Memorandum
PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
37-009887.00
1 Date: October 10, 2024
To: Zach Pollard
Company: City of Santa Monica
Address: 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Copy To: Joyce Perez, Tanza Greenwood, Eric O’Connor
From: Daniel Garcia, Steffen Turoff, Jonathan Wicks
Project Name: City of Santa Monica Parking Study
Project Number: 37-009887.00
Introduction
As part of the study of existing conditions, the City of Santa Monica would like to better understand the current utilization of Parking Structure (PS) 1. The following memorandum summarizes the parking supply and demand analysis conducted for PS1 based on parking occupancy data available within the Smarking platform for PS1 and facilities located nearby, including PS2, PS4, PS9, PS10, and Lot 27. The data included in the analysis covered the latest fiscal year, from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, as well as FY 18/19, and FY 16/17.
Study Area
The study area for this analysis consists of PS1, PS2, PS4, PS9, and PS10. Lot 27 is also located in close proximity to PS1 but given that Lot 27 is scheduled to become affordable housing in 2028, in the subsequent analysis, future demand for Lot 27 is assumed to be distributed among the other aforementioned study area facilities, while its supply is removed. Similarly, for the purpose of our analysis we take into account the demand for parking currently being accommodated in PS 1 but assume the loss of PS 1 spaces to determine whether parking supply in the Study Area overall is adequate, if PS 1 were to be removed.
Parking Analysis Overview
To determine the utilization of PS1, and any potential impacts on the public parking system should the current PS1 site be converted to a different use in the future, including the possible removal of parking spaces in PS1, Walker performed an analysis of the existing availability of parking within and around PS1 and the coastal zone.
We then considered near-future parking demand conditions and whether a projected redistribution of the parking demand currently served by the facility is feasible and reasonable to assume.
Summary of Findings
• PS1 filled to maximum capacity on only one day during the July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 period, and it was on the first day (Feb. 15, 2024) of the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational, when the garage was being used to park spectators to be shuttled outside of Downtown. Parking occupancy in PS1 nearly reached capacity on a couple of other days during the survey period, mainly around the July/August period and saw 11 Memorandum
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2 days where peak occupancy reached over 90 percent occupancy in 2023/24. The data indicate that while there were a handful of days that the facility was nearly full, on most days of the year there is excess capacity in PS1.
• July/August weekends were the busiest days of the year for PS1. • Excluding the PGA Tour event-driven demand, we find that the combined demand among the study area facilities (PS2, PS9, PS10, Lot 27) follows a similar pattern to PS1, where July/August 2023 have a concentration of high-demand days, with the peak day being Saturday, July 22, 2023. • Even under a scenario where the supply for PS1 is removed from the study area, and an effective supply factor is applied (a cushion of spaces to help ensure drivers can find available spaces), there are still projected to be over 170 available parking spaces in the facilities closest to PS1 including PS2, PS4, PS9, and PS10 on the busiest (peak) day of the year.
• Analysis of the 2023/24 data showed no negative impact to coastal access parking, as even on the busiest day of the year, and assuming the removal of PS1 spaces from the overall supply, as well as roughly 80 spaces from the top level of PS6 for the Rooftop Cinema development scheduled to open in the summer of 2025, there were 1,900+ spaces available in the coastal zone. • Across a 365-day survey period, the 2016/17 and 2018/19 occupancy data were generally higher than the 2023/24 data, with 2016/17 generally having the highest occupancies. Nonetheless, PS1 and its adjacent facilities did not fill to capacity any more often than they did in 2023/24. • While there were some days in which study area demand based on 2016/17 data could exceed the supply if PS1 and Lot 27 are removed from the study area supply, there is no indication that a post-Covid normal will reach the peak demand levels observed in 2016/17. However, even if that were the case and demand reaches 2016/17 levels, demand projected to exceed supply on only 9 percent of days per year, which means that 91 percent of the time there would be sufficient capacity, a number above the often-used 85th percent of the time for which parking system capacity is planned.
Methodology
Walker’s approach to conducting a supply and demand analysis of PS1 seeks to address several key questions:
• How occupied (or full) do parking spaces in PS1 become under typically busy conditions in the latest fiscal year (July 2023 – June 2024)?
• Did the facility fill to capacity, and if so, on how many days? • When are the busy periods? Weekdays, weekends, mornings, afternoons, evenings? • Could parking demand currently occupying PS1 be reasonably accommodated in nearby parking facilities today and in the future if the site that PS1 sits on were to be repurposed for a different use? Memorandum
PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
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3 The first step in addressing the listed questions was to gather the number of current parking spaces serving PS1 and parking facilities located in close proximity to PS1, including PS2, PS4, PS9, and PS10, herein defined as the study area.
Following an inventory of current spaces in the study area, the next step was to collect parking occupancy data by facility. For this analysis, Walker gathered daily peak parking occupancy data for PS1 and the study area facilities covering the period from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
We then conducted exploratory data analysis by visualizing the occupancy data to gain insight into the patterns of utilization. This allowed us to identify a typically busy day in PS1 and the study area and the peak days throughout the year and decipher any seasonal patterns.
Lastly, we compared the demand from PS1 and allocated it to the study area facilities to determine if current PS1 demand could be captured in the surrounding facilities, and in the facilities that comprise the coastal zone. The following sections show the results of our analysis.
Inventory (Supply) and Occupancy Data Analysis
Public Parking Supply (PS1, PS2, PS4, PS9, and PS10)
PS1 is located at 1234 4th Street, between Wilshire Boulevard and Arizona Avenue in Downtown Santa Monica, and contains 327 parking spaces. Combined with the supply of PS2, PS4, PS9, and PS10, the total number of public, off-street parking spaces in the study area is 1,995.
Table 1: Study Area Parking Supply
Facility Supply % of Study Area Supply
PS1 327 16%
PS2 641 32%
PS4 646 32%
PS9 300 15%
PS10 81 4%
Total 1,995 100%
Notes: While Lot 27 is in close proximity to the listed facilities, it is scheduled to become affordable housing in 2028. As such, it’s parking supply is not part of the inventory although we take into account the current demand for parking (number of cars) in Lot 27 in our analysis.
Source: Smarking, 2024.
The largest facility located nearest to PS1 is PS4, with 646 spaces, followed by PS2 with 641 spaces; PS9 has 300 spaces and PS10 has 81 spaces.
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4 The following figure shows the locations of PS1 and the other parking facilities in the study area, as well as walking distances within level of service categories A (400 feet) through D (1,600 feet) from PS1 to the surrounding facilities. The map also shows some key landmarks and points of interest within the study area and their approximate distance from PS1. We see that PS 2 and 4 provide similar proximity to the Third Street Promenade as PS 1; in the case of PS 4, walking distance is significantly shorter to the Promenade, as the Promenade Passageway eliminates the need for the parker to walk to a street to access the Promenade.
Figure 1: Walking Distance Map (400’ LOS A, 800’ LOS B, 1,200’ LOS C, 1,600’ LOS D) Source: ArcGIS Online, 2024.
As shown in the figure, four public parking facilities (PS9, PS10, PS2, and Lot 27) are within an 800-foot (LOS B) walking distance of PS1. One facility, PS4 is within a 1,200-foot (LOS C) walking distance of PS1.
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PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
37-009887.00
5 Public Parking Supply (Coastal Zone)
There are approximately 11,618 off-street public parking spaces within the coastal zone, this includes lots and structures only. Metered and free on-street parking spaces are not included in the analysis. The Santa Monica facilities that are in the coastal zone are shown in the table on the following page.
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PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
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6 Table 2: Supply of Public Parking in the Coastal Zone by Facility Source: Smarking, 2024.
Facility Supply
% of Total
Supply
Pier 268 2%
Beach Lot 1N 1,271 11%
Beach Lot 1S 66 1%
Beach Lot 2S 64 1%
Beach Lot 3N 400 3%
Beach Lot 3S 118 1%
Beach Lot 4N 87 1%
Beach Lot 4S 1,383 12%
Beach Lot 5A-N 42 0%
Beach Lot 5N 56 0%
Beach Lot 5S 766 7%
Beach Lot 6N 76 1%
Beach Lot 7N 85 1%
Beach Lot 8N 213 2%
Beach Lot 9N 78 1%
Annenberg 276 2%
Civic Structure 712 6%
Main Street Lot 9 169 1%
Main Street Lot 10 39 0%
Main Street Lot 11 131 1%
Main Street Lot 26 15 0%
Main Street Lot 30 22 0%
PS 1 327 3%
PS 2 641 6%
PS 4 646 6%
PS 5 663 6%
PS 6 742 6%
PS 7 828 7%
PS 8 1,053 9%
PS 9 300 3%
PS 10 81 1%
Total 11,618 100%
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PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
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7 Occupancy
PS1
Peak parking occupancy in PS1 occurred on February 15, 2024, on the first day in which the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational was held at The Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades. PS1 and PS2, and to a lesser extent, PS9, PS10, and Lot 27 experienced high occupancies on that day as attendees utilized Santa Monica parking facilities for the event. Another notable day of high parking occupancy in PS1 was December 2, 2023, when several holiday events were held in the city. If we exclude event-generated high parking occupancy days, the typically busiest period in PS1 was July 2023, specifically July 2023 weekends. The following graph shows the daily peak occupancy in PS1 from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
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8 Figure 2: PS1 Daily Peak Occupancy (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024) Source: Walker Consultants, 2024.
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9 Figure 2 shows a concentration of high demand on several weekend days in July/August 2023 (left side of the figure), which appears to be PS1's busiest part of the year. Outside of the July/August period, weekends were generally busier than weekdays. The following table shows that Saturdays had the highest average daily peak occupancy in PS1 with 244 occupied spaces, followed by Sunday with 212.
Table 3: Avg. PS1 Daily Peak Occupancy by Day of Week
Source: Walker Consultants, 2024.
In terms of a monthly summary, July was the busiest month, when the average daily peak occupancy was 210 occupied spaces. The following table shows the average daily peak occupancy in PS1 summarized by month.
Table 4: Avg. PS1 Daily Peak Occupancy by Month
Source: Walker Consultants, 2024.
PS1 filled to maximum capacity on only one day during the July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 period, and it was on the first day of the Genesis Invitational. Parking occupancy in PS1 nearly reached capacity on a couple of other days during the survey period and saw 11 days where peak occupancy reached over 90 percent occupancy. The data Day of Week
Avg. Daily Peak
Occupancy
Sunday 212
Monday 129
Tuesday 134
Wednesday 177
Thursday 154
Friday 176
Saturday 244
Month of Year
Avg. Daily Peak
Occupancy
January 169
February 173
March 168
April 157
May 168
June 174
July 210
August 186
September 168
October 170
November 170
December 191
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10 indicate that while there were a handful of days that the facility was nearly full, on most days of the year there is excess capacity in PS1.
Study Area (PS1, PS2, PS4, PS9, PS10, and Lot 27)
In analyzing the demand within the study area (i.e., the off-street public parking system in closest proximity to PS1) and excluding the event-generated demand from the Genesis Invitational, we found that there were hundreds of parking spaces available even on the peak day of the survey period (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024).
When we aggregated the daily peak occupancy for each facility in the study area, the resulting peak day was Saturday, July 22, 2023, when 1,328 spaces out of 1,995 were occupied.
The 1,995-space inventory already assumes the removal of Lot 27’s spaces from the parking system. If we also remove the PS 1 supply of 327 spaces, the study area will have 1,668 off street parking spaces.
Subtracting the 1,328 occupied spaces from the reduced parking supply of 1,668 spaces, we find that 340 spaces were available in the public parking supply, even on the busiest day of the year for parking demand in the immediate area.
1 The following figure shows the aggregated daily peak occupancy for PS1 and the surrounding study area facilities.
1 Not including parking demand for the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational, which does not reflect the need for parking in the area.
Memorandum
PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
37-009887.00
11 Figure 3: Aggregated Study Area Daily Peak Occupancy (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024) Notes: Lot 27 demand is included, but supply has been removed as it is scheduled to become affordable housing in 2028. 1,668 spaces reflect the parking supply not considering parking availability within PS 1, which is assumed to be removed for the purpose of this analysis.
Source: Walker Consultants, 2024.
Memorandum
PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
37-009887.00
12 The previous figure shows the daily peak demand for each facility in the study area aggregated to show the combined occupancy within the study area. There is a clear spike in demand for parking shown in February 2024 that is attributable to the Genesis Invitational. While the spike in demand shows that it would exceed the study area supply (assuming the removal of PS1 and Lot 27), it is important to consider that additional capacity was available at PS5, PS6, PS7, PS8, the Ken Edwards Center (KEC), and the Library structure for event attendees; event attendees could be shuttled from any of these parking structures, where ample parking availability exists.
Excluding the event-driven demand, we find that the combined demand among the study area facilities follows a similar pattern to PS1, where July/August 2023 have a concentration of high-demand days, with the peak day being Saturday, July 22, 2023.
Also, shown in the figure are three numbers for study area parking supply. The top line (black) represents the current study area supply (minus Lot 27), while the middle line (blue) represents the study area supply excluding PS1 and Lot 27. The bottom line (purple) represents the effective supply. The effective supply is the total supply of parking spaces, adjusted to reflect a cushion recommended to provide for vehicles moving in and out of spaces, spaces unavailable due to maintenance, and to reduce the time necessary for parking patrons to find the last few available spaces. The effective supply varies as to the user group and type of parking, but typically the effective supply is 85% to 95% of the total number of spaces. The adjustment factor is known as the effective supply factor. In this case, the effective supply is 90% of the total parking spaces excluding PS1 and Lot 27.
As shown in the figure, comparing the peak day demand to all three parking supplies still results in a significant number of parking spaces available in the study area. The following table summarizes the number of available parking spaces observed when comparing peak day demand conditions with the three supply scenarios.
Table 5: Comparison of Peak Day Demand for the Study Area with Supply Scenarios Supply Quantity Peak Day Demand Variance
Current Minus Lot 27
(PS1/PS2/PS4/PS9/PS10) 1,995 1,328 667
Minus PS1 & Lot 27
(PS2/PS4/PS9/PS10) 1,668 1,328 340
Effective Supply
(Minus PS1 & Lot 27 * .90 ESF)
1,501 1,328 173
Source: Walker Consultants, 2024.
As shown in the table, even under a scenario where the supply for PS1 and Lot 27 is removed from the study area and an effective supply factor is applied, there are still projected to be over 170 available parking spaces in the facilities immediately adjacent to PS1.
Coastal Zone
Given that PS1 is located within the coastal zone, we give careful consideration to how changes to the parking supply might impact coastal access. In this analysis, we compare supply and demand across all off-street facilities located within the coastal zone, as well as, the immediate study area facilities surrounding PS1 (PS2, PS4, PS9, PS10, and Lot 27), as shown in the following figure.
Memorandum
PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
37-009887.00
13 Figure 4: PS1 + Study Area Facilities (PS2, PS4, PS9, PS10, Lot 27) + Coastal Zone Facilities Source: Walker Consultants, 2024.
Upon reviewing the occupancy data aggregated for all off-street public parking facilities within the coastal zone, we found that even under a scenario where PS1 and Lot 27 spaces are removed from the public parking supply during the peak day for the coastal zone (July 29, 2023), there were over 1,900+ spaces available across the public parking system. The following figure illustrates the aggregated peak occupancy for all public parking facilities within the coastal zone.
Memorandum
PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
37-009887.00
14 Figure 5: Coastal Zone Daily Peak Occupancy (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024) Source: Walker Consultants, 2024
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15 Walker notes that there were more spaces available than those shown in the figure as the study does not include a count of privately-owned public serving parking facilities and on-street spaces of which there are at least 590 in the coastal zone.
Pre-Pandemic Data (FY 2016/17 and FY2018/19) Comparison to FY 2023/24
While the data from the latest fiscal year shows much availability within PS1 and the facilities adjacent to PS1, we compared pre-Covid 19 pandemic data to better understand the level of activity that PS1 and surrounding facilities experienced when parking demand was higher. These data serve as a proxy for potential future conditions should the Downtown area recover from the recent economic impacts to parking demand in and around the Third Street Promenade area.
One way in which we compare the 2016/17 and 2018/19 occupancy data versus 2023/24 data for PS1 and surrounding facilities (PS2/PS4/PS9/PS10) is by creating a boxplot. A boxplot, also known as a whisker plot, conveys several key data points together on one chart. It is a standardized way of displaying the distribution of data based on a five-number summary: minimum, first quartile (Q1), median, third quartile (Q3), and maximum.
Here's a breakdown of its components and how to interpret them:
• Minimum: The smallest data point, excluding any outliers. In this case the lowest occupancy observed. • First Quartile (Q1): The 25th percentile, where 25% of the data lies below this value. • Median: The 50th percentile, the middle value of the dataset. • Third Quartile (Q3): The 75th percentile, where 75% of the data lies below this value. • Maximum: The largest data point, excluding any outliers.
The following figure shows three boxplots one for 2023/24 (blue) occupancy data, one for 2018/19 (orange), and one for 2016/17 (green).
Memorandum
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16 Figure 6: PS1/2/4/9 Data Distribution Comparison 2023/24 vs. 2018/19 vs. 2016/17 Source: Walker Consultants, 2024
The figure shows that in general PS1 and its surrounding facilities (PS2/4/9/10) had higher occupancies in 2016/17 and 2018/19 than in the most current year 2023/24. This is illustrated by comparing all the numbers in the plot.
For example, the median occupancy in 2023/24 was 787 occupied spaces, whereas in 2018/19 it was 1,276, and in 2016/17 it was, slightly higher than 2018/19, 1,303 spaces.
The following figure also illustrates the daily peak occupancy comparison between 2023/24, 2018/19, and 2016/17.
Memorandum
PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
37-009887.00
17 Figure 7: PS1/2/4/9 Daily Peak Occupancy Comparison 2023/24 vs. 2018/19 vs. 2016/17 Source: Walker Consultants, 2024
Memorandum
PS1 Parking Supply and Demand Study
37-009887.00
18 As shown in Figure 7, across a 365-day survey period the 2016/17 and 2018/19 occupancy data were generally higher than the 2023/24 data. Looking at 2016/17 data, there were 34 days where study area demand for parking could exceed the supply if PS1 and Lot 27 are removed from the study area supply. However, it is worth noting the following:
• This condition is projected to occur on only 9 percent of days in the year, the other 91 percent of days there is excess capacity.
• The average peak hour occupancy for 2016/17 levels is 87 percent. • Furthermore, the data shown in Figure 7 represent peak hour occupancies for each study area facility in aggregate, meaning that the peak hour for each facility was added together even if the peak hours did not occur at the same time. For example, PS1 may have peaked at 1PM, and PS2 at 3PM, etc. Aggregating the peaks is not a true representation of peak occupancy but a conservatively high assumption for planning purposes.
• This analysis focuses on facilities that are located within a 1,200-foot walking distance of PS1. It is important to note that there are facilities with additional capacity located nearby such as PS5, PS6, PS7, and PS8 that serve the area.
• Lastly, this assumes a future where demand activity reaches a pre-Covid peak parking condition (i.e., 2016/17), the reality is that under current conditions 2023/24, there is much more excess capacity than shown in 2016/17. The post-Covid normal may not reach the levels seen in 2016/17.
Conclusion
Parking availability in the Study Area, consisting of the supply of parking spaces in PS2, P4, PS9, and PS10, and including parking demand for spaces in those facilities as well as PS1 and Lot 27, which we assume would be lost, was found to be ample on the busiest days of the most recent fiscal year, FY 2023/2024. While there were some days in which study area demand based on 2016/17 data could exceed the supply if PS1 and Lot 27 are removed from the study area supply, there is no guarantee that a post-Covid normal will reach the peak demand levels observed in 2016/17. However, even if that were the case and demand reaches 2016/17 levels, demand projected to exceed supply on only 9 percent of days, which means that 91 percent of the time there would be sufficient capacity. 91 percent is higher than the 85% that is typically used for parking planning purposes.
Looking at public parking in the broader coastal zone, and assuming the loss of parking spaces in PS 1, Lot 27, and the roof of PS 6 (to accommodate the planned Rooftop Cinema improvements), as well as including an effective supply factor that assumes only 90% of total spaces being available, still demonstrates ample parking availability in the City’s supply of public parking in its coastal zone.