Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
AUGUST 17, 2016
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: SUPPORTIVE TRANSIT PARKING PROGRAM MASTER PLAN AND PARKING MANAGEMENT UNIT UPDATE
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE Parking Management and Supportive Transit Parking Program (STPP) Master Plan Update.
Issue
ISSUE
The purpose of this Board Report is to provide the Board of Directors with a status update of Parking Management’s projects currently underway which include: the Supportive Transit Parking Program (“STPP”) Master Plan, Parking Management Pilot Program (“Pilot Program”), Parking Guidance System (“PGS”) and Metro Car Share Program.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
STPP Master Plan
The Supportive Transit Parking Program (“STPP”) Master Plan is a comprehensive evaluation of Metro’s current parking program and will develop a long term parking management approach. The primary goals of the STPP Master Plan are the following:
§ Evaluate Metro’s current parking program successes and shortfalls.
§ Prioritize parking resources for transit riders.
§ Recommend innovative solutions and new parking operating alternatives.
§ Develop an implementable Parking Strategic Plan and STPP Master Plan.
§ Create a self-sustaining parking system.
The Master Plan will provide a future roadmap for Metro’s parking program. The first phase of the STPP Master Plan has been completed by the Walker Parking Consultants Team (“Walker”) which included: Parking Facilities Assessment, ridership versus parking demand model, public and stakeholder outreach and the development of parking management alternatives and recommendations. The STPP Master Plan is to be completed in summer 2017 with an implementable Strategic Plan and findings of the Parking Management Pilot Program.
Facility Assessment
Walker has recently completed a Facility Assessment of all facilities at all 59 Metro stations with parking systemwide. Some of the general recommendations in this assessment include:
§ Focus on transit users parking experience
§ Implement a consistent parking policy system-wide
§ Enhance first mile/last mile options
§ Focus on managing transit parking demand
§ Explore other uses during non-peak periods
§ Consider rationalization of some parking facilities
§ Consider selling parking to non-transit users at underutilized parking facilities.
§ Adopt a consistent parking facility naming convention
Location-specific recommendation measures were also performed for each of the facilities which include but not limited to:
§ Parking Wayfinding
§ Parking Signage
§ Bicycle Parking
§ Pedestrian Wayfinding
§ Lighting
§ Parking Surface Conditions
§ Traffic Calming
§ Appearance
§ Enforcement
§ Safety
Individual recommendation measures within each category were detailed with a cost metric assumption and by priority (high, medium or low). High priority items are necessary to be addressed immediately, medium priority items and low priority items may be addressed when funds are allocated. Some items are on-going in nature and would represent an annual maintenance expense.
Outreach
Walker has also completed stakeholder outreach for the STPP. Two phases of transit rider surveys were completed for the plan. The first survey was conducted in the last quarter of 2015 and the second phase in early 2016. Approximately 9,000 responses were received for each of the surveys. Prior to the release of each of the surveys, signage was installed at high traffic stations, email blasts were sent to Metro parking permit customers and other transit riders. Survey information was also posted on Metro’s parking website and The Source. Some of the key findings from phase l include the following:
§ Over 50% of the patrons who responded to the survey drive and park at a Metro parking facility, nearly 19% take a bus, 18% walk, over 6% drive and park outside of Metro parking facilities and the remaining 7% use another mode to access the station.
§ Of those who park and ride, 69% have household incomes of $50,000 or more, which is higher than the countywide average of 55%.
§ For those who do not drive and park at or near a station, 66% indicated that infrequent bus service is the main challenge in arriving at a station followed by no drop-off area (16%) and no bike lanes (11%).
Key findings from phase ll of the transit rider survey include the following:
§ Over 60% of transit patrons responding to the survey drive and park at a Metro parking facility, 19% drive and park outside a Metro facility and 18% access the stations by walking, bicycle or other means.
§ Nearly 70% of the transit riders reported a household income of over $50,000 and nearly 47% an annual income of over $75,000 per year compared to the County with 38%.
§ Approximately 31% of Metro parkers indicated a willingness to pay for parking. Of that group, 61% would pay up to $2.00, followed by 16% who indicated $3.00 and 11% who indicated $5.00.
§ The top three (3) reasons patrons choose to park and ride at a Metro facility and take Metro were to save money (50%), convenience (49%) and because it’s good for the environment (47%).
§ Improvements for better access to Metro stations were: more bus service (59%), more drop-off areas (20%) and more bike racks (12%).
An agency stakeholder survey and three (3) stakeholder meetings were also held. The agency stakeholder surveys were conducted of local government agencies (including local jurisdictions and municipal transit operators) throughout Los Angeles County. A total of 42 responses from 36 cities and agencies were collected for the survey. In addition, three Stakeholder meetings were held to identify and address stakeholders’ concerns related to Metro parking facilities and collect input for the STPP. A total of 29 agencies were represented at these meetings. Some of the key findings from the agency stakeholder surveys include:
§ When asked whether there are issues with parking near their city’s Metro station, nearly 50% believe that there are, approximately one-third said there are no issues and the rest did not know. Of those who said there are issues, insufficient station parking was mentioned by over 50% while misuse of station parking was mentioned by one-third.
§ Stakeholder responses indicated that a range of fees was being charged at their own public parking facilities, from free to $3.00 per hour. Several cities indicated that parking fees collected do not cover upkeep of the parking facilities.
Metro interdepartmental stakeholder meetings were also held to solicit internal input. A total of 18 meetings were held with various Metro departments. Following are some of the recommendations for the STPP from internal departments:
§ Potential opportunities to develop and interface technology of TAP and parking program.
§ Transition parking enforcement from current Metro Security and Sheriffs to Parking Management. Parking enforcement would focus on enforcement of Metro’s Parking Ordinance and Permit Fee Resolution.
§ Share real-time data collected from the proposed Parking Guidance System with internal and external entities such as: 511 app, google, apple and other transportation innovation solutions to enhance information broadcast power and customer service and experience.
§ Incorporate bicycle parking enforcement and operations as part of the parking management program.
Ridership versus Parking Demand Model
Walker has developed a ridership versus parking demand model to assess transit ridership and parking pricing. This model can be used as a tool to assess demand at current and future station locations. The model is comprised of four components:
§ Base data - parking occupancy, weekday boarding transactions and TAP card activity.
§ Station typology assignment - six typologies were established based on station location within the system and in some cases the type of station.
§ Demand ratios - two demand ratios (peak parking demand as a percentage of weekday boarding transactions and riders who park as a percentage of all first tap on rail riders) with ability to add user-specified values. Specified station values may be used or a typology value may be selected.
§ Elasticity curve - transit ridership demand elasticity’s that reduce transit ridership demand as the cost of parking is increased. The baseline is free parking, as nearly all Metro stations with parking currently offer free parking, and each additional dollar results in an increasingly larger reduction in potential transit ridership demand. The elasticity curve is applied system-wide and it estimates that daily transit parking would need to exceed $30 per day to result in a complete loss of transit parking demand. As examples, the curve estimates a $2 per day transit parking rate would result in a 7% reduction of transit parking demand and a $5 per day transit parking rate would result in a 16% reduction of transit parking demand.
The parking demand model estimates peak parking demand values set at price levels starting from free to $5.00 per day, and increases in increments of $1.00 per day. At each price level, a low, high and average peak demand with a corresponding number of riders are calculated and compared to the baseline ridership estimate.
For example at North Hollywood, the model suggests that there is current unmet demand for transit rider parking at North Hollywood, assuming free parking. As parking rates are increased, the demand decreases. Using the average peak demand value, parking rates of $3.00 per day suggest that there is still unmet demand. However at $4.00 and $5.00 per day, the model projects a decline in demand relative to current. Below is a table summarizing these results.
Parking Program Management Alternatives
Part of the STPP master plan scope of work was to develop parking management alternatives that would provide Metro the tools to proactively manage its parking resources. Therefore, Walker developed parking program management alternatives considering the following principles:
§ There is no one size fits all approach, therefore three different alternatives are being recommended.
§ Common set of measures related to parking policy, parking operation and station access applies to all Metro parking locations.
§ Regular monitoring of occupancy is important since management is based on demand.
The following are the three different parking management alternatives that Walker recommends Metro consider for implementation at Metro parking facilities. The recommended alternatives are categorized by parking occupancy level.
Alternative 1
§ Implement parking pricing policy at stations that experience the highest occupancy across all parking facilities (90% and higher) Continue to monitor parking occupancy impacts by the implemented parking pricing policy.
§ Parking rates may need to be examined periodically, at least once every three to six months, and adjustments made but not to exceed the approved ceiling rate.
§ Transit parking only is permitted
§ Efforts to identify additional parking resources may be considered if high occupancy conditions persist.
§ Work with local jurisdictions to control parking spillover on surrounding streets by implementing proper parking policy.
Alternative 2
§ These are stations that experience occupancy levels approaching the highest occupancy tier (70 to 89% occupancy across all parking facilities at the station).
§ Implement parking pricing policy to manage demand, with a higher rate for non-transit user parkers.
§ Parking rates will be slightly lower compared to the parking facilities at Alternative 1 stations. Similarly, parking rates need to be evaluated and potentially adjusted periodically, at least once every three to six months, but not to exceed the approved ceiling rate.
§ Work with local jurisdictions to control parking spillover on surrounding streets by implementing proper parking policy.
Alternative 3
§ These are stations in the lowest occupancy tier (0 to 69% occupancy across all parking facilities at the station).
§ Continue to provide free parking at these locations.
§ Actively promote parking availability as a strategy to increase transit ridership.
§ Consider non-transit parking opportunities
§ Some facilities in this tier may have higher and better uses and may be considered for reduction and reuse.
Occupancy will be monitored every three months and therefore an adjustment of management alternative may be made at each of the facilities. For example, a station that increases to 75% occupancy for a period of time would move into Alternative 2 and introduce paid parking.
Parking Enforcement Analysis Summary
Parking enforcement is currently handled by Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and Metro Transit Security. However, both entities are focused on their primary role of ensuring a safe and secure experience for Metro riders. As a result, this limits their resources to enforce parking regulations on a regular basis. In order to ensure a well-functioning parking system, it is crucial that parking regulations are enforced. Without visible enforcement, parking patrons will likely disregard parking restrictions at Metro parking facilities. As more parkers disregard the regulations, a domino effect often ensues and the level of service declines. Permit parkers may cancel their permits if they see vehicles without a parking permit parked in permit spaces during permit-enforced hours without any repercussions. Adequate resources need to be devoted to parking enforcement to maximize the availability of transit parking
Walker parking conducted a parking enforcement analysis at Metro facilities and found that the citation issuance level at Metro parking facilities was significantly low, when compared to other transit agencies of the same size. The citation issuance rate, on a per space basis, was over eight times higher at two other transit agencies of similar size. For that reason, Walker is recommending that Metro considers utilizing non-sworn officers for parking enforcement at Metro-owned and operated parking facilities. This would allow LASD and Transit Security to continue to allocate resources to safety and security.
Parking Management Project Updates
Parking Management Pilot Program
Implementation of Phase l of the Parking Management Pilot Program started May 20th with the opening of Expo ll at three Expo II stations with transit parking. Data from the Pilot Program is being collected and analyzed on a daily basis. The results will be used to further study and development of the parking management alternatives in the STPP Master Plan.
The current transit users’ parking rate is $2.00 per 24 hour or $39.00 per month. Both monthly parking and daily parking programs require transit patrons to show evidence of using public transit to be eligible to park at Metro parking facilities. The ridership transactions can be verified by the new business processing rules software program developed with TAP’s data interface and innovative parking equipment. This function eliminates non-transit users taking advantage of low cost parking spaces. With a modest parking fee of $2.00 per day and TAP ridership transaction requirements, parking demand at Expo II stations is under control.
Transit ridership is verified on a daily basis. Daily transit parking users are required to use transit within 96 hours to be eligible to park at a Metro parking facility. Transit patrons are required to present their TAP card when they purchase their daily parking.
The monthly permit program at Pilot locations also requires monthly permit holders to maintain a minimum of ten (10) daily ridership transactions per month, verified by their TAP card ridership transactions. Permit parking patrons with six (6) or less daily ridership transactions at the fifteenth (15th) of the month are notified via email reminder that they must maintain the minimum of ten (10) daily transactions to purchase the monthly parking permit for the following month. Patrons are able to complete the minimum transactions requirement through the last day of each month. If the minimum ridership transaction requirement is not met, the parking permit will become invalid for the following month and will not renew.
The following table includes a recent occupancy summary of the Pilot locations.
With the implementation of the Pilot Program staff has witnessed transit patrons utilizing bus connections and carpool options to arrive at Expo II stations, instead of utilizing single occupancy vehicles. Staff is currently developing phase II of the Pilot Program at 10 additional parking facilities and will continue to monitor the results and public responses.
Preferred Permit Parking Program
The transit ridership requirement was also implemented in May 2016 to other Metro parking facilities where the Preferred Permit Parking Program is available. During the registration period, over 200 permit holders decided to drop-off from the program, presumably because they could not meet the 10 trips per month minimum. As a result we have been able to accommodate the majority of customers on our permit waiting list at North Hollywood and Universal City stations, many of whom have been waiting for years. Within the first month of the new policy implementation, we identified over 300 permit holders registered with their TAP card that recorded less than 10 daily trips. More importantly, some of them did not use our transit system at all during the entire month. Below is data from some of the locations.
After the first month (May 2016) of this program, warnings notices were sent to customers over email before dismissing their renewal rights. Those, whose standing remained without enough ridership transactions through June 2016, were removed from the monthly permit program. An appeal and exception requests protocol was developed for the process for those who wish to appeal their eligibility. In result, 287 permit holders with valid TAP card numbers were identified who have not used the transit system to meet the minimum of 10 calendar days for the month of June.
With this new parking management approach, we have identified up to 500 individuals who are willing to pay for their parking but did not use transit on a regular basis. The removal of these parkers has made room for frequent transit riders. The TAP identifier solution is valuable to our transit parking program and has helped us pro-actively manage the transit parking program.
Gold Line Foothill Extension Opening
The Metro Gold Line Extension to Azusa opened on March 5th, 2016 with a total of 1,562 parking spaces. Since the opening of the line there has been an overwhelming demand for parking at most of the newly opened stations. The stations most impacted by this parking demand are the two Azusa stations and the Irwindale Station which fill-up by 6am or earlier. Since the opening of the extension, Parking Management has developed short term and long term solutions to the parking problem at most of the newly opened Gold Line Stations. Immediately after the opening of the line, Parking Management coordinated parking attendants at both Azusa stations and Irwindale station parking facilities to help patrons find parking spaces between 5:30am and 10:30am. Parking attendants also screened patrons and asked them to present their TAP cards and as soon as the lot was full, the parking attendants would post signs at entrances to direct cars to another station with parking available.
In July, Parking Management was able to negotiate a contract with the city of Azusa to lease 140 parking spaces at the Azusa/Downtown station garage at minimal cost. These additional transit spaces are being incorporated into Metro’s preferred permit parking program.
Parking Guidance System (PGS)
The PGS will provide real-time parking space occupancy status for each parking stall. It is enhanced with electronic, programmable monument signs at each facility and related technology to broadcast the parking occupancy data through mobile apps, a website, and emails. The monument signs will display the real-time available parking spaces making it easy for our patrons to determine if there is parking available prior to entering the facility. This information is also intended to be available to transit riders on-line.
Metro’s first PGS will be installed in fall 2016 with a 90 day testing period at three parking facilities. Once all the functions are in place and tested, the equipment will be installed at all Metro operated parking facilities. The complete system is anticipated to take two full years to install at all Metro operated parking facilities. Staff will return to provide an update on this item.
Car Share Program
The car share program was implemented in May 2015 at 12 parking facilities with 20 car share vehicles. The program is operating successfully and has expanded to 15 locations and 51 vehicles. Metro generates over $100,000 annually from the program. More importantly, the program provides a successful first/last mile solution, particularly as Metro has negotiated with the care share provider to eliminate the return to trip origin policy.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact.
Impact to Budget
There is no financial impact.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will return to the Board with recommendations to adopt the Parking Program Management Alternatives, provide additional financial information and provide update on the progress of both STPP and the results of the Pilot Program and ongoing parking management initiatives.
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Adela Felix, Principal Transportation Planner, (213) 922-4333
Frank Ching, Sr. Director, Parking Management, (213) 922- 3033
Calvin E. Hollis, Executive Officer, (213) 922-7319
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Therese W. McMillan, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-7077
