Title
Parking Strategy Briefing
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a briefing on the City of Olympia Parking Strategy.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a briefing on the City of Olympia Parking Strategy.
Staff Contact:
Chelsea Baker van Drood, Parking Services Program Specialist, Community Planning & Development, 360.239.3468
Presenter(s):
Chelsea Baker van Drood, Parking Services Program Specialist, Community Planning & Development
Background and Analysis:
The Downtown Parking Strategy provides short, mid and long-term actions to support Downtown goals.
Strategies include:
1. Implementing tools to manage the Parking Program and enforcement and improve customer convenience.
2. Improving on-street parking.
3. Reinvigorating off-street parking.
4. Improving access to downtown.
5. Addressing residential and employee parking
6. Addressing parking for arts, culture, and entertainment uses.
7. Improve disabled parking management.
Since its adoption in April 2019, staff have advanced implementation of the Parking Strategy and will present the City Council with the overall goals and the progress to date.
Climate Analysis:
The Parking Strategy, approved by City Council in 2019, is expected to result in both short and long-term reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by promoting alternative forms of transportation, minimizing the need to circle for parking, and promoting compact urban areas within the City. Properly managing existing parking infrastructure will reduce the need for adding new surface lots that significantly reduce urban density and have a carbon footprint of their own. Maintaining an on-street parking occupancy rate below 85% ensures that vehicles can find parking quickly, easily, and in close proximity to their destination. Occupancy rates higher than 85% cause drivers to hunt for parking spaces, which slows and congests traffic and needlessly uses fuel without addi...
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