Elkins ON TRAC PARKING STUDY RESULTS. Prepared by Jeff Smith, AFHA/AmeriCorps ON TRAC Design Committee

Transcription

1 Elkins ON TRAC PARKING STUDY RESULTS Prepared by Jeff Smith, AFHA/AmeriCorps ON TRAC Design Committee Seattle, WA City Employee empties Parking Meter, 1960 Image Source:

2 MAIN STREET, USA Administered by the NTHP 4 POINT APPROACH: o ORGANIZATION o PROMOTION o DESIGN o ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING

3 DESIGN Design means getting Main Street into top physical shape and creating a safe, inviting environment for shoppers, workers, and visitors. takes advantage of the visual opportunities inherent in a commercial district by directing attention to all of its physical elements: public and private buildings, storefronts, signs, public spaces, parking areas, street furniture, public art, landscaping, merchandising, window displays, and promotional materials. Source:

4 Parking is KEY Parking is one of the basic elements in maintaining a viable downtown retail center and facilitating the expansion of retail activity. This is nowhere more prevalent than in the minds of downtown merchants who blame the lack of parking for downtown s decline. One of the most overlooked assets of a community parking operation. is one of the essential elements of any redevelopment program. John D. Edwards The Parking Handbook for Small Communities.

5 Stats from Parking Handbook Parking Supply: the number of parking spaces available for downtown users on a regular, daily basis. Considerable data has been accumulated on the number of downtown parking spaces needed in proportion to community population. On average, a Central Business District (CBD) should have at least 75 spaces/1,000 population. Does Elkins CBD have sufficient parking supply?

6 Parking Study - Methodology Surveyed the Elkins CBD, from First to Sixth streets and from Henry to Railroad avenues. Counted the total number of spaces (on and off-street) and looked at restrictions and/or limitations on the availability of the spaces. Counted the number of metered spaces and the time allowed to park in the space and the associated cost to park in the space.

7 Streetscape Inventory AmeriCorps members conducted a comprehensive streetscape inventory in the summer & fall Infrastructure elements inventoried and mapped. Hardscape conditions assessed and reported.

8 Parking Study Results ELKINS DOWTOWN COMMERCIAL DISTRICT /2013 PARKING STUDY -- RESULTS METER POSTS WITH SIGN(S) ITEM PARKING METER(S) METER POST(S) - NO SIGN OTHER ITEMS THAT RESTRICT/LIMIT PARKING LOCATION FIRST STREET 00 BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK SECOND STREET 00 BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK THIRD STREET 00 BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK

9 Davis Avenue 100 Block 5-2-hour free parking (courtesy of the City of Elkins) 1 - Parking for cell phone users 1 - Parking for Office Products Customers

10 Davis Avenue 200 Block 5-20 minute free customer parking (courtesy of Davis Trust) 2 - Reserved -Handicapped Parking 2 - No Parking - Loading Zone; 1 - No Parking - Mon- Fri 8 AM to 930 AM & 2 PM to 330 PM 2 - No Parking - Mon & Fri 2-6 AM 11-2 hour Free Parking (courtesy of City of Elkins)

11 Davis Avenue 300 Block 13-2 hour free parking (courtesy of the city of Elkins) 4-20 minute free parking, including one for handicapped customers (courtesy of Mountain Valley Bank, N.A.) 1 - Police Only 1 - Restricted Parking

12 Davis Avenue 400 Block 7-2 hour free parking (courtesy of the city of Elkins) 2 - No Parking 2-15 Min Parking City Hall Customers Only 1 - Handicapped parking

13 Davis Avenue 500 Block 1 - Handicapped parking (Veterans Personal Home Care) 1 - Courtesy Parking for Cell Phone Use Only Primarily Residential (west side of street)

14 Third Street 00 Block 5-2-hour free parking (courtesy of the City of Elkins) 1 - No Parking Tues & Sat 2-6 AM

15 Third Street 100 Block 19-2-hour free parking (courtesy of City of Elkins)

16 Third Street 200 Block 5-15 minute Courtesty Parking (Citizens Bank of West Virginia) 13-2 hour free parking (courtesy of City of Elkins) 1 - No Parking 2-6 AM; 1 No Parking 2-6 AM Tues & Sat

17 Third Street 300 Block 4-2-hour free parking (courtesy of City of Elkins) 1 - Handicapped parking 1 - No Parking Tues 2-6 AM

18 Parking Lots Railroad Avenue, 200 block: 22 metered and 12 permitonly spaces beside SWECO Furniture Railroad Avenue, 400 block: approximately 100 free spaces in the gravel lot behind City Hall Kerens Avenue, 200 block: 24 metered spaces, 16 permit-only spaces, & hour spaces in the Seneca Mall lot

19 Parking Meters

20 Parking Meters No. of Dial Face Meters by Time Limit: 2 Hours: 40 4 Hours: 2 10 Hours: 117 No. of Dial Face Meters: 159 Total Singles: 113/ Doubles: 46 Meter Cost by Time Limit: 2 Hours: $.05/1 hour; $.10/2 hours 4 Hours: $.05/1hour; $.10/2 hours; $.25/4 hours 10 Hours: $.05/1 hour; $.10/2 hours; $.25/5 hours

21 Parking Meters Totals No. of Digital Face Meters by Time Limit: 2 Hour: 0 4 Hour: 0 10 Hour: 40 Meter Cost by Time Limit: 2 Hour: N/A 4 Hour: N/A 10 Hour: $.05/12 min.; $.10/24 min.; $.25/60 min. No. of Digital Face Meters: Singles: 40 / Doubles: 0

22 Parking Spaces - Totals Metered Spaces; 199; 36% Reserved Spaces; 3; 1% Unrestricted Spaces; 164; 29% Handicapped Spaces; 18; 3% Time-Restricted Spaces; 170; 31% Unrestricted Spaces Time-Restricted Spaces Handicapped Spaces Metered Spaces Reserved Spaces

23 Elkins Parking - Specifics Free/no time limit spaces approximately 164 spaces located behind City Hall, on Depot Street, Tablet Square (south of the Del Monte) and along unpainted curb referred to as informal parking - in the 00 & 100 blocks of 5 th Street & 00 block of 6 th Street. Restricted/Paid spaces 199 metered spaces; 170 time sensitive spaces; 18 spaces reserved for handicapped drivers; 3 reserved for specific business (with no time limit) 554 total spaces available / Elkins 2010 population: 7,094 Population Source:

24 Where to go from here? Based on the Main Street standard, the Elkins CBD exceeds the minimum number of parking spaces threshold (78 = total number of spaces divided by total population) but only 105 (approx) all are in the core of CBD (Davis Ave & Third). A Parking Plan is the tool that can address the CBD s parking needs. Recommendations from the ON TRAC Design Committee culled from the results of the Streetscape Inventory & the Parking Study.