490 Mendocino Avenue, Suite 201 Santa Rosa, CA 95401 707.542.9500 w-trans.com SANTA ROSA • OAKLAND
January 29, 2026
Mr. Damien O’Bid
City Manager
City of Cotati
201 W. Sierra Ave.
Cotati, CA 94931
Proposal to Prepare a Downtown Parking Management Plan for the City of Cotati Dear Mr. O’Bid;
W-Trans is pleased to provide this draft proposal to prepare a downtown parking management plan for the City of Cotati. The following scope of services is suggested based on our experience with numerous other parking studies, but it can be amended as needed.
Tasks
Task 1 – Project Kick-Off
W-Trans will convene a meeting with City staff to commence the project. The primary agenda items for the meeting will include a confirmation of the scope of work, schedule, and team member responsibilities; confirmation of data collection dates and methods; discussion of key stakeholders and the public engagement process; and potential approaches to setting phased recommendations. It is assumed in this task and all subsequent ones that W-Trans will be responsible for preparing meeting materials and leading presentations as necessary.
Immediately following the kick-off meeting, W-Trans proposes a tour of the downtown with City staff and relevant stakeholders. The tour will not only give W-Trans and City staff a chance to better discuss potential project opportunities and challenges but will also allow the group to observe and photograph on- and off-street, public and private, parking conditions in various parts of the downtown.
Deliverables: Finalized Scope of Work and schedule; confirmed data collection dates and methods; city tour; meeting materials
Task 2 – Existing Conditions Review
W-Trans will work with City staff to identify and compile available relevant and recent data, reports, and studies related to parking and related programs for downtown Cotati. This step will allow the team to identify existing data and document the current policy and regulatory framework for on- and off street parking within the study area. W-Trans will record policies, objectives, strategies, and tactics identified in previous planning efforts that can inform the parking management study and minimize duplicative effort. Analysis of these materials will enable the team to cost-effectively develop an accurate and specialized data collection plan. At a minimum, the data collection effort will include gathering and analyzing the Downtown Specific Plan, City Zoning Code, current City parking management measures and policies, and any other relevant data identified.
Task 3 – Parking Data Collection
W-Trans will conduct a field survey of downtown Cotati to inventory the total parking supply by block face (onstreet) and lot (off-street). This review will include documenting the on-street parking supply by space type (unregulated, time limited, loading, etc.); verifying the off-street parking inventory (public and private); noting the presence of disabled, compact, carpool spaces or other markings; and documenting posted time restrictions and limits. The downtown study area is assumed to be the area shown in the figure below.
Mr. Damien O’Bid Page 2 January 29, 2026
Following the inventory, W-Trans will conduct a comprehensive field occupancy survey of all accessible public and private parking facilities within the downtown. The surveys will include parking facilities and properties that are readily accessible and where permission has been granted to enter. Parking occupancy surveys determine the peak demand for parking systemwide and for each facility, the pattern of demand across the study area, and where/when there is excess parking available. The surveys will measure parking occupancies on one (1) typical weekday and on one (1) typical Saturday for all on- and off-street public and private spaces to determine occupancy by hour of day. The utilization counts will be taken hourly from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to ensure peak employee and patron parking demands are assessed.
As an optional task, parking duration data may be collected during the occupancy surveys in all public spaces (onstreet and off-street). This process would involve surveyors noting at least the last four digits of each license plate to calculate how long (to the hour) a vehicle has been parked without collecting any identifying information.
During the duration counts, surveyors would also be noting the presence of employee permits to help determine the types of users frequenting spaces. This data can be useful to discover whether long-term parkers are occupying spaces in front of retail businesses that would be better suited for customers. The cost for this optional task is $12,000.
Task 4 – Current and Future Parking Demand Analysis
W-Trans will analyze parking utilization and turnover rates and patterns to assess available capacity and the resulting ability for the existing supply to meet current demand. Based on these observations, a parking surplus or deficit will be calculated and will serve as a baseline to measure future parking demand projections and the potential for growth in land uses. Peak hours of parking demand will be mapped, detailing peak usage by lot and for each block face in the downtown.
Mr. Damien O’Bid Page 3 January 29, 2026
In addition, W-Trans will develop a comprehensive list of land use quantities within the downtown using the most current land use data provided by the City. This data will be used to calculate both the built ratio and the demand ratio of parking. The built ratio compares the total number of existing parking spaces to the total existing square footage of occupied building space within the study area. The demand ratio represents peak hour parking occupancy within the downtown. By conducting this analysis, actual parked vehicles can be correlated to actual occupied building area to develop ratios that can be effectively compared to Code requirements and rates published in the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) Parking Generation.
To estimate future parking demand in the downtown W-Trans will apply the demand ratios to the projected land use quantities gathered in Task 2. Based on available data as well as input received from City staff and key stakeholders, future parking demand may be calculated in phases to better schedule parking management recommendations and inform the necessary placement of needed future parking resources.
Deliverables: Current and Future Parking Demand Technical Report (Draft and Final) Task 5 – Community Engagement
W-Trans will work with City staff to develop, refine, and customize an effective outreach process to build collaborative interest in and consensus with the project given the diverse group of stakeholders that may have conflicting needs and expectations. Meeting/event design and setup, clear and easy to understand informational materials, and assistance in planning, staffing, and coordinating outreach events will also be provided. It is assumed the City would be responsible for maintaining a project website/social media and providing or distributing information to community members. All interviews, events, and workshops are assumed to be inperson. The process will include the following. • Stakeholder Interviews – W-Trans will collaborate with City staff to identify stakeholders and conduct a series of stakeholder interviews to solicit input from individuals and interest groups. The interviews will involve a series of half-hour to one-hour confidential meetings. Stakeholders could include neighborhood representatives, business owners, property owners, members of the Chamber of Commerce, City Council members, and other interested parties. It is assumed City staff will manage meeting invitations. • Community Workshop – W-Trans will organize, prepare for, and facilitate a community workshop to present the project findings and options and gain feedback from community members. The meeting will begin with a brief presentation of the project background, community outreach to date, followed by an introduction of the project goals and findings. Following the presentation, community members will discuss the findings and options and provide feedback on their likes, dislikes, and preferences. W-Trans staff will facilitate the discussion, and it is assumed that City staff will provide assistance including notices about the meeting and meeting facility. W-Trans will also provide Spanish interpretation services, if desired. • Pop-up events – In addition to facilitating the community workshop, two pop-up events will be held. Pop-up events provide an opportunity to present project material and inform and gain feedback from the public where they live, work, and play. Pop-up stations will typically include a table, E-Z Up, graphic boards, and easels displaying project materials. They can be very effective in reaching the community members who do not attend workshops/charrettes and meetings. Locations could include a farmers market, community events, school events, or a library.
• Online Community Questionnaire – It has become evident in recent years that there is proportionately more participation when an individual can provide input on their own time and in a location that best suits their availability and needs. This does not replace the synergy that can come from a workshop, but it does allow for a broader audience of participants. W-Trans will develop an online questionnaire (utilizing Microsoft Forms) to gather initial public input. W-Trans will ensure the platform is public focused with no technical jargon and easy for the public to use in both English and Spanish.
Deliverables:
Mr. Damien O’Bid Page 4 January 29, 2026
• Prepare for, organize, and facilitate up to eight (8) hours of half-hour to one-hour stakeholder meetings • Prepare for, organize, and facilitate one (1) community workshop • Prepare for, organize, and facilitate two (2) pop-up events • Develop and provide one (1) online questionnaire
Task 6 – Parking Management Strategies
Based on the parking analysis in Task 4 and the community input received in Task 5, W-Trans will develop a phased set of parking management strategies (short-term and long-term). Proposed strategies will address managing both the demand and supply of public and private parking. Potential strategies may include the following. • Shared parking or public/private partnerships in which parking resources and funding can be shared between compatible uses, whether private or public.
• Peak period parking strategies including short-, mid-, and long-term strategies to provide parking availability during peak periods and special events, such as valet services. • Optimization of existing spaces including enhanced wayfinding and information about parking availability. • Parking regulation strategies including modifying the hours of operation or time limits to prioritize patron use of front-door parking spaces and incentivize visitors to stay, shop, and dine in the downtown. • Residential and/or employee parking permit program improvements to alleviate employee use of prime onstreet spaces and prevent spillover into residential neighborhoods. • Updated enforcement practices to encourage compliance with parking regulations and minimize punitive measures.
• Technology enhancements to better guide motorists to available parking resources and enforce parking regulations.
• Transportation demand management strategies such as unbundling parking pricing or other measures that are cost-effective compared to parking construction.
• Zoning code recommendations designed to assist in the transition of businesses and their ability to contribute to the parking situation in the space-constrained downtown. • Identification of potential future parking sites (which may be minimal considering the downtown’s limited availability of land).
The proposed parking demand and supply strategies will be summarized in a technical memorandum that includes a user-friendly matrix which clearly describes the proposed strategy, details its implementation timeline, highlights strengths and potential challenges, identifies responsible parties, and estimates annual costs or funding sources.
Deliverables: Parking Management Strategies Technical Report (Draft and Final) Task 7 – Downtown Parking Management Plan
W-Trans will compile all data, analysis, and recommendations into a comprehensive Downtown Parking Management Plan. The Plan will include a summary of the project goals and objectives, study approach, data, analysis, and methodology. In addition, the Plan will include the comprehensive parking inventory, a summary of key findings, specific management strategy recommendations based on the quantitative analysis and public input, and implementation procedures that will be designed to meet the specific needs of the City. The Plan will be written in a concise and clear style that will incorporate appropriate graphics to ensure that it is a user-friendly document.
Deliverables: Downtown Parking Management Plan (Draft and Final) Mr. Damien O’Bid Page 5 January 29, 2026
Task 8 – City Coordination and Public Meeting Attendance W-Trans will hold monthly virtual coordination meetings with City staff. W-Trans will attend and present at up to two (2) in-person public meetings (e.g. Planning Commission, City Council).
Deliverables: Monthly virtual coordination meetings; Two (2) in-person public meetings Sincerely,
Brian Canepa, TDM-CP
Senior Principal
Enclosure: Budget
Mr. Damien O’Bid Page 6 January 29, 2026
Task Mark
Spencer
Brian
Canepa
Kevin
Carstens
Nathan
Sarafian/
Valerie
Haines/
Jennifer
Costello/
Cade
Luongo
Admin 1 Misc Total Hours
Project Initiation 0 3 0 6 0 $80 9
Existing Conditions Review 0 9 0 26 0 $0 35
Parking Data Collection 0 7 0 13 0 $7,502 20
Community Engagement 0 33 0 48 0 $320 81
Parking Management Strategies 7 33 2 66 2 $0 110
Parking Management Plan 7 26 7 53 7 $0 100
City Coordination & Public Meetings 0 26 0 26 0 $80 52
14 137 9 238 9 $7,982 407
Task $340 $320 $235 $170 $135 LS TOTAL
Project Initiation $0 $960 $0 $1,020 $0 $80 $2,060
Existing Conditions Review $0 $2,880 $0 $4,420 $0 $0 $7,300 Parking Data Collection $0 $2,240 $0 $2,210 $0 $7,502 $11,952 Community Engagement $0 $10,560 $0 $8,160 $0 $320 $19,040 Parking Management Strategies $2,380 $10,560 $470 $11,220 $270 $0 $24,900 Parking Management Plan $2,380 $8,320 $1,645 $9,010 $945 $0 $22,300 City Coordination & Public Meetings $0 $8,320 $0 $4,420 $0 $80 $12,820 $4,760 $43,840 $2,115 $40,460 $1,215 $7,982 $100,372
Downtown Parking Management Plan
W-Trans Fee Estimate
HOURS BY STAFF MEMBER
FEE AT HOURLY RATES INDICATED
These rates are valid for work performed prior to December 31, 2026. Work performed after January 1, 2027, and any subsequent year may be billed at the revised rates established for that year. * Mileage charge will be based on the IRS Standard Mileage Rate (set at $0.725/mile effective January 1, 2026) plus 10 percent.