Public Works And Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Fred Kelley
City Administrator Director, Oakland
Department of
Transportation
SUBJECT: Parking And Mobility Grant Funds
Acceptance and Municipal Code
Update
DATE: September 25, 2023
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt:
(A) A Resolution Authorizing the City Administrator To:
(1) Accept And Appropriate $1,500,000 In Grant Funds From The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Parking Management Implementation Capital Grant Program For The OakPark+ Program;
(2) File An Application For Funding Assigned To MTC;
(3) Commit Matching Funds Of $194,341 From Measure B/BB Grant Matching Funds;
(4) Add One Full Time Three Year Limited Duration Transportation Planner I Position In The Department Of Transportation Fiscal Year 2024-25 Mid-Cycle Budget Proposal To Implement The Grant Funded OakPark+ Project;
(5) State Assurance To Complete The Project; And
(6) Adopt Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings (B) An Ordinance:
(1) Amending Oakland Municipal Code:
Oct 12, 2023
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 2
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
(A) Section 10.04.040 To Define Traffic Islands and Medians;
(B) Section 10.28.280 To Establish A New Violation For Parking A Vehicle On Or In A Traffic Island Or Median;
(C) Section 10.36.140 To Add The Following Streets To The List Of Approved Parking Meter Zones: 2nd Street From Jefferson Street To Washington Street, Broadway To Webster Street And Harrison Street To Oak Street, 3rd Street From Jefferson Street To Washington Street, Franklin Street To Webster Street And Harrison Street To Oak Street, 4th Street From Webster Street To Oak Street, 5th Street From Broadway To Oak Street, 7th Street From Wood Street To Oak Street, 9th Avenue From 8th Avenue To Embarcadero, 9th Street From Clay Street To Franklin Street, 10th Street From Castro Street To Broadway, 24th Street From Northgate Avenue To Telegraph Avenue, 25th Street From Northgate Avenue To Telegraph Avenue, 26th Street From Telegraph Avenue To Broadway, 39th Street From MacArthur BART Access Road To Telegraph Avenue, 40th Street From Martin Luther King Jr Way To Webster Street, Brooklyn Basin Way From Embarcadero To 10th Avenue, Clay Street From Embarcadero West To 2nd Street, East 12th Street From Fruitvale Avenue To 37th Avenue, Embarcadero West From Alice Street To Fallon Street, Franklin Street From 2nd Street To 3rd Street, International Boulevard From 14th Avenue To 23rd Avenue, Jackson Street From Embarcadero West To 6th Street; Madison Street From Embarcadero West To 7th Street, MacArthur Boulevard From May Court To High Street, Shattuck Avenue From 51st Street To Telegraph Avenue, Webster Street From 3rd Street To 6th Street;
(D) Section 10.48.010 To Increase Citation Fines For 21211(B) No Parking–Bike Lane, 22500(B) No Parking–Crosswalk, 22500(F) No Parking–Sidewalk, 22500(H) No Parking–Double Parked To $105 And Add A New $105 Citation For Parking Adjacent To Or On Median Dividers Or Traffic Islands To Promote Pedestrian And Bicyclist Safety; And
(2) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The report and recommended actions include several actions to improve the safety, usability, and efficiency of the parking system in the City of Oakland (City). This includes acceptance of a $1,500,000 grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) that will fund two new staff positions for three years to: expand demand-responsive parking pricing to all commercial districts; explore all-week retail friendly metering; pilot parking occupancy sensors; install fifty new multi-space parking meter kiosks; and create a permanent Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) program through the OakPark+ Program.
The report also provides analyses that support recommendations to amend the Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) Section 10.04.040 to define “Traffic Island or Median”, Section Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 3
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
10.28.280 to establish a new violation for parking a vehicle on or in a traffic island or median, Section 10.36.140 to add needed meter zones and Section 10.48 to increase a number safety- related parking citation fine amounts and add a new citation type for parking on traffic islands or medians, all with the aim of improving access and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
In 1996, City Council adopted a resolution supporting public transit and alternative modes, known as Oakland’s Transit First Policy (Resolution No. 73036 CMS). This policy favors transit and alternative modes over private vehicles to reduce congestion and improve air quality, improve safety for people walking and bicycling, decrease parking demand, reduce individual transportation costs, and provide a balanced transportation system that supports many modes, making communities more livable.
In 2013, City Council adopted a set of Parking Principles (Resolution No. 84664 C.M.S ). These
principles inform and guide the active management of the parking system and include goals like achieving 85% on-street parking occupancy, bolstering the economic vitality of neighborhood commercial areas, encouraging the use of off-street parking lots and garages, and reinvesting a portion of parking revenue directly back to commercial district investments, potentially through Parking Benefit Districts.
In 2016, the newly-formed Department of Transportation (OakDOT) unveiled its Strategic Plan ,
including goals for improving transportation choices and minimizing parking demand, congestion, and pollution (Vibrant Sustainable Infrastructure #13), and managing public parking to balance the diverse needs of Oakland’s visitors, merchants, commuters and residents (Vibrant Sustainable Infrastructure #14).
In November 2016, the City Council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 86457 C.M.S. to
accept and appropriate $1.3 million of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds to establish the Parking and Mobility Management Initiative. In the same resolution, all parking meter zones in the City were changed to Flexible Parking Zones. In Flexible Parking Zones, “fees will be adjusted, upwards or downwards within the fee range [of the Master Fee Schedule] with the goal of reaching 85 percent peak period occupancy of parking.” The fee range for on-street parking meters in the Master Fee Schedule is $0.50-$4.00 per space per hour, and the City Administrator may adjust the rates within this range. Flexible parking zones have since been implemented in Chinatown and Montclair.
In June 2021, the City Council received an informational report on a suite of parking reforms
designed to reduce costs while increasing the City’s capacity to actively manage the parking and mobility system. These reforms included integrating on-street and off-street parking, all- week retail friendly parking metering, transitioning to a cashless “pay-by-plate” meter system using a phased approach, adding 1,000 new parking meters in existing meter zones, consolidating parking operations at the Parking Citation Assistance Center and the Meter Collections Unit into OakDOT, establishing the framework for Parking Benefit Districts, developing alternative work schedules for staff in the Parking Enforcement Unit and funding a new Universal Basic Mobility program to provide direct subsidies to Oaklanders to use public transit and shared mobility. Some of these recommendations were integrated into the Fiscal Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 4
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
Year 21-23 budget and again in Fiscal Year 23-25. Many of these recommendations continued to require new funding sources.
In February 2022, the City Council received an informational report on interdepartmental efforts to support safe access to and use of Lake Merritt. Council approved a resolution directing staff to implement the Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan by installing parking meters, signs, and curb paint on the streets around Lake Merritt and designated them as Flexible Parking Zones.
Council also affirmed that the district bordering Lake Merritt would benefit from metering 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
In April 2023, staff packaged the parking reforms and installation of meters as set forth in the informational reports provided above as the OakPark+ Program and applied for MTC grant funds to help fund implement the program.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The proposed Resolution would accept and appropriate $1,500,000 in grant funding from the MTC for the “OakPark+” project to fund staff time, parking meters, sensors, and license plate readers. The proposed Ordinance would allow for technical changes to the OMC to define “Traffic Island”, add needed meter zones, increase several safety-related parking citation fine amounts, and add a new citation type for parking on traffic islands with the aim of improving access and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. These recommendations meet the Citywide priorities of: holistic community safety by discouraging unsafe parking behaviors, and housing, economic, and cultural security by increasing parking turnover, availability and access in commercial corridors and will increase the City’s capacity to meet the growing transportation needs of all Oaklanders.
Accept And Appropriate Grant Funding From The Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Staff applied for and the City was awarded $1,500,000 in funding from the MTC Parking Management Implementation Capital Grant Program for a project titled “OakPark+”. The scope of work for OakPark+ Program includes the following tasks:
1. Expand demand-responsive parking pricing to all metered areas
2. Pilot the installation of parking sensors in high-value metered spaces to efficiently collect occupancy data
3. Implement all-week retail-friendly metered parking
4. Add 400 new metered parking spaces
5. Create a permanent Universal Basic Mobility Program
Accepting and appropriating these funds will allow OakDOT to hire one new staff position and devote half of the time of a second, existing staff position to implement the project’s parking policy changes and to purchase materials, including 40 new multi-space meter kiosks, 55 parking sensors, and one new automated license plate reader. The multi-space kiosks can meter approximately 10 parking spaces each. Each metered space generates approximately $1,500 per year in new revenues.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 5
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
Define Traffic Island And Create A New Parking Violation For Parking On Traffic Islands
OakDOT’s protected bike lanes include the separation of the bike lane from the travel lane or parking lane using a striped painted area or a concrete curb, known as a “traffic island”. While these areas are not designed to be parked in, from a structural or safety perspective, the OMC does not include a definition that covers traffic islands. As a result, Parking Control Technicians do not have a citation that can be issued to vehicles that park in or on top of the traffic islands.
Vehicles parking on them create safety hazards by obstructing sight lines for vehicles making turns onto or off of the street with the traffic island. This issue will only increase as protected bike lanes with traffic islands are installed on more streets, including Telegraph Avenue and 14th Street. By defining “traffic island” and creating a new $105 citation for parking a motor vehicle on or in a traffic island, parking control staff can issue a citation to vehicles parking there, effectively deterring this dangerous behavior. Staff will issue warnings for the first month of enforcing the new citation, one warning per vehicle, to promote compliance.
Adding New Streets To List Of Meter Zones
OMC Section 10.36.14 contains a list of streets that can have parking meters installed on them, known as “parking meter zones”. Since that list was last updated, the City has seen significant new residential and commercial development in many areas, including MacArthur Station, Uptown, Downtown, Jack London Square, Fruitvale, 7th Street, the International Boulevard corridor and Brooklyn Basin. Some streets within these areas could benefit from greater parking turnover, allowing residents and visitors to access them reliably. Parking meters are a proven strategy to increase parking turnover. Streets within these areas need to be added to the meter list before meters can be installed but adding them to the list does not guarantee that every segment of that street will be metered. Staff will conduct parking occupancy analyses, and blocks with the highest demonstrated on-street parking demand will be prioritized for meter installation. Map 1 shows the streets proposed to be added to the meter zone list.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 6
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
Map 1: Existing and proposed parking meter zones
Increase Fines For Bike Lane, Sidewalk, Crosswalk, And Double Parking Violations
Illegal parking in bike lanes, crosswalks, sidewalks, or traffic lanes creates serious safety hazards for vulnerable roadway users such as pedestrians and bicyclists. Increasing citation amounts to $105.00 for these safety-related violations will help ensure that sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and traffic lanes remain available for use and clear of parked vehicles. This will also help to prevent traffic collisions that might result from those dangerous parking behaviors. The recommended fine amount is comparable to other safety-related parking regulations, for example, the fine for blocking a fire hydrant is $105.00. The total citation amount, including state fees, will be $118.00
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 7
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT
Under the proposed resolution, $1,500,000 in regional discretionary funds will be accepted and appropriated into Fund 2163 - Metro Transportation Com: Program Grant, project number to be determined. $194,341 in matching funds is available in Fund 2218 - Measure BB - Local Streets and Roads (LS&R), Project 1001512 – LS&R Grant Matching Funds.
The 40 multi-space parking meter kiosks funded by the grant are expected to meter approximately 400 new parking spaces, generating approximately $600,000 in new revenues annually. The cost of staff time to plan and install the new meters are included in the grant funds. An existing Transportation Planner II will spend approximately fifty percent (50%) of their time managing the project. A new Transportation Planner I position will be added to the Fiscal Year 24-25 mid-cycle budget proposal to conduct the data collection and technical analysis. The budget for OakPark+ includes the following line items:
Table 1: OakPark+ Budget
Task # Expense Quantity Cost Per Unit 3-Year
Total Cost
1-5 Transportation Planner I (new hire) 1 FTE* $259,597 $782,070 1-5 Transportation Planner II (existing) .52 FTE* $300,512 $470,529 4 Multi-space Parking Meter Kiosk and
installation 40 $9,748 $389,920
4 Vehicle Mounted Automated License Plate
Reader (ALPR) with three year warranty 1 $35,597 $35,597 2 Parking Sensors 55 $295 $16,225
*FTE = Full Time Equivalent
Under the proposed Ordinance, revenues for increased citation amounts for bike lane, crosswalk, sidewalk, and double-parking violations were already appropriated in the City Council approved Fiscal Year 2023-2035 Budget. Over time, staff expect greater compliance and fewer citations to be issued. Additionally, defining “traffic island” and creating a new citation amount is expected to generate approximately $50,000 to $100,000 annually in net new citation revenues.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 8
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
In preparing the application for MTC’s Parking Management Capital grant program, staff drew on feedback received during outreach for the OakPark+ project and previous grant-funded Parking and Mobility Management Initiative (PMMI). The OakPark+ project was discussed at the May 11th, 2021 Public Works Committee and the June 22nd, 2021 City Council meeting. At those meeting, staff received feedback from the Council and public that was incorporated into the grant application.
The PMMI involved a similar effort to adjust parking pricing to match demand. Outreach for the PMMI included presentations to meetings of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, the Oakland Business Improvement District Alliance, the Montclair Village Association, The Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown/Uptown Business Improvement District, and others.
Staff announced the effort to define “traffic island or median” in the OMC and increase safety- related citation amounts at the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission meeting on August 17
th, 2023.
No specific outreach was done regarding adding new streets to the list of approved meter zones in the OMC. Adding streets to the list of approved meter zones does not mean that meters will be installed on those streets, only that meters can be installed if warranted. Staff will complete parking occupancy analyses and work with nearby businesses, residents, business improvement districts, and community groups to determine which streets on the approved meter zone list should be metered. Upon deciding to add meters, staff will notify businesses and residents on the streets that will receive the meters.
COORDINATION
In preparation of this report, staff coordinated with the Office of the City Attorney, the Budget Bureau, and the City Administrator’s Office.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The OakPark+ project and adding new streets to the meter list are expected to increase economic activity by making it easier for drivers to find parking at key destinations.
Environmental: The OakPark+ project and adding new streets to the meter list are expected to reduce vehicle miles traveled, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for drivers to circle their destination looking for parking.
Race & Equity: Task #5 of the OakPark+ project involves proposing a permanent Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) program. This program, currently in the pilot stage, provides free pre-paid debit cards to low-income Oaklanders to use for public transportation costs. Accepting grant funding for this project will help create a permanent version of the UBM program, benefiting low- income Oaklanders and Black, Latino, and Asian Oaklanders, who disproportionately use public transit when compared to white Oaklanders and high-income Oaklanders.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 9
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
Increasing citation amounts for traffic safety-related parking violations and creating a new violation for parking on a traffic island or median will discourage illegal and dangerous parking behaviors than can increase the risk of traffic crashes, thereby benefitting Black, Latino and Asian Oaklanders, who are more likely to be killed or severely injured in traffic crashes as compared to white Oaklanders1.
Adding streets to the list of approved meters zones will help encourage parking turnover and increase access to commercial districts, thereby benefitting nearby businesses and shoppers.
According to the OakDOT Geographic Equity Toolbox, several streets proposed to be added to the list are located in “Highest” and “High” equity priority areas 2, including 7th Street from Wood
Street to Oak Street, East 12th Street from Fruitvale Avenue to 37th Avenue, International Boulevard from 14th Avenue to 23rd Avenue and 9th Street from Clay Street to Franklin Street.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the CEQA Guidelines exempt specific types of projects from environmental review. The following CEQA exemptions apply to this Project under CEQA, 15183. (projects consistent with a Community Plan, General Plan, or Zoning), and 15061(b)(3) (no significant effect on the environment).
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt:
(A) A Resolution Authorizing the City Administrator To:
(1) Accept And Appropriate $1,500,000 In Grant Funds From The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Parking Management Implementation Capital Grant Program For The OakPark+ Program;
(2) File An Application For Funding Assigned To MTC;
(3) Commit Matching Funds Of $194,341 From Measure B/BB Grant Matching Funds;
(4) Add One Full Time Three Year Limited Duration Transportation Planner I Position In The Department Of Transportation Fiscal Year 2024-25 Mid-Cycle Budget Proposal To Implement The Grant Funded OakPark+ Project;
1 Safe Oakland Streets. (2023). Oakland Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 4 th from https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/05.23.23-PWTC-23-0251-2022-Safe-Oakland-Streets- REPORT.pdf
2 Geographic Equity Toolbox. (2023). Oakland Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 10 th 2023 from https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/oakdot-geographic-equity-toolbox Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 10
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
(5) State Assurance To Complete The Project; And
(6) Adopt Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings (B) An Ordinance:
(1) Amending Oakland Municipal Code:
(A) Section 10.04.040 To Define Traffic Islands and Medians;
(B) Section 10.28.280 To Establish A New Violation For Parking A Vehicle On Or In A Traffic Island Or Median;
(C) Section 10.36.140 To Add The Following Streets To The List Of Approved Parking Meter Zones: 2nd Street From Jefferson Street To Washington Street, Broadway To Webster Street And Harrison Street To Oak Street, 3rd Street From Jefferson Street To Washington Street, Franklin Street To Webster Street And Harrison Street To Oak Street, 4th Street From Webster Street To Oak Street, 5th Street From Broadway To Oak Street, 7th Street From Wood Street To Oak Street, 9th Avenue From 8th Avenue To Embarcadero, 9th Street From Clay Street To Franklin Street, 10th Street From Castro Street To Broadway, 24th Street From Northgate Avenue To Telegraph Avenue, 25th Street From Northgate Avenue To Telegraph Avenue, 26th Street From Telegraph Avenue To Broadway, 39th Street From MacArthur BART Access Road To Telegraph Avenue, 40th Street From Martin Luther King Jr Way To Webster Street, Brooklyn Basin Way From Embarcadero To 10th Avenue, Clay Street From Embarcadero West To 2nd Street, East 12th Street From Fruitvale Avenue To 37th Avenue, Embarcadero West From Alice Street To Fallon Street, Franklin Street From 2nd Street To 3rd Street, International Boulevard From 14th Avenue To 23rd Avenue, Jackson Street From Embarcadero West To 6th Street; Madison Street From Embarcadero West To 7th Street, MacArthur Boulevard From May Court To High Street, Shattuck Avenue From 51st Street To Telegraph Avenue, Webster Street From 3rd Street To 6th Street;
(D) Section 10.48.010 To Increase Citation Fines For 21211(B) No Parking–Bike Lane, 22500(B) No Parking–Crosswalk, 22500(F) No Parking–Sidewalk, 22500(H) No Parking–Double Parked To $105 And Add A New $105 Citation For Parking Adjacent To Or On Median Dividers Or Traffic Islands To Promote Pedestrian And Bicyclist Safety; And
(2) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Parking and Mobility Grant Funds Acceptance and Municipal Code Update Date: September 25, 2023 Page 11
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 24, 2023
For questions regarding this report, please contact Michael Ford, Parking and Mobility Division, at (510) 238-7670.
Respectfully submitted,
FRED KELLEY
Director, Oakland
Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Megan Wier, Assistant Director
Department of Transportation
Michael Ford, Manager
Parking and Mobility Division
Prepared by:
Kerby Olsen, Transportation Planner III
Mobility Management Team
Fred Kelley (Oct 5, 2023 16:26 PDT)
Fred Kelley