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Agenda Report
May 20, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Department of Transportation
SUBJECT: ESTABLISH A PLAYHOUSE PARKING METER ZONE ADVISORY
COMMISSION, AMEND THE MUNICIPAL CODE EXPANDING THE
PLAYHOUSE PARKING METER ZONE BOUNDARIES, AND ADOPT
AN UPDATED METER RATE STRUCTURE
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the recommended actions are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines per Section 15301 (existing facilities), there are no features that distinguish this project from others in the exempt class and, therefore, there are no unusual circumstances;
2. Adopt a resolution establishing the Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Parking Advisory Commission per the Pasadena Municipal Code Chapters 10.45 and 2.98; and
3. Direct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance within 60 days amending Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 10.45.220 to:
a. Expand the boundaries of the Pasadena Playhouse parking meter zone and return to City Council with a legal description of the boundaries consistent with the general description boundaries in the agenda report as shown in Attachment A;
b. Adopt an occupancy-based parking meter rate and authorize the Director of Transportation to adjust the base parking rate at no less than $1.00 per hour and no greater than $5.00 per hour as permitted by posted parking regulations.
i. The rates shall be based on parking demand, with the goal of reaching occupancy by vehicles at the rate of 70 to 90 percent for parking meter spaces on each block at such times and hours that payment is required;
ii. Rate changes will not occur more than once every six months; MEETING OF_05/20/2Q24_AGENDA ITEM NO. __21
Authorization to Establish the Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Parking Advisory Commission, Amend the Municipal Code to Expand the Parking Meter Zone Boundaries, and Set a Parking Rate May 20, 2024
ill.
iv.
As defined in this report, adopt an escalated parking meter rate allowing the Director of Transportation to set the escalated parking rate to be up to two times the base meter rate for any parking beyond an initial base parking period; and
Beginning on July 1, 2025, and on each July 1, thereafter, the maximum rates shall be raised by an amount equal to the change in the consumer price index and rounded down to the nearest quarter of a dollar.
BACKGROUND:
A parking study of the Pasadena Playhouse District was conducted in 2000, updated in 2003, and presented to City Council in 2005. Since then, staff from the Department of Transportation (DOT) have met regularly with representatives from the Playhouse Village Association (PVA) and Playhouse business owners regarding parking management strategies for the zone. Initially, the desired solution from the PVA was for additional off-street parking facilities to be built by the City. However, that solution was proven to be cost-prohibitive and the PVA along with some local business owners became supportive of a multi-faceted solution for parking management for the area, which included the potential of installing parking meters.
In April 2020, the City retained the services of Dixon Resources Unlimited (Dixon) to provide consultant services and assist with parking management strategies to address the PVA's parking concerns. Dixon conducted outreach to local businesses and the PVA to assess support, assisted staff with a parking demand and occupancy study of the area, and helped determine what technology should be utilized if there was sufficient support for meter installation. In addition, Dixon worked with the Parking Division and private parking owners to identify key contributors in developing an employee parking program in the district when the parking program is launched.
Dixon also facilitated a series of meetings with PVA representatives, where Dixon and City staff presented a strategic parking management approach using the data collected to propose the establishment of a Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Parking Advisory Commission (Commission) and the Playhouse parking meter zone expansion.
Presentations of the proposed paid parking program were made to the PVA Economic Development Committee on October 12, 2023, the PVA Executive Committee on November 17, 2023, and the PVA Board of Directors meeting on December 6, 2023.
During these meetings, attendees provided input and asked questions. Overall, the comments were in support of the boundaries and the proposed paid parking program.
Parking Meter Zone Parking Advisory Commission
As stated in Chapter 2.98 of the Pasadena Municipal Code, the City Council may establish a "parking advisory commission" that recommends the priority expenditures of new revenues from parking meters within the parking meter zone for street and parking related expenditures which regulate and control traffic and parking withing the parking meter zone and its surrounding area. Throughout conversations with PVA leadership Authorization to Establish the Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Parking Advisory Commission, Amend the Municipal Code to Expand the Parking Meter Zone Boundaries, and Set a Parking Rate May 20, 2024
and constituents, all expressed a desire for a commission to assist with oversight of the meter program and the meter fund expenditures.
Per the municipal code, the commission shall consist of seven members. Three commissioners shall be or represent property owners who own property within the meter zone, three shall represent renters or lessees of property within the meter zone, and one commissioner shall serve "at large" as a representative of either group.
Commissioners are nominated by the mayor from persons recommended by the other councilmembers and are subject to confirmation by the City Council.
Parking Meter Zone Expansion
The current Playhouse Parking Meter Zone, as outlined in Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 10.45.220, is bounded by Union Street to the North, Los Robles Avenue to the West, El Dorado Street to the South, and Oakland Avenue to the East. Paid parking currently exists on Los Rabies Avenue from Green Street to Union Street. The proposed expansion would extend the zone boundaries to the east. As shown below in Attachment A, the expansion would be bound by Union Street to the North, Los Robles Avenue to the West, El Dorado Street to the south along Oakland Avenue, then Green Street to the South along Hudson Avenue, then Colorado Boulevard to the South, Catalina Avenue to the East until reaching Union Street. s
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CURRENT PARKING METER
ZONE BOUNDARY
|a.DOBADOSIMRAMONIE PL
PROPOSED PARKIKC MFIFn
ZONE: BOUNOARf
Occupancy Based Parking Meter Rates by Zone and Escalating Rates The proposed paid parking program options included studies of the Playhouse Village area using license plate recognition technology that provided parking occupancy data and turnover data. A report detailing the analysis is included as Attachment B. Based on this data two parking strategies were developed for the proposed Playhouse Parking Meter Zone area:
Authorization to Establish the Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Parking Advisory Commission, Amend the Municipal Code to Expand the Parking Meter Zone Boundaries, and Set a Parking Rate May 20, 2024
Occupancy based parking meter rates by zone;and
Escalating rates beyond the initial base rate parking period.
The parking industry standard is for streets to have an occupancy rate of 85 percent or less. This allows for enough vacant spaces to (1) minimize circling by drivers searching for spaces and (2) reduce oversupply, which is an inefficient use of valuable land.
Utilizing the parking industry-standard target for an on-street parking occupancy rate of 85 percent, in combination with the occupancy data collected, it was possible to gauge demand and identify the levels of parking utilization at specific locations and during certain periods.
The parking occupancy rates and utilization were used to recommend that the highest- demand locations be priced at a premium while underutilized streets are incentivized with a discounted rate. Also, the paid parking hours of operation are recommended to change from Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to Monday to Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., based on demand patterns seen in the parking occupancy and turnover data. There is significant demand due to restaurant, retail and entertainment venues in the Playhouse area that require parking occupancy to be managed beyond traditional business hours. Based on the analysis, staff recommends the use of occupancy based meter rates, which can be separated into two zones. The occupancy data would be monitored, and rates could be changed no more than once every six months.
In addition to establishing the base rate by zone using an occupancy based system, another rate structure tool was also recommended, allowing on-street parking beyond the initial time provided at a base rate, through the use of escalated rates. The escalating rate model is a strategy to increase on-street parking availability by allowing a driver to decide what is the best parking session length of stay. In a two-hour-plus zone, the escalating rate model would have a base cost for the initial two hours, and if the driver chooses to stay for an additional hour, there would be an increased cost per hour. An escalated rate gives the customer flexibility by giving them the option to pay to stay. The image below shows an example of an escalating rate option. This rate structure also allows someone who is running beyond their initially anticipated time while shopping or visiting businesses within the meter zone to purchase additional time at an escalated rate, without the fear of citation for an expired parking meter.
Playhouse Zones
2-hour + Zone A
2-hour + Zone B
First Hour
$2.00
$1.25
Second Hour
$2.00
$1.25
Third Hour
$4.00
$2.00
After reviewing occupancy data, repeat parker statistics, estimated procurement costs, and a proposed model to assist area employees transition to paid parking, the PVA Board of Directors voted to support the implementation of paid parking using an occupancy-based and escalating rate model, creation of a Playhouse Village Parking Meter Zone Advisory Commission, revision of the Playhouse Village parking meter Authorization to Establish the Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Parking Advisory Commission, Amend the Municipal Code to Expand the Parking Meter Zone Boundaries, and Set a Parking Rate May 20, 2024
zone, and procurement of pay stations. The procurement of the pay stations is on a separate agenda item from this report.
The benefits of the paid parking program wilt enhance the availability of short-term parking for businesses and merchants throughout the Playhouse Village area, promote long-term parkers to seek off-street parking, and enable the City to improve overall parking management and simplify parking enforcement.
The City will partner with the PVA to launch a comprehensive outreach campaign in preparation for future parking initiatives. The outreach campaign will include an educational component to communicate the benefits of paid parking, including the reduction of circling, increased on-street parking availability, and the overall enhancement to the customers' experience. Efforts to develop an employee parking program will continue in collaboration with the PVA and local private parking operators with the goal of providing zone employees with affordable parking options when the paid parking program is launched. These agreements will be brought as a separate agenda item when terms have been discussed and private operators secured.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
This project is consistent with the City Coundl's goal to improve, maintain, and enhance public facilities and infrastructure and supports and promotes the quality of life and the local economy. The project is consistent the Mobility Element of the General Plan objective to create a supportive climate for economic viability by working with existing businesses to assess parking needs and requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The project has been reviewed for compliance with CEQA and is exempt per Section 15301 (existing facilities) which exempts from further environmental review those projects that consist of the minor alteration of existing facilities involving negligible or no expansion of the use. The action proposed herein will consist of minor physical work to install parking meter pay stations in a programmatic fashion throughout the Playhouse Village area and over a six- month period. There are no exceptions to the use of an exemption identified in Section 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines that apply to the project. There are no features that distinguish the project from others in the exempt class and, therefore, there are no unusual circumstances. Accordingly, no further CEQA review is required for this activity.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action, due to the expanded parking meter zone area and adjusted hours of operation, is an estimated revenue increase to the Playhouse Meter Fund (22924017) by approximately $750,000 in FY2025. Once established, the Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Advisory Commission's purpose will be to recommend to the City Council expenditures of net revenues in the Playhouse Meter Fund for street and parking-related expenditures which regulate and control traffic and parking within the parking meter zone and its surrounding area.
Authorization to Establish the Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Parking Advisory Commission, Amend the Municipal Code to Expand the Parking Meter Zone Boundaries, and Set a Parking Rate May 20, 2024
The implementation of the expanded meter zone area will have an initial cost projected at $836,885. This includes the pay stations, tax, programming costs, software fees, and $81,000 for meter signage installation throughout the Playhouse Village meter zone.
The procurement costs of the parking pay stations will be included with the contract award on a separate agenda item.
City staffing associated with the enforcement, operations, and administration of the new on-street parking meters will be addressed in FY2025. It is anticipated that two additional parking enforcement representatives will be required to patrol the expanded parking meter zone and one additional administrative position to assist with parking citation processing, Commission meeting staffing, and support which totals approximately $230,000 annually.
Outreach and education associated with the new parking meter operations is anticipated to be cost-neutral due to the partnership with the PVA.
The future parking meter equipment operations and maintenance costs are anticipated to cost $96,628 annually. The annual operating costs for the expanded meter zone will total $326.628 annually, inclusive of staffing and meter equipment operations and maintenance.
Respectfully submitted,
Prepared by:
JOAQUIN T. SIQUES
Director
Department of Transportation
Jan Hamblen
Parking Manager
Approved by:
<RQUEZ
City Manager
Attachments: (2)
Attachment A - Pasadena Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Expansion Map Attachment B - Playhouse Village Paid Parking Project Recommendation - Dixon