City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2023-00905 8/8/2023 Consent Item 11.
Educational Institution Parking Permits
File ID: 2023-00905
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution establishing an on-street Educational Institution Parking Permit program to provide school staff parking permits for eligible school sites in Sacramento.
Contact: Erika Galang, Program Specialist (916) 808-8572, [email protected]; Matt Eierman, Director of Public Works, (916) 808-5849, [email protected], Department of Public Works
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: Many schools in Sacramento were established during an era when motor vehicles were not the major mode of transportation and off-street parking spaces were not included in the design of school campuses. However, as developments and automobile use increased in subsequent decades, so did the need for updated regulations regarding parking. Over the decades, school staff have found it increasingly difficult to secure parking at or near their workplaces due to on-street regulations which limit the time they may park.
The major issues presented at schools with limited, or non-existent, off-street parking facilities are:
(1) unregulated parking spaces on the street are occupied by other vehicles in the mornings, before school personnel arrive for work, (2) parking spaces located in Residential Permit Parking (RPP) areas limit non-resident vehicles to only one or two hours of parking and school staff cannot leave their classrooms during instructional time to move their vehicles, and (3) adverse effects on parking are created in RPP areas when residents are unable to park near their own homes due to school personnel vehicles that occupy limited spaces.
File ID: 2023-00905 8/8/2023 Consent Item 11.
Beginning in 2018, the City Council approved Educational Institution Parking Permit (EIPP) pilot programs at four local schools in Sacramento to accommodate school personnel parking. The pilot program permits limit personnel parking to school-owned property lines during school operational hours. The pilot schools have non-existent or limited off-street parking options for staff and are located within RPP areas. The pilot schools also occupy the majority, or all, of the city block they are situated on, with no residential properties sharing the same side of the specific street where the EIPP is active. The pilot parking spaces are assigned only to spaces adjacent to the school-owned property lines to eliminate the need for school personnel to park in RPP areas. The EIPP hours of enforcement are limited to allow use of those same on-street spaces for other vehicles when the school is not open.
Due to the success of the pilot at these locations, staff requests adoption of a resolution, pursuant to California Vehicle Code section 22507(b), to create a permanent EIPP to support local schools that meet the prescribe criteria under the proposed resolution.
Policy Considerations: This recommendation is consistent with the City’s General Plan goals to enhance livability and preserve neighborhoods.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations:
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): The current proposal involves restrictions to parking. The proposal is not a “project” in accordance with Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines. The proposal does not have a potential for resulting in either direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Therefore, as determined by the City’s Environmental Services Planning Manager, no environmental review is necessary.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: None.
Rationale for Recommendation: California Vehicle Code section 22507(b) authorizes the designation of preferential parking privileges for school personnel to park on specified streets if use of the permits will not adversely affect parking conditions for residents and merchants in the area.
File ID: 2023-00905 8/8/2023 Consent Item 11.
Parking Services staff implemented the EIPP pilots at the following schools: William Land Elementary, Washington Elementary, St. Francis of Assisi Elementary, and St. Francis High School.
During the pilot phase, staff took into consideration input from school personnel, residents, and periodic observations of parking conditions to create the positive balance and efficient use of the on- street parking spaces.
The pilot program produced the following findings:
· Limiting school personnel parking to school-owned property lines removed the adverse effect created by school personnel parking in nearby residential permit parking (RPP) areas. The RPP spaces are now more available for residents, their guests, and transient drivers to the area. · Residential permit parking (RPP) was established by city code to provide parking exemptions on specific streets where residential properties exist. The pilot revealed areas that RPP was established on specific streets, along school-owned property lines, where there were no residential properties. Residential property owners may only petition and vote for changes to parking regulations affecting the block face where their own property exists. · In most pilot locations, the school campus occupies the entire city block. With no residential properties along the same block face where the school-owned property lines exist, the governing body of a school has the same ability as residential property owners to request changes to parking regulations affecting those block faces, including the removal of RPP where no residential properties are present.
· Despite the right of the school’s governing body to request removal of RPP from their own property lines, it is in the best interest of community relations to create a compromise to retain RPP exemptions on those spaces during hours when the school is not in session. · On weekdays, school personnel need access to parking spaces prior to their contractual work start time to have time to park and walk to their classrooms. School personnel work in shifts and are not limited to teaching staff. The earliest time staff need access to spaces is 7:00 a.m. The latest time that access can be removed without affecting staff parking needs varies between 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., depending on the school site’s operating hours and programs. This may change with recent state law regulating the start and end times of middle and high schools. · Present-day school operations now include summer and winter programs to accommodate the increase in educational requirements and staff time. Therefore, the EIPP enforcement should remain in effect all year long for school sites operating intersession programs. · Initial pilot permits were in the form of physical hangtags which involved inventory audits, printing, delivery, and distribution costs. Permits have since been converted to electronic permits, using the staff’s vehicle license plate as the credential. This has greatly reduced the time and costs for both city and school staff. Electronic permits also create more efficiency for parking enforcement operations and allow school personnel to manage the permits themselves.
File ID: 2023-00905 8/8/2023 Consent Item 11.
Electronic permits are provided by a third-party vendor. · Pilot locations are in various parts of Sacramento, including at metered locations and in busy corridors. Pilot permits were charged at the same monthly rate per vehicle amongst all pilot sites.
However, if established as a permanent program, the cost of permits at any EIPP site will vary according to parking demand in that EIPP area.
Use of educational institution parking permits will continue be restricted to only school-owned property lines when feasible and take into consideration the school’s operating hours, general staff arrival time, and general staff departure times. During unrestricted hours when the permit is not valid, best efforts will be made to convert those spaces to general parking. Only school sites with no viable off-street staff parking options will be considered for the EIPP. Permits will be limited to staff only and not students.
The following goals of the pilot were met, and it is recommended that the EIPP be established as a permanent program by resolution:
· Convenient and increased parking supply for school personnel. · Increased safety for school personnel and residents with parking that is closer in proximity to schools and homes.
· Reduction of long-term parking by commuter vehicles in RPP areas and around the school.
· Established curbs for student drop-off and pick-up to promote traffic and student safety. · Maintained short-term parking for non-resident vehicles visiting the area.
Financial Considerations: EIPP participants pay a monthly parking fee to maintain their permit. The installation of signage and removal of old signage will be performed by department staff. The cost to install new signage is approximately $500. Sufficient funds are available in the Department of Public Works, Parking Services Division operating budget (General Fund, Fund 1001) to support the establishment of the Educational Institution Parking Permit program. All EIPP revenue will be credited to the General Fund (Fund 1001).
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
RESOLUTION NO. 2023 –
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
August 8, 2023
Educational Institution Parking Permits
BACKGROUND
A. Many schools in Sacramento were established during an era when motor vehicles were not the major mode of transportation and off-street parking spaces were not included in the construction plans. However, as developments and automobile use increased in subsequent decades, so did the need for parking. Over the decades, school staff have found it increasingly difficult to secure parking at or near their workplaces due to on -street regulations which limit the time they may park.
B. The major issues presented with schools with limited, or non -existent, off-street parking facilities are: (1) unregulated parking spaces on the street are occupied by other vehicles in the mornings, before school personnel arrive for work, (2) parking spaces located in Residential Permit Parking (RPP) areas limit non - resident vehicles to only one or two hours of parking and school staff cannot leave their classrooms during instructional time to move their vehicles, and (3) adverse effects on parking are created in RPP areas when residents are unable to park near their own homes du e to school personnel vehicles that occupy limited spaces.
C. California Vehicle Code section 22507 (b) authorizes the City Council to adopt a resolution designating certain streets upon which preferential parking privileges may be given to school personnel to park on specified streets if it is determined that use of the permits will not adversely affect parking conditions for residents and merchants in the area.
D. The Educational Institution Parking Permit (EI PP) program involves issuance of parking permits that allow employees of qualified school sites to park at specific parking spaces on the street during designated days and hours. EIPP locations are posted with signage to indicate where vehicles with valid EIPP may park. The cost of each EIPP is assessed monthly for each vehicle.
E. The Educational Institution Parking Permit (EIPP) program promotes the following goals to balance the use of limited on-street parking spaces and it is recommended that the EIPP be established as a permanent program by resolution:
Convenient and increased parking supply for school personnel. Increased safety for school personnel and residents with parking that is closer in proximity to schools and homes.
Reduction of long-term parking by commuter vehicles in RPP areas and around the school.
Established curbs for student drop -off and pick -up to promote traffic and student safety.
Maintain short-term parking for non-resident vehicles visiting the area.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Educational Institution Parking Permit (EIPP) program is established to provide permit parking for school personnel along school-owned property lines. EIPP permits are restricted to schools where viable off- street parking options are limited or non-existent.
Section 2. The following EIPP pilot schools are recognized as approved for issuance of EIPP permits: Washington Elementary, William Land Elementary School, St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School, and St. Francis Catholic High School.
Section 3. The EIPP permit program shall reduce the adverse effects of school staff parking in residential permit parking (RPP) areas by providing availability of parking spaces for residents within closer proximity to their homes.
Section 4. The EIPP permit program shall deploy shared-use mechanisms, when feasible and with the cooperation of the school site, to support RPP regulations on specific streets where RPP was previously established along non-residential properties.
Section 5. Participants in the EIPP permit program shall utilize electronic permits to reduce environmental waste, promote efficient enforcement practices, prevent program abuse, and reduce costs associated with the printing of permits. Permit fees shall be assessed monthly for each participant vehicle with pricing based on location, if meters are present, and parking demand in the area.