Georgetown Downtown Parking Study

Public Workshop Presentation Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Parking Study Scope of Work

• Confirm Existing Parking Inventory • Observe and Document Existing Parking Occupancies & Turnover: - Holiday Season Saturday (December 20th)

- Typical Weekday Daytime (February 4th, 5th) - First Friday (February 6th)

- Red Poppy Festival (April 24th, 25th)

• Review Existing Parking Policies and Management Practices • Conduct Online Survey and Stakeholder Outreach • Provide Recommendations on Short Term Management Solutions • Develop Preliminary Design Concepts for Structured Parking

Today’s Workshop Agenda

• Still in Information Gathering and Field Observation Mode

• Inform Public About Purpose of Study and Scope of Work

• Review Results of Online Survey

• Solicit Additional Public Comment and Input

• Develop Preliminary Report and Present Primary Findings and Recommendations by May 30, 2015

• Proceed to Preliminary Design Concepts After Study is Completed

Downtown Overlay District

Core Study Area

6th Street

10th Street

Georgetown Travel Mode Statistics Compared to national averages.

72.0%

74.0%

76.0%

78.0%

80.0%

82.0%

Georgetown National AVG

81.2%

76.1%

Drove Alone

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

Georgetown National AVG

0.2%

5.0%

Public Transit

0.0%0.2%0.4%0.6%0.8%

Georgetown National AVG

0.1%

0.8% Biked to Work

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

Georgetown National AVG

7.9% 10.3%

Carpooled

Georgetown Travel Mode Statistics Compared to national averages.

2.5%

2.6%

2.7%

2.8%

2.9%

3.0%

Georgetown National AVG

2.7% 2.8%

Walked to Work

0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

Georgetown National AVG

5.6%

4.3%

Worked from Home

Online Survey Results What is your interest in downtown?

63%

5%

9%

15%

8%

351

29

50

86

45

561 Completed

Surveys

Online Survey Results What age group best describes you??

25 - 44 [VALUE]

45 - 64 [VALUE]

Over 65 [VALUE]

Customers

Business Owners

18 - 24 [VALUE]

25 - 44 [VALUE]

45 - 64 [VALUE]

Over 65 [VALUE]

18 - 24 [VALUE]

25 - 44 [VALUE]

45 - 64 [VALUE]

Over 65 [VALUE]

Employees

18 - 24 [VALUE]

25 - 44 [VALUE]

45 - 64 [VALUE]

Over 65 [VALUE]

Residents

Online Survey Results

Customers Business Owners Employees

78626

78628

78633

Other

78626

78628

78633

Other

78626

78628

78633

Other

What zip code is your residence??

37%

28%

23%

21%

19%

29%

49%

3%

61%

25%

8%

6%

Online Survey Results What is the primary purpose of your visits to downtown?

Other = 38%

74%

22%

8%

23%

84%

36%

5%

23%

42%

55%

Online Survey Results What is the primary purpose of your visits to downtown?

Answers to “Other” Category:

Online Survey Results General response to: “How often do you come downtown?

27%

27%

43%

3%

70% of Respondents

Frequent/Daily

Online Survey Results

Customers

Business Owners Employees

How important is parking as it relates to your decision to come downtown?

61%

26%

26%

44%

5% Avoid Downtown Because of Parking

20%

5%

40%

35%

32%

16%

46%

6%

Not Important

Somewhat Important

Very Important

Online Survey Results

Customers

When you drive downtown, where do you prefer to park?

63%

32%

.9%

4%

Online Survey Results

Employees Business Owners

When you drive downtown, where do you prefer to park?

52%

40%

5%

3% 8%

10%

23%

60%

Online Survey Results What is the length of stay during your typical trip downtown?

Customers

5%

2%

46%

47%

.3%

Online Survey Results What is the length of stay during your typical trip downtown?

Employees Business Owners

1%

15%

6%

35%

18%

25%

4%

14%

14%

29%

25%

14%

Online Survey Results What distance is acceptable to you for walking from your car to your destination?

Customers

Employees Business Owners Less Than One Block

One to Two Blocks

Two to Three Blocks

More Than Three Blocks 6%

14%

51%

29%

53%

17%

17%

14%

14%

45%

29%

12%

Online Survey Results Are you aware there are posted time limits for on-street parking in the Town Square area?

Customers

Employees Business Owners

Yes

No

83%

97%

3% 17%

90%

10%

Online Survey Results Do you believe time limits should be more strictly enforced?

Customers

Employees Business Owners

Yes

No

Other

42%

45%

13% 12%

62%

26% 29%

59%

12%

Do you believe time limits should be more strictly enforced?

• “Shop owners should not park in customer parking on the Square.” • “The City won’t enforce it anyway! Never have.” • “During busy times – yes.” • “Not after 5:00pm.” • “Yes, during government business hours, not evening entertainment hours.” • “I don't know how strict it is now, but it should be monitored to keep parking

moving.” • “Shop downtown often because parking is easy.” • “I do not see that there is a parking problem to begin with.” • “Not sure how strictly they are enforced at this time. would be in favor of

some monitoring and issuing of warnings for those staying between 3 and 5 hours - fines for those over 5 hours in same spot.”

Online Survey Results Are you aware there is free parking available in City Lots with no time limits?

Customers

Employees Business Owners

Yes

No

78%

22%

98%

2%

94%

6%

Online Survey Results

Customers

Business Owners

Who should pay the cost to build and maintain parking facilities?

Employees Customers/

Users

City/Tax Dollars

Business/Property Owners

Other

27%

79%

29%

11%

29%

80%

32%

5%

10%

88%

10%

4%

• “A collaborative effort from everyone mentioned would be fair.” • “Combination of Parking Users/Customers and City Tax Dollars.” • “To achieve desired density & walkability costs should be shared equitably.” • “This can be a plan that involves all three groups....all three benefit.” • “Meters would help pay costs.” • “ALL OF THE ABOVE.” • “Combination of tax dollars and business owners.” • “Business owners, not home owners. Businesses reap the benefits of having

parking that suits prospective customer needs, and therefore are likely to invest in it.”

Who should pay the cost to build and maintain parking facilities?

Online Survey Results

Customers

Business Owners

Characterize your ability to find a parking space during a typical weekday?

Employees Convenient & Easy

Somewhat Easy

Somewhat Difficult

Difficult & Inconvenient

I usually do not drive downtown

13%

49%

29%

8%

2%

15%

39%

27%

19%

16%

41%

20%

22%

Online Survey Results

Characterize your ability to find a parking space during a typical lunchtime?

Customers

Business Owners Employees Convenient & Easy

Somewhat Easy

Somewhat Difficult

Difficult & Inconvenient

I usually do not drive downtown

6%

26%

36%

26%

6%

6%

17%

36%

41%

6%

10%

37%

46%

Online Survey Results Characterize your ability to find a parking space during a typical evening/weekend?

Customers

Business Owners Employees Convenient & Easy

Somewhat Easy

Somewhat Difficult

Difficult & Inconvenient

I usually do not drive downtown

12%

37%

34%

14%

3%

15%

29%

39%

12%

5%

11%

38%

19%

32%

Online Survey Results Characterize your ability to find a parking space during a special event (Red Poppy/Downtown Stroll)?

Customers

Business Owners Employees Convenient & Easy

Somewhat Easy

Somewhat Difficult

Difficult & Inconvenient

I usually do not drive downtown

.6%

5%

23%

68%

4%

1%

16%

80%

4%

19%

77%

4%

Online Survey Results Does the availability of parking influence your decision to visit downtown Georgetown?

Customers

Business Owners Employees

Yes

No

52%

48%

60%

40%

58%

42%

Online Survey Results Open-ended question key word results: Customers

Online Survey Results Open-ended question key word results: Employees

Online Survey Results Open-ended question key word results: Business Owners

Lack of Surface Parking East of Austin Avenue

Austin Avenue Pedestrian Issues

Austin Avenue Pedestrian Issues

Summary of Observations So Far • Customers do not Perceive Parking as a Problem as Much as Employees and Business

Owners Do

• Three Hour On-Street Parking Areas Abused by Employees and Shop Owners

• Lack of Dedicated Parking Enforcement

• Functional Design Issues With Existing Public Lots

• Opportunities for Short-term Management Solutions • Short-term drop off/pick up spaces on each blockface • Valet parking on Friday evenings and special events • Possible trolley or shuttle during events and peak periods

• Need to Analyze Red Poppy Festival to Develop Possible Solutions

• Need to Brand and Market Free Lots

• Consolidation of City Employees Into City Center Should Improve Parking on the Square

Next Steps

• Observe Red Poppy Festival Special Event

• Draft Preliminary Report With Primary Findings & Recommendations by May 30th

• Present Final Findings and Recommendations at Public Meeting in June: Include Short-Term, Mid-Term; Long-Term Solutions

• Parking Structure Site Selection Analysis

• Move Forward With Preliminary Concept Design Concepts