Parking Study Information Needed

[upstateplanner]

I am in need of a good parking study or at least a good format to follow to develop a small town parking study. Anyone know of any good sources or books. I appreciate any help I can get.

 

[SGB]

I like the Parking Handbook for Small Communities, published by the National Main Street Center and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

 

[mike gurnee]

You need more parking downtown. Every downtown needs more parking.

 

[Wulf9]

What's the context of your study? There are different needs for different circumstances. Downtown parking is a lot different than strip commercial parking.

One good way to start (assuming you have a parking ordinance in place now) is to see how much vacant parking you have under normal circumstances. Drive around and make a mental note whether there's vacant parking on street or in lots. It's amazing how many areas say they have "no parking" when parking lots a half block away are 50% underutilized. If that's the case, a management plan is in order. If there is literally no parking, then look at a combinatin of management and increased spaces.

 

[Cardinal]

You need more parking downtown. Every downtown needs more parking.

So wrong!

It is interesting that in my town right now, where we are working on downtown revitalization, several politicians and members of the plan commission are all commenting on how we need to provide more parking. One even has talked of a parking ramp! It is really unfortunate that they do not bother to listen to the business community, which dismisses parking as a minor concern and has said the only thing that needs to be looked at is the way it is managed, not the number of spaces provided.

The myth of parking is widespread.

 

[Wulf9]

Agreed. Most downtowns don't need more parking, but some do. It all depends. I used to go around town taking pix of empty parking spaces in order to respond to the business complaints that there isn't enough parking. I had pix of several hundred spaces available.

The key is to look for empty spaces when business says the downtown is "full." If there are spaces, you don't need more. If no spaces you do need more.

I would tell the merchants that the main goal of our farmers market was to teach people where to park. We usually got 8-10,000 people at the market. If they could find a parking place on market days, they would know where to find a place on non-market days.

 

[sisterceleste]

Downtown Parking overflow into neighboring residential areas

The City of Charleston, S.C. has a system to minimize the disruption of business parking into neighboring residential neighborhoods. Residents get stickers for their cars. Cars without stickers get warnings and then fined. Waived for special events, etc. check it out.

I am in need of a good parking study or at least a good format to follow to develop a small town parking study. Anyone know of any good sources or books. I appreciate any help I can get.