MAPC sPARKing New Ideas Parking Symposium: Presentation by Tom Daniel

1. Parking Management:
The Salem Experience
Tom Daniel, AICP
City of Gloucester
sPARKing New Ideas, April 8, 2014

2. Downtown Parking in Zoning Code
• 1980’s had high vacancy and little vibrancy
• To facilitate downtown residential
development, ordinance changed
– 1 space required for existing buildings
• can be on site or in a facility within 1,000 ft.
– 1.5 spaces required on site for new
construction
• No spaces required for commercial uses

3. • Public Parking
- Off-street
- Two garages (914 and 207 spaces, 1,121 total)
- 10 parking lots (38-123 spaces, 728 total)
- On-street
- Metered (331 spaces)
- Time limit (38 spaces)
- Resident Only (50 spaces)
- Unregulated (42 spaces)
• Private Parking (2,500 spaces)
• 2010: first pay stations installed

9. Parking Study
• In response to redevelopment question
• Goals of study:
- Develop a comprehensive approach to
managing parking
- Have greater efficiency in parking management
to improve availability for residents, customers,
employees, and visitors
- Balance parking needs of different users to allow
for economic development in downtown
• Did not address all parking issues:
- e.g., snow emergencies, citywide residential
parking

10. Public Process: Working Group
- Destination Salem (Tourism Office)
- Downtown Business Owners
- Downtown Developer
- Downtown Residents
- Salem Chamber of Commerce
- Salem Department of Planning and
Community Development
- Salem Main Streets
- Salem Parking Board
- Salem Parking Department
- Salem Police Department
- Salem Redevelopment Authority
- The Salem Partnership (Public/Private Group)

11. Public Process
• Public workshops
• Survey
• Stakeholder interviews
• Report submitted to City Council July 2010
• Additional outreach prior to Sept 2010 City
Council action
- NIAC, Chamber of Commerce, Parking Board

12. Public Process
• Outreach September 2010-April 2011
- Large employers/users: District Attorney, National Park
Service, PEM, Salem Five, YMCA
- Small employers and residents
- Presentations: Salem Partnership (with Destination
Salem), Salem Rotary, Salem Chamber of Commerce,
Salem Main Streets, Salem Parking Board, NIAC
• City Councilor Briefings (March-June 2011)
• City Council Presentations April, May, June 2011
• Additional Downtown Stakeholder Presentations
(April-June 2011)
• Newspaper articles and editorials
• 30 public workshops, presentations, or meetings

13. There’s no parking downtown!
I always find parking downtown.
I’ll walk 15 minutes if it’ll save me a buck.
I don’t care what it costs to park.
I pay Salem property taxes so I should
be able to park for free.
I feed the meter, but not in front of
my business.
I buy passes for my employees so they’re
not at customer spaces out front.
I’m willing to risk a $15 ticket for
convenience.

14. R
R
M
M
P

15. Convenience and location
matter most.

16. What is the most important
consideration for you in choosing
where to park in Salem?
- 76% said ease of finding a space
and location
- 10% said price

17. Even at peak weekday time,
there is parking available.

19. Parking availability is
unbalanced.

25. On-street regulations are
confusing.

26. Ruane Judicial
Center
NPS Visitor Center
Post Office
Waterfront Garage

28. Pricing is unbalanced.

31. On-street availability is key.
City Council adopted policy objective for the
parking system to operate at 15% on-street
availability per block face.

32. Objective
Have 1 out 8 on-street spaces open
to create a better experience for
customers, residents, and visitors
Key Methods
- Use relative pricing
- Provide additional options
Additional Anticipated Outcomes
- Simplified regulation
- Reduced employee meter-feeding

33. Recommendations from the
Parking Study Working Group
for City Council Action

34. 1. Address Existing Concerns
- Eliminate conflicting signage
- Improve pay station kiosk interface
- Improve exiting for pass holders at Downtown
Garage
- Install signage identifying Crombie Street and
One Salem Green lots
- Remove accessibility barriers
- Install signage to intercept courthouse users
- Work with Office of the Jury Commissioner to
provide parking (and other) information

35. 2. Implement Relative Pricing
- High demand areas are priced more than
low demand areas
- On-street is priced more than off-street

36. 2. Implement Relative Pricing
On-Street Meters Formerly Currently
- Zone 1 $0.50 $1.50
- Zone 2 $0.50 $0.75
- Zone 3 $0.50 $0.50
Parking Garages Formerly Currently
- Downtown $1.50 $0.75
- Waterfront $1.50 $0.25

37. 2. Implement Relative Pricing
Parking Lots Formerly Currently
Church Street West $1.50 $1.00
Church Street East $0.50 $1.00
Salem Green $0.50 $1.00
Sewall Street $0.50 $0.75
Front Street $0.50 $0.75
Klop Alley $0.50 $0.75
Crombie Street $0.50 $0.50
Riley Plaza East $0.50 $0.50
Riley Plaza West $0.00 $0.50
Bridge Street $2.00/day $4.00/day

38. Relative Pricing
Ruane Judicial Center
NPS Visitor Center
Post Office
Waterfront Garage

39. 3. Revise Existing Pass Program and
Add Low Cost Option
- Revise Pricing
- $65/month for Downtown Garage (a $5/month
increase)
- $25/month for Waterfront Garage (a $35/month
decrease )
- Note: Annual pass for garages now a 10% discount
instead of 31% discount
- Add New Low Cost Monthly Pass Area
- $25/month for on-street zones and one lot
- Establish Maximum Number of Passes
- 75% of parking supply in a specific parking asset

40. 4. Extend Time Limits
- Four-hour time limit on-street and
in lots
- Limited exceptions:
- On-street spaces by the post office
proposed to stay 30 minutes
- Church Street West lot (original pay station
lot) to remain unlimited

41. 5. Revise Enforcement Hours and Fines
- On-Street: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Mon-Sat)
- Lots: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Mon-Sat)
- Parking ticket increase from $15 to $25
6. Increase Weekday On-Street Supply
7. Increase Availability of Convenience
Parking in Downtown Garage

42. 8. Increase Off-Street Supply
9. Implement New Governance Model
10. Establish Parking and Transportation
Fund
11. Develop and Implement
Communications and Information Plan

43. How did it go?

44. Implementation
• Implementation Team
- Dedicated group
- Knowledge gaps and organizational
challenges
- Be aware of reporting structures
- Include hearing officer and meter control staff
early in process
- Culture and systems shifts
- Problem-solving approach
- Electronic-based data vs. paper-based data

45. Implementation
• All Technology is not Equal
• New Technology Brings Its Own Issues

49. Implementation
• Timing is Everything
- The Steve’s Market Kerfuffle
(a/k/a the meter vs. the loaf of bread)

50. Implementation
• A Good Communications Plan Matters
(and you don’t need any
new technology to do this!)

56. Implementation
• Don’t like
- paying for what had been free
- paying more for annual pass
(10% discount vs. 31% discount)
- the new enforcement hours
(because I got a ticket)
• Love
- the low cost of Waterfront Garage
- the monthly zone
(except if I used to park there for free)
- the smart meters and want more
- the brochures and website

57. Implementation
• Met City Council objective of one space
open per block in most areas
• Increased utilization in Waterfront
Garage and Crombie Street Lot
• Decreased number of tickets issued

58. Summary
• Data is essential
• Educate, outreach, and partnership from start
• Package policy changes
• Make sure technology is right for you
• Remember low tech
• Implement swiftly
• Manage the system: evaluate, adjust, and
resist pressure to make changes before
system fully balanced

59. Tom Daniel, AICP
Community Development
Director
City of Gloucester
978 281-9781
tdaniel@gloucester-ma.gov