumulation counts and one staff member was assigned to interviews. Surveyors were paid for the entire shift, including break times and any time spent in transit during their shift. One supervisor was scheduled throughout each day and was responsible for ensuring adequate numbers of interviews were correctly completed and for assisting the survey staff when required. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 49

71 Each surveyor was required to organize their work during the course of each day and to ensure all collected data and surveys were sorted by hour and returned to their supervisor. Survey supplies were provided at the start of each day and the supervisor was responsible for ensuring adequate supplies were available throughout each day. Staff for the survey were recruited from Paradigm staff and Paradigm s current temporary staffing list. The majority of the staff have worked on surveys of this type before and were familiar with the issues and difficulties that could arise and were experienced in dealing with the public. A training session was conducted prior to start of work on Friday, November 26, The training session covered survey conduct, survey procedures, customer service skills and safety issues. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 50

72 Appendix B Detailed Friday Parking Survey Results Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 51

73 Time of Day 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 8:00 TO 17:30 PARKING LOT STALLS TOTAL VEHICLES PARK BY HOUR AND HALF HOUR- FRIDAY SURVEY - NOVEMBER 26, 2010 AVERAGE PERCENT MAXIMUM PERCENT Royal Courtyards % % Kinsmen % 14 82% Old Baffles % 8 89% Lot % 5 83% CIBC % % Baffles % 27 79% Laundry % 4 100% Spa % 7 100% Lot % 11 46% Royal Courtyards Back Lot % 30 71% Total Stalls/Parked Vehicles % % Percent Utilization 18% 23% 36% 46% 52% 48% 49% 52% 47% 61% 65% 58% 58% 57% 53% 55% 54% 46% 44% 37% 8:00 TO 17:30 PARKING LOT STALLS TOTAL VEHICLES PARK BY HOUR AND HALF HOUR- FRIDAY SURVEY - NOVEMBER 26, 2010 AVERAGE PERCENT MAXIMUM PERCENT TD % 23 56% Tim Hortons % 17 68% Mr Sub % 7 64% Total Stalls/Parked Vehicles % 39 51% Percent Utilization 31% 42% 32% 39% 48% 43% 34% 51% 19% 38% 38% 40% 43% 35% 45% 35% 38% 31% 29% 26% 8:00 TO 17:30 PARKING LOT STALLS TOTAL VEHICLES PARK BY HOUR AND HALF HOUR- FRIDAY SURVEY - NOVEMBER 26, 2010 AVERAGE PERCENT MAXIMUM PERCENT Sterne Lot % 75 68% Total Stalls/Parked Vehicles % 75 68% Percent Utilization 30% 37% 45% 55% 56% 59% 62% 65% 58% 68% 67% 65% 60% 59% 59% 54% 46% 45% 44% 46% 8:00 TO 17:30 TOTAL OF ALL LOTS STALLS TOTAL VEHICLES PARK BY HOUR AND HALF HOUR- FRIDAY SURVEY - NOVEMBER 26, 2010 AVERAGE PERCENT MAXIMUM PERCENT Total Stalls/Parked Vehicles % % Percent Utilization 22% 28% 37% 47% 52% 50% 50% 55% 45% 59% 62% 57% 57% 55% 53% 52% 50% 44% 42% 38% 8:00 TO 17:30 ON STREET STALLS TOTAL VEHICLES PARK BY HOUR AND HALF HOUR- FRIDAY SURVEY - NOVEMBER 26, 2010 AVERAGE PERCENT MAXIMUM PERCENT Elm St East Side % 2 20% Elm St West Side % 3 30% Mill St % 8 47% Queen St East Side % 15 88% Queen St West Side % 10 53% Ann St - Firefighters % 4 50% Ann St - Prederci Gusto % 1 25% King St - Post Office % 4 100% King St - west of Nancy % 3 38% King St - west of Queen % 4 100% On Street Stalls/Parked Vehicles % 39 39% Percent Utilization 9% 11% 16% 26% 38% 37% 39% 32% 21% 38% 37% 38% 34% 34% 29% 29% 19% 25% 21% 17% 8:00 TO 17:30 TOTAL LOTS AND ON-STREET TOTAL VEHICLES PARK BY HOUR AND HALF HOUR- FRIDAY SURVEY - NOVEMBER 26, 2010 AVERAGE PERCENT MAXIMUM PERCENT Total of all Lots and On-Street % % Percent Utilization 20% 26% 34% 43% 50% 48% 48% 51% 42% 56% 58% 54% 53% 51% 50% 49% 45% 41% 38% 34% Maximum Combined Occupancy - 58% Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 52

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77 Location of Residence For Core Patrons Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited Page 56

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