City Council
March 29, 2021
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Edward D. Reiskin FROM: Joe DeVries
City Administrator Deputy City Administrator
SUBJECT: Lake Merritt Parking Management
Plan
DATE: June 15, 2022
City Administrator Approval Date: Jun 16, 2022
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Consider The Following Pieces Of Legislation:
An Ordinance (1) Amending Oakland Municipal Code:
(A) Section 10.36.140 To Add The Following Streets To The List Of Approved Parking Meter Zones: Bellevue Avenue From Perkins Street To Grand Avenue, Lakeshore Avenue From Macarthur Boulevard To Lake Merritt Boulevard, Lake Merritt Boulevard From East 12th Street To Oak Street And Lakeside Drive From 17th Street To Jackson Street;
(B) Section 10.36.090 To Remove Sundays As Holidays In Support Of Districts That Would Benefit From All Week Parking Meter Management But Restricting Sunday Meters To Only Be Enforced After 12pm; And
(C) Sections 10.36.015 And 10.36.020 To Add Pay-By-Plate As An Allowed Meter Payment Method; And
(D) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings; And
A Resolution:
(A) Authorizing The City Administrator To Implement The Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan By Installing Parking Meters, Signs And Curb Paint On The Following Streets And Designating Them As Flexible Parking Zones: Bellevue Avenue From Perkins Street To Grand Avenue, Lakeshore Avenue From Macarthur Boulevard To Lake Merritt Boulevard, Lake Merritt Boulevard From East 12th Street To Oak Street And Lakeside Drive From 14th Street To Harrison Street;
(B) Appropriating $250,000 Dollars From Available Fund Balance In The General Purpose Fund For Materials And Labor;
(C) Waiving The Competitive Request For Proposals/Qualifications (RFP/Q) Competitive Selection Requirement And The Local Business/Small Local
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan
Date: June 16, 2022 Page 2
City Council
June 21, 2022
Business Requirements And Amending And Extending The Existing Professional Services Agreement With Parkmobile Usa, Inc. (“Parkmobile”) For Up To One Year In An Amount Not To Exceed Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) For The Reimbursement Of Transaction Fees Charged To Parkers;
(D) Waiving The RFP/Q Competitive Selection Requirement And The Local Business/Small Local Business Requ irements And Amending And Increasing The Existing Contract With Conduent, Inc. (“Conduent”) For Parking System Services In The Amount Of $876,000;
(E) Affirming That The District Bordering Lake Merritt Would Benefit From Metering Seven Days A Week, 8am-To-8pm Monday Through Saturday And 12pm-To-8pm Sundays ; And
(F) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings; And
(G) Direct the City Administrator To Pursue the Establishment Of A Parking Benefit District Or Similar Mechanism To Ensure The Net Revenue From This Program Is Allocated To Park Maintenance, Park Stewardship, Traffic Safety, Support For An Ongoing Vendor Program, And Discounted Transportation Access To The Lake.
(H) Establishing The Program As A One Year Pilot With Semi -Annual And Annual Review By The Parks And Recreation Advisory Commission And The City Council Life Enrichment Committee
REASON FOR SUPPLEMENTAL
The City Council considered this item on May 17, 2022, and continued the item to the June 21, 2022 City Council meeting, asking staff to return to Council with funding allocation recommendations for any net revenue generated by the new metering system. Council indicated an interest in incorporating the recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) regarding revenues and ongoing evaluation of the program. Council further expressed interest in staff’s recommendations to address equity concerns through support of a vendor market and OakDOT’s proposals to increase access to the lake through discounted transportation options for Oakland residents.
Staff recommends the Council address expenditure desires separately, as part of the budget process. Earmarking parking revenue that typically goes directly into the General Purpose Fund requires additional administrative work and may require new legislation to be brought forward.
However, given the desire to do so as part of the approval process for the parking plan, the legislation provided with this report enables that desire. The report below provides details on those recommendations.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan
Date: June 16, 2022 Page 3
City Council
June 21, 2022
Revenue Allocation Recommendations
1. The PRAC made a formal recommendation to support the Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan if the net revenue were to be allocated in the following manner which basically splits the revenue roughly in thirds:
• 36% toward park maintenance:
The increased need at Lake Merritt on weekends impacts maintenance operations for the entire park system as crews are redeployed to the lake and cannot address maintenance issues elsewhere. The Manager of this division can use these additional resources to increase and ensure equitable deployment, so all parks receive the level of care they need to thrive.
• 34% to install lighted pedestrian walkways on Lakeshore Ave at these locations:
Beacon Street, Bolden Way (near Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church), Cascade stairs, and Wesley Ave.
This recommendation addresses a specific need for improvements on Lakeshore where large numbers of pedestrians are crossing the street to access the park. These funds could also be used to fund more permanent traffic control measures such as treatments in the center turn lane to avoid it becoming a parking lane as has happened repeatedly. Once the safety measures are implemented at the lake, other traffic safety mitigations near other parks would be advisable.
Neighborhoods throughout Oakland, especially in priority neighborhoods and along the High Injury Network could benefit from better pedestrian crosswalks, pedestrian level street lighting, and other traffic calming measures to make parks more accessible.
• 30% toward the Park Stewards program:
The Park Steward program is new and still being developed, but there is no dedicated ongoing funding stream. The public has consistently expressed support for Park “Stewards” to encourage a better experience for park visitors at the lake and throughout the City. There are many reported instances of quality-of-life concerns in parks that do not rise to the level of requiring an armed law enforcement response but do require engagement. Visitors using amplified music to levels that are disturbing to other park users is a very common complaint at the lake and elsewhere. People using trails improperly, such as mountain biking in environmentally protected and sensitive areas, hosting events without the proper permits, or not cleaning up thoroughly after an event are examples of where a Park Steward could increase awareness about the impact of the activity and perform some basic service functions such as installing and distributing signage about park rules.
2. The Lake Merritt Working Group conducted an Equity Analysis of this parking plan and recognizes that there is likely going to be an impact on lower income residents that find the new parking fees a barrier to accessing the lake. The analysis also recognizes that past traffic control measures have disrupted public transit lines--often the only option to the lowest income residents to travel to the lake. Therefore, staff began to engage with AC Transit about free or reduced bus service to and/or from the lake for Oakland residents on weekends when demand is highest and providing fee-free debit cards to lower the cost for drivers using the parking kiosks. Staff recommends a portion of the net revenue be directed to a discounted Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan
Date: June 16, 2022 Page 4
City Council
June 21, 2022
transportation mitigation and will continue to research the best approach. This recommendation also supports the City’s climate change goals of promoting expanded use of public transit and the reduction of greenhouse gas production.
3. The Working Group also recognizes that the ability to vend at the lake has been a lifeline during the pandemic to Oakland entrepreneurs, particularly African American vendors that have participated in a vendor pilot for two successful summers. Many of these vendors found past opportunities to vend to be cost prohibitive and exclusionary. For example, many felt they did not have the resources to participate in farmer’s markets and other events because the entry fees were too high or that the permitting fee structure for parks or for street vending made profitability unattainable. The pilot vending program offered a low-cost opportunity for those vendors and also creates a more manageable experience for all who are visiting the lake by providing appropriate sanitation facilities and staffing to manage event activities including a civilian and police presence. Staff recommend a portion of net revenue also be allotted to supporting a Lake Merritt vending program and continued efforts to make street vending more attainable for Oakland vendors as a reasonable equity mitigation.
The estimated net revenue from this proposal is between $1.5 million and $1.7 million annually and is likely to fluctuate depending on the implementation timeline, the impact on visits to the lake, and how successful efforts are at promoting alternative travel (public transit) to the lake.
Therefore, staff recommends a percentage-based distribution of resources as opposed to a fixed amount. The formula below incorporates the PRAC recommendations and the equity mitigations discussed above as follows:
• 25% of net revenue will be allocated to address the two equity mitigations:
o Support for a Lake Merritt Vending Program, and developing additional vending opportunities for Oakland vendors citywide
o discounted transportation options to or from Lake Merritt on weekends for Oakland residents
• 25% of net revenue to be allotted to park maintenance efforts citywide • 30% of net revenue to be allocated to an expanded Park Steward program citywide • 20% of net revenue to be allotted to traffic safety improvements surrounding the Lake and adjacent to parks citywide.
Based on current projections, the projected allotment to each of these strategies would range from $375,000 to $425,000 annually.
Evaluation Recommendation
The PRAC also recommended the City establish the program as a one-year pilot with a six- month review that will include ongoing data analysis, reported out regularly to the PRAC to include: Ticket Data to determine who is parking at the lake, the revenue generated, and the high demand times. Traffic data that indicates whether roadways are blocked, whether there is still double and triple parking, and whether bus lines are delayed. They also included crime data to determine if the program has an impact on crime.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan
Date: June 16, 2022 Page 5
City Council
June 21, 2022
Outreach Recommendation
Staff will conduct extensive outreach at the lake prior to and during the implementation of the parking program. This will include face-to-face contact, signage, and placing flyers on vehicles parked at the lake. Warnings will be issued prior to the issuance of tickets for at least a thirty day period.
Staff incorporated the above funding formula, the evaluation recommendation, and the outreach components into the amended resolution for adoption.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Consider The Following Pieces Of Legislation:
An Ordinance (1) Amending Oakland Municipal Code:
(A) Section 10.36.140 To Add The Following Streets To The List Of Approved Parking Meter Zones: Bellevue Avenue From Perkins Street To Grand Avenue, Lakeshore Avenue From Macarthur Boulevard To Lake Merritt Boulevard, Lake Merritt Boulevard From East 12th Street To Oak Street And Lakeside Drive From 17th Street To Jackson Street;
(B) Section 10.36.090 To Remove Sundays As Holidays In Support Of Districts That Would Benefit From All Week Parking Meter Management But Restricting Sunday Meters To Only Be Enforced After 12pm; And
(C) Sections 10.36.015 And 10.36.020 To Add Pay-By-Plate As An Allowed Meter Payment Method; And
(D) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings; And
A Resolution:
(A) Authorizing The City Administrator To Implement The Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan By Installing Parking Meters, Signs And Curb Paint On The Following Streets And Designating Them As Flexible Parking Zones: Bellevue Avenue From Perkins Street To Grand Avenue, Lakeshore Avenue From Macarthur Boulevard To Lake Merritt Boulevard, Lake Merritt Boulevard From East 12th Street To Oak Street And Lakeside Drive From 14th Street To Harrison Street;
(B) Appropriating $250,000 Dollars From Available Fund Balance In The General Purpose Fund For Materials And Labor;
(C) Waiving The Competitive Request For Proposals/Qualifications (RFP/Q) Competitive Selection Requirement And The Local Business/Small Local Business Requirements And Amending And Extending The Existing Professional Services Agreement With Parkmobile Usa, Inc. (“Parkmobile”) For Up To One Year In An Amount Not To Exceed Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan
Date: June 16, 2022 Page 6
City Council
June 21, 2022
Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) For The Reimbursement Of Transaction Fees Charged To Parkers;
(D) Waiving The RFP/Q Competitive Selection Requirement And The Local Business/Small Local Business Requirements And Amending And Increasing The Existing Contract With Conduent, Inc. (“Conduent”) For Parking System Services In The Amount Of $876,000;
(E) Affirming That The District Bordering Lake Merritt Would Benefit From Metering Seven Days A Week , 8am-To-8pm Monday Through Saturday And 12pm -To-8pm Sundays ; And
(F) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings; And
(G) Allocating The Net Revenue From This Program To Park Maintenance, Park Stewardship, Traffic Safety, Support For An Ongoing Vendor Program, And Discounted Transportation Access To The Lake.
(H) Establishing The Program As A One Year Pilot With Semi-Annual And Annual Review By The Parks And Recreation Advisory Commission And The City Council Life Enrichment Committee
For questions regarding this report, please contact Joe DeVries, Deputy City Administrator, at 510-238-3083.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe DeVries
Deputy City Administrator, City Administrator’s
Office