SEATTLE EVENING PAID PARKING STUDY PUBLISHED APRIL 2014
Extendingon‐streetparkinguntil8PMhaspositivelyhelpedpeoplefindparkingintheearlyeveninginseveralofourmostvibrantbusinessdistricts.
SDOT EVENING PAID PARKING REPORT
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TableofContents
Summary_________________________________________________________________________________________2
Introduction_____________________________________________________________________________________3
RationaleforEveningPaidParking.........................................................................................................4
InfluenceofEveningPaidParkinginSeattle__________________________________________________5
Belltown..........................................................................................................................................................7
CapitolHill......................................................................................................................................................9
DennyTriangleSouth.............................................................................................................................10
Pike‐Pine......................................................................................................................................................12
UniversityDistrict....................................................................................................................................13
Uptown.........................................................................................................................................................15
2013EveningParkingData___________________________________________________________________17
2013Results...................................................................................................................................................17
ExtendedEveningCollection...................................................................................................................20
SDOT EVENING PAID PARKING REPORT
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Summary
Thisreportprovidesbackgroundinformationoneveningpaidparking,acomparisonofoccupancyratesbeforeandafterimplementation,andanoverviewofeveningparkingoccupancydatafromthe2013AnnualPaidParkingStudy.
TheSeattleDepartmentofTransportation(SDOT)manages12,000on‐streetpaidparkingspacesinabout20downtownandneighborhoodbusinessdistricts.Since2010,wehavesettherates,hoursofoperationandmaximumtimelimitsbasedonannuallycollecteddatathroughourPerformance‐BasedParkingPricingProgram.Thisprogramreliesonoccupancydataandparkingmanagementtoreachagoalonetotwospacesavailableperblockincommercialareas.Thisparkingavailabilitymakesvisitorandshopperaccesseasierandresultsinlesstrafficcongestionandvehicleemissionsfromcirclingvehicles.
In2011and2012,SDOTimplementedeveningpaidparkinguntil8PMineightneighborhoodswithactivenightlife,representingaround45percentoftotalcitywideon‐streetpaidspaces.InallbuttheChinatown/InternationalDistrict(ID),thetimelimitafter5PMisthreehoursinrecognitionthatthedaytimetwo‐hourtimelimitdoesnotworkforeveningattractions.
Basedon2013dataresults,eveningparkingoccupancycontinuestobehigh,bothinneighborhoodswithandwithouteveningpaidparking.In2013,60percentofpaidparkingareasorsubareashavehigheroccupancyratesintheeveningthanduringtheday.NeighborhoodswithlowereveningoccupancythandaytimeoccupancyaregenerallylimitedtothoseinandarounddowntownSeattle.Basedonextendeddatacollectioninfourneighborhoods,eveningparkingoccupancyratesgenerallyplateauaround7PMor8PM.
Comparingoccupancysurveysbeforeandaftereveningpaidparkinginsixspecificneighborhoodsrevealsthateveningpaidparkinghasincreasedon‐streetparkingavailability.Onaverage,eveningpaidparkingreducedthe6PMoccupancyrateintheseneighborhoodsfrom93percentto73percentandthe7PMoccupancyfrom103percentto85percent.Thisreportprovidesdetailsbyneighborhood.
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Introduction
SDOT’sPerformance‐BasedParkingPricingProgram,establishedwith2010legislationintheMunicipalCode,workstoensureon‐streetparkingisconvenientandeasytofind.Rateandotheradjustmentsaremadeonanannualbasissothatoneortwospacesareopenandavailableoneachblockfacethroughouttheday.Weconductanannualcitywidesurveyofpaidparkingoccupancyandcompareresultsagainstatargetrangeof70–85percent,plusanannualwatchlist.Resultsfromthisprocessguiderate,hoursofoperations,andtimelimitchanges.1
Throughthisprogram,mostparkingrateortimelimitadjustmentshavebeenappliedtodaytimeparking.However,inmanyareas,eveningdemandisoftenhigherthandaytimedemand.In2013,approximately60percentofpaideveningareashadhigheroccupancylevelsduringtheeveningthanduringdaytimehours.2Areaswithnightlifeattractionsthatareadjacenttoresidentialareas(suchasCapitolHill,Fremont,andBallard)showasharpincreaseinoccupancyleadinguptotheendofpaidparkinghours.
Recognizingthateveningparkingdemandoutpacessupplyinmanyareas,SDOTextendedpaidparkinghoursincertainneighborhoodsfrom6PMto8PM,startingin2011.TheseneighborhoodsareidentifiedinTable1.Thisreportprovidesinformationonhowoccupancyrateschangedbeforeandaftertheimplementationofeveningpaidparkingandcurrenteveningparkingoccupancydata.
Table1.EveningPaidParkingImplementationDatesNeighborhood EveningPaidParkingImplementationCompletion
CommercialCore June2011
Belltown August2011
Chinatown‐ID August2011
Pike‐Pine September2011
CapitolHill September2011
UniversityDistrict October2011
Uptown October2011
DennyTriangleSouth May2012
1SDOTsetthisstandardcitywidetargetrangein2013tosimplifyfromearliertargetsthatvariedbyneighborhood.2Formoredetailsabouttheparkingmanagementprogram,pleaserefertohttp://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/signs_icons.htm
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RATIONALE FOR EVENING PAID PARKING
Inmanycities,paidparkinghourshavetraditionallyendedat6PM.Researchershavenotedthatthiscanbetiedtotwofactors3:
Historically,businessesdistrictsweredominatedbyretailthatgenerallyclosedby6PM Ratesandtimelimitsinplaceduringthedaytocreateturnovermaynotbeapplicableto
preventingeveningparkingshortages.Historically,traditionalmetersdidnotallowfordifferentialratesandtimelimitsoverthecourseoftheday.
Asparkingmetertechnologyhasevolvedandeveningattractionsincitieshaveincreased,manycitieshavemovedtoextendon‐streetpaidparkinghoursintoeveningandnighthours.Basedonawebsurveyin2013,currentexamplesinclude:
Washington,DC:Paidparkingineight“premiumdemandzones”extendsuntil10PM,withmetersoperatinguntil6:30PMinotherneighborhoods
WestHollywood,CA:Paidparkinginhighdemandlocationsextendsuntil2AM,withmetersoperatinguntil8PM,10PM,or12AMinotherneighborhoods
Bloomington,IN:Downtownmetersoperateuntil10PM Boston,MA:Allcitymetersoperateuntil8PM Atlanta,GA:Inentertainment,restaurant,andhotelzones,metersoperateuntil10PM,withhours
extendinguntil6PMor7PMinotherareas Portland,OR:ParkingmetersinoneareaoftheLloydDistrictoperateuntil10PM,metersin
downtownPortlandoperateuntil7PM,andmetersinotherareasoperateuntil6PM Vancouver,BC:Allcitymetersoperateuntil10PMdaily
Justaspaidparkingduringthedaycanimproveaccesstobusinessdistricts,extendingpaidparkingcanenhanceaccesstoareaswithactiveeveningattractions.Eveningpaidparkingencouragesovernightorlong‐termparkerstoparkoff‐streetoroutofcommercialbusinessdistrictsduringtheearlyeveningpeak.Thisprioritizesstreetparkinginkeylocationsforshorter‐termuses,andkeepsparkingavailableforlocalbusinesscustomers.
3GregoryPierce&DonaldShoup(2013):“GettingthePricesRight,”JournaloftheAmericanPlanningAssociation,79:1,67‐81.
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InfluenceofEveningPaidParkinginSeattle
SDOThascollectedannualparkingoccupancydatasince2010,allowingforacomparisonofeveningoccupancybeforeandaftereveningpaidparkingimplementation.Thissectioncontainsparkingoccupancydataforneighborhoodswheretheeveningrateimplementationanddatacollectionschedulesallowedforcomparison.4Figure1providesthe6PMand7PMoccupancyratesintheseneighborhoodsbeforeandaftereveningpaidparking.Figures2through11providefullafternoonandeveningparkingoccupancydetailforeachneighborhood.Unlessotherwiseindicated,parkingtimelimitsweretwohoursatthetimeofthesurvey.Inallfigures,dashedlinesorbarsindicatedatabeforeeveningpaidparking.
Thereareafewcaveatstocomparingoccupancydataoverdifferentyears.Changesinoccupancyafterimplementationofeveningpaidparkingcouldbepartlybasedonotherreasons.Theseinclude:
Additionalchangestoratesandtimelimits,whichoccurredinmultipleareas Differentblockfacesincludedintheannualsurvey Neighborhoodchanges,suchasnewdevelopmentsorpopularnewattractions Seasonalvariation,asdatawerecollectedduringdifferentmonthsfromyeartoyear Randomvariation,asoccupancyobservationsaregatheredforonlyonedayeachyear
Figure1indicatesthattherewasanincreaseinevening(6PM–8PM)parkingavailabilityinmostareasaftertheimplementationofeveningpaidparkingrates.TheonlyexceptionistheUptownPeripherywhereoccupancyslightlyincreasedat7PMaftertheimplementationofeveningpaidparking.
Evenwiththedecreaseinparkingoccupancyafterinstallationofeveningpaidparking,occupancyremainshighinmanyneighborhoods.Thebiggestchangeinoccupancyisseenat6PM,whichwaspreviouslythefirsthouroffreeeveningparking.Inmostneighborhoods,the6PMoccupancyafterimplementingeveningpaidparkinggenerallyalignswiththetargetoccupancyof70–85percent.By7PM,mostoftheareassurveyedareabovethetargetoccupancy,butmoreparkingisavailableascomparedtobeforethechangeinhours.ExceptfortheUniversityDistrictPeriphery,noareassawaprecipitousdropinoccupancywiththeadditionofeveningpaidparking.Occupanciesover90percentgenerallyindicatesqueeze‐inandillegalparking,withparkingtooclosetodriveways,firehydrants,orintersections.
4Unfortunately,forcomparisonpurposesCommercialCoreandChinatown/IDareashadtobeexcludedduetolengthyimplementationschedulesandfurtherchangestothepaidparkingarea,respectively.
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0%
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140%
Belltow
nNorth
Belltow
nSouth
CapitolHillNorth
CapitolHillSouth
DennyTriangleSouth
Pike‐Pine
U‐DistrictCore
U‐DistrictPeriphery
Uptow
nCore
*Uptow
nPeriphery
PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure1.NeighborhoodComparisonofBeforeandAfterEveningPaidParking
6:00PMAfterEveningPaidParking 6:00PMBeforeEveningPaidParking
7:00PMAfterEveningPaidParking 7:00PMBeforeEveningPaidParking
TargetRange70%‐85% *IntheUptownPeriphery,the7 PMoccupancybeforeeveningpaidparkingwas77%
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Belltown
Belltownisdividedintotwosubareas,northandsouthofBellStreet.SDOTcompletedeveningpaidparkingimplementationinAugust2011.Basedonsurveytiming,thisprovidestwoyearsofdatabeforeandaftertheadditionofeveningpaidparking.
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Figure2.BelltownNorthAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
November2010$2.50‐8am‐6pm
June2011$2.00‐8am‐6pm
November2012$2.00‐8am‐8pm‐4h
March2013$2.00‐8am‐8pm‐4h
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Figure3.BelltownSouthAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
November2010$2.50‐8am‐6pm
June2011$2.00‐8am‐6pm
November2012$2.50‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
March2013$2.50‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
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Capitol Hill
CapitolHillisdividedintonorthandsouthsubareaswithEJohnStreetservingastheboundary.The2013datacollectionincludedobservationsthrough11PM.SDOTimplementedeveningpaidparkinginSeptember2011.Basedonsurveytiming,therearetwoyearsofdatabeforeandaftertheadditionofeveningpaidparking.
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PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure4.CapitolHillNorthAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
November2010$2.008am‐6pm
June2011$3.00‐8am‐6pm
August2012$3.00‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
April2013$3.00‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
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PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure5.CapitolHillSouthAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
November2010$2.00‐8am‐6pm
June2011$3.00‐8am‐6pm
August2012$2.50‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
April2013$2.50‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
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Denny Triangle South
WeimplementedeveningpaidparkinginMay2012inDennyTriangleSouth.Basedonsurveytiming,thisprovidestwoyearsofdatabeforeandaftertheadditionofeveningpaidparking.
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PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure6.DennyTriangleSouthAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
November2010$2.50‐8am‐6pm
June2011$2.50‐8am‐6pm
October2012$2.50‐8am‐8pm3hafter5PM
March2013$2.50‐8am‐8pm3hafter5PM
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Pike‐Pine
WeimplementedeveningpaidparkinginSeptember2011inPike‐Pine.Basedonsurveytiming,thisprovidestwoyearsofdatabeforeandaftertheadditionofeveningpaidparking.The2013datacollectionincludedobservationsthrough11PM.
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PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure7.Pike‐PineAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
November2010$2.00‐8am‐6pm
June2011$2.00‐8am‐6pm
June2012$2.00‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
March2013$2.00‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
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University District
UniversityDistrict(U‐District)isdividedintoacoreandperipheryarea.SDOTimplementedeveningpaidinOctober2011.Basedonsurveytiming,thisprovidesoneyearofdatabeforeandtwoyearsaftertheadditionofeveningpaidparking.
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Figure8.U‐DistrictCoreAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
June2011$1.50‐8am‐6pm
October2012$2.00‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
March2013$2.00‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
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PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure9.U‐DistrictPeripheryAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
June2011$1.50‐8am‐6pm
November2012$1.50‐8am‐8pm‐4h
March2013$1.50‐8am‐8pm‐4h
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Uptown
Uptownisdividedintoacoreandperipheryarea.WeimplementedeveningpaidparkinginOctober2011.Basedonsurveytiming,thisprovidestwoyearsofdatabeforeandaftertheadditionofeveningpaidparking.TheUptownPeripherywastheonlyneighborhoodtoshowaslightincreaseinparkingoccupancyaftertheadditionofeveningpaidparking.
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PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure10.UptownCoreAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
November2010$2.00‐8am‐6pm
June2011$1.50‐8am‐6pm
September2012$1.50‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
March2013$1.50‐8am‐8pm3hafter5pm
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PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure11.UptownPeripheryAfternoon/EveningParkingOccupancy
November2010$2.00‐8am‐6pm
June2011$1.50‐8am‐6pm
September2012$1.50‐8am‐8pm‐4h
March2013$1.50‐8am‐8pm‐4h
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2013EveningParkingData
Theprevioussectionuseddatafrom2010through2013tocompareoccupancybeforeandaftertheimplementationofeveningpaidparking.Thissectionprovidesmoredetailsoneveningparkingoccupancyratesfromthe2013datasurvey,whichincludedextendedeveningdatacollectionincertainneighborhoods.5
2013 RESULTS
In2013,SDOTcollecteddatauntil8PMinallneighborhoods,andseveralneighborhoodswerecounteduntil11PM.6Table2showsthedistributionofeveningpeakparkingoccupancybyneighborhoodorsubarea.Boldindicatespaymentisrequireduntil8PM;meterhoursendat6PMinallotherneighborhoodsorsubareas.
Table2.PeakEveningParkingTimePeriodbyNeighborhood,2013Survey*
6:00PMPeak 7:00PMPeak 8:00PMPeak
BelltownSouth 12thAvenue BelltownNorth**
CommercialCoreFinancial BallardCore CapitolHillNorth
CommercialCoreWaterfront BallardPeriphery CapitolHillSouth
DennyTriangleNorth CherryHill Chinatown‐IDCore**
DennyTriangleSouth FirstHill Chinatown‐IDPeriphery**
GreenLake Fremont CommercialCoreRetail**
U‐DistrictPeriphery Pike‐Pine UptownCore**
PioneerSquareCore
PioneerSquarePeriphery
Roosevelt
SouthLakeUnion2‐Hour
SouthLakeUnion10‐Hour
U‐DistrictCore
UptownPeriphery
*Bold indicates payment is required until 8:00 PM.** Indicates last observation. Actual peak may have occurred later.
5Forthefullreport,includingmapsofthepaidparkingareas,pleaserefertothecitywide2013PaidParkingSummaryReportavailableathttp://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/docs/2013_Paid_Parking_Report_final.pdf.6Thesetimesindicatewhenneighborhoodorsubareacountsbegan.Thecountmethodismanual,soactualobservationsoccurduringsomepointofthestatedhour.Forexample11PMcountsonagivenblockmayhavebeencollectedat11:30PM.
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Themostfrequentpeakhouris7PM,buttherearemultipleneighborhoodsthatshowedaneveningpeakduringthelastsurveyat8PM.Itispossiblethatthepeakoccurredafter8PMintheseneighborhoods.
Table3comparesthe12PMand7PMoccupancyrates.Inmostneighborhoods,12PMisthehighestmiddayparkingoccupancy.Itisprovidedtocomparehowoccupancyvariesfrommiddaytoevening.Asitindicates,mostneighborhoodshavehigherparkingoccupancyduringtheeveningthanduringthedaytime.Someneighborhoods,likeFirstHill,havehighoccupancyratesbothduringthedayandtheevening.
The2012and2013eveningoccupancyratesshowgenerallyconsistencyyear‐over‐year.Eveningpeakoccupancyvaluesbetween6PMand8PMin2013werewithin15percentofthosein2012withthreeexceptions:
CommercialCoreWaterfront,wherepeakeveningoccupancyincreasedfrom42percentin2012to87percentin2013
PioneerSquarePeriphery,wherepeakeveningoccupancyincreasedfrom50percentin2012to80percentin2013
CommercialCoreFinancial,wherepeakeveningoccupancyincreasedfrom54percentin2012to78percentin2013
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Table 3. 12 PM and 7 PM Occupancy, 2013 Survey*
Neighborhood 12PMOccupancy** 7PMOccupancy Difference(7PM–12PM)
12thAvenue 60% 108% 48%
BallardCore 75% 103% 28%
BallardPeriphery 47% 99% 52%
BelltownNorth 49% 53% 4%
BelltownSouth 82% 93% 11%
CapitolHillNorth 84% 98% 14%
CapitolHillSouth 58% 101% 43%
CherryHill 71% 68% ‐3%
Chinatown/IDCore 87% 72% ‐15%
Chinatown/IDPeriphery 70% 52% ‐18%
CommercialCoreFinancial 91% 69% ‐22%
CommercialCoreRetail 83% 73% ‐10%
CommercialCoreWaterfront 72% 80% 8%
DennyTriangleNorth 59% 66% 7%
DennyTriangleSouth 95% 78% ‐17%
FirstHill 86% 91% 5%
Fremont 84% 98% 14%
GreenLake 63% 110% 47%
Pike‐Pine 71% 104% 33%
PioneerSquareCore 97% 78% ‐19%
PioneerSquarePeriphery 91% 80% ‐11%
Roosevelt 57% 88% 31%
SouthLakeUnion10‐Hour 90% 55% ‐35%
SouthLakeUnion2‐Hour 83% 72% ‐11%
U‐DistrictCore 74% 107% 33%
U‐DistrictPeriphery 59% 52% ‐7%
UptownCore 52% 93% 41%
UptownPeriphery 55% 88% 33%
UptownTriangle 56% 62% 6%
*Bold indicates evening paid parking area.
** 12 PM was selected for comparison purposes only.
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EXTENDED EVENING COLLECTION
Aspartofthe2013survey,wecollecteddatainsixareasafter8PM.Intheseareas,thelastdatacollectionoccurredbetween11PMand12AM.DashedlinesindicateFridayobservations,withsolidlinesrepresentingWednesdayorThursdaydata.
Theparkingoccupancyshowsthat,withtheexceptionoftheBallardCoreonFridayandPike‐Pine,eveningparkingdemandpeaksaround7PM–8PM.Occupancygenerallyshowsalargedropafteraround9PM.
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6:00PM 7:00PM 8:00PM 9:00PM 10:00PM 11:00PM
PercentofAvailableSpacesOccupied
Figure12.EveningOccupancy,ExtendedHoursCollection,Spring2013
BallardCore(Wednesday) BallardPeriphery(Wednesday)
BallardCore(Friday) BallardPeriphery(Friday)
Fremont(Thursday) CapitolHillNorth(Thursday)
CapitolHillSouth(Thursday) Pike‐Pine(Wednesday)
Pike‐Pine(Friday)