Report
to / Rapport au:
Transportation Committee
Comité des transports
26 May 2010 / le 26 mai 2010
Submitted by / Soumis par:
Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager / Directeur
municipal adjoint
City Operations / Opérations municipales
Contact
Person / Personne resource:
John
Manconi, General Manager directeur générale, Public Works / Travaux
publics
(613) 580-2424 x 21110,
john.manconi@ottawa.ca
|
Ref N°: ACS2010-COS-PWS-0008 |
SUBJECT: BYWARD MARKET AND DOWNTOWN RIDEAU LOCAL AREA
PARKING STUDIES – INTERIM REPORT
OBJET: ÉTUDES
SUR LE STATIONNEMENT LOCAL DANS LE MARCHÉ BY ET LE CENTRE-VILLE RIDEAU – RAPPORT D’ÉTAPE
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That Transportation Committee receive
this status report on the Local Area Parking Studies for the ByWard Market BIA
and for the Downtown Rideau BIA.
RECOMMENDATION
DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité des transports prenne
connaissance du rapport d’étape des études sur le stationnement local dans le
marché By et le centre-ville Rideau.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On April 22, 2009, City Council approved the Municipal Parking
Management Strategy. This strategy sets
out clear principles and objectives for the City’s Parking Program. One of the key components is the
identification of Local Area Parking Studies as a means of guiding policy
decisions.
Local Area Parking Studies (LAPS) are to be conducted for specific
geographical areas in order to determine the need for, nature of and extent of
municipal involvement in the provision of public parking services. These studies are to be comprehensive in
scope, and involve local area stakeholders in developing public parking plans
for the future.
The first two Local Area
Parking Study areas have been identified as:
- ByWard Market BIA; and,
- Downtown Rideau BIA.
The purpose of this interim report is to provide Transportation
Committee with an update on the status of the first Local Area Parking
Studies.
A key component of the data collection process has been updating the
Central Area Parking Study. In September
2009, parking supply and usage information was compiled east of the Rideau
Canal. This helped to document an
inventory of parking supply in the area and also helped to assess parking
utilization. Some of the key findings
are as follows:
· The overall parking supply in the Central Area east of the Rideau Canal has remained consistent since 2005, increasing only slightly from 8,872 spaces to 8,885 spaces;
· For on-street parking, utilization at certain times (i.e. Friday evenings and Sunday afternoon) was observed to be in excess of capacity (106-108%); and,
·
For off-street parking, the areas, as a whole,
have enough public parking supply to meet the demand. However, some area blocks and zones have much
higher demand than others.
In summary, while on-street parking is at a premium, adequate
off-street parking is available to meet the current public parking demand.
Moving forward, additional data will be collected through further
monitoring of parking usage and through focussed travel surveys.
Throughout the initial stages
of this study, efforts have been made to identify and examine potential “quick
wins”. The results have yielded
opportunities to add parking – mainly on-street – by adjusting curbs, removing
redundant driveway depressions, and reviewing signage that may no longer be
required. Parking Operations,
Maintenance and Development will work with Infrastructure Services in an effort
to plan for this work in early 2011.
Various issues and
opportunities have been discussed with key stakeholders. From these discussions, a list of
parking-related issues/opportunities has been derived. It currently consists of approximately 20
topics, some which address specific locations.
Each of these will be assessed for potential solutions/action and will
be addressed in the final report.
It is anticipated that final
reports for both the ByWard Market and Downtown Rideau BIA studies will be
presented to Transportation Committee and Council in early 2011.
BACKGROUND
On April 22, 2009, City
Council approved the Municipal Parking Management Strategy. This strategy sets out clear principles and
objectives for the City’s Parking Program.
One of the key components is the identification of Local Area Parking
Studies (LAPS) as a means of guiding policy decisions. As part of the strategy, a Standard Terms of
Reference document was developed for use in conducting Local Area Parking
Studies (Document 1).
Local Area Parking Studies
are to be conducted for specific geographical areas in order to determine the
need for, nature of and extent of municipal involvement in the provision of
public parking services. These studies
are to be comprehensive in scope, and involve local area stakeholders in
developing public parking plans for the future. The studies are to be coordinated or
integrated with Community Design Plans, supporting studies, and other projects
(such as road reconstruction in commercial areas) where possible.
During the course of
presenting the Municipal Parking Management Strategy to Transportation
Committee and Council, it was identified that the first two Local Area Parking
Study areas would be:
- ByWard Market BIA; and,
- Downtown Rideau BIA.
Since then,
work on these studies has been undertaken concurrently with the Rideau Area
Transportation Network Study Update (RATNS-II), as the study boundaries of
these projects and the subject matter are interrelated.
The purpose of this interim report
is to provide Transportation Committee with an update on the status of the
first Local Area Parking Studies. This
report will summarize the:
- Process to date (including methodology, consultation,
etc.);
- General findings and issues identified to date;
- Potential quick wins; and
- Next steps.
The report illustrates the
progress made towards the implementation of the Municipal Parking Management
Strategy and addresses recommendations of the 2008 Audit of the Parking Function. It also offers an opportunity for the
Transportation Committee to provide direction to staff relating to the
objectives of the Local Area Parking Studies, so that it can be incorporated
into the process prior to completion of the studies and presentation of the
final reports.
It is anticipated that the
final reports for both the ByWard Market BIA and Downtown Rideau BIA Local Area
Parking Studies will come forward in early 2011. As per the Local Area Parking Study Terms of
Reference, these reports will focus on recommendations, which may include:
- Adjusting
rates, hours or locations of paid parking;
- Promoting
existing facilities and services;
- Coordinating
services with private lots; and/or,
- Providing
new facilities (either publicly or as part of a joint venture).
DISCUSSION
As part of the
Municipal Parking Management Strategy, a Standard Terms of Reference document was
developed for use in conducting Local Area Parking Studies. The LAPS Terms of Reference includes ten
elements (steps), each comprised of multiple parts. Table 1 provides a summary of the elements and
the work completed to date.
TABLE 1 – Status of ByWard Market and Downtown Rideau Studies – By
Element
|
|
Elements of Each Local Area Parking Study (per the
Terms of Reference) |
Status – ByWard Market BIA |
Status – Downtown Rideau BIA |
|
Framework |
Study
Area Boundaries |
Complete |
Complete |
|
Existing
Land Use information |
Substantially Complete |
Substantially Complete |
|
|
Urban
Planning Context |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
|
|
Data
Collection |
Parking
Inventory |
Complete |
Complete |
|
Parking
Utilization |
Complete |
Complete |
|
|
Parking
Regulations, Fees and Charges |
Complete |
Complete |
|
|
Travel
Surveys |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
|
|
Issue
Identification |
Existing
Challenges and Opportunities |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
|
Future
Challenges and Opportunities |
Not started |
Not started |
|
|
Consultation |
Stakeholder
Engagement |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
The following provides details
on the work undertaken with respect to each section of the above Table.
Framework
The boundaries for each study
are identified in Document 2. The core
study area aligns, as closely as possible, with the Downtown Rideau BIA and
ByWard Market BIA boundaries. There are
some minor variations relative to the Business Improvement Area boundaries, as required, to ensure proper capture of parking
data. As is identified in Document 2, some
fringe areas have also been included. Fringe
areas are defined as being areas outside but adjacent to the core study area,
with parking generators and / or major parking facilities that serve the study
area. The study areas were confirmed
with the respective Business Improvement Areas and other stakeholders as
applicable.
Land use data within the study
areas has been obtained for each block.
Of specific interest are:
·
Recent land developments (since 2005);
·
Net changes in development area and occupancies; and,
·
Proposed developments within one year and five year horizons.
Comparisons of land use for
critical blocks have been made by documenting land use data and air photo
information from 1999, 2005 and 2009. The
most significant change identified in this review has been the development of
several major condominiums in the area. In
many cases, this has resulted in the loss of surface parking. Planned and potential developments are being
reviewed for possible impact on the parking supply.
Parking Demand Ratios are
being developed based on land use information and will be utilized to estimate
future demand. Parking demand / supply
ratios are to be compiled by type of parking facility (on-street metered and
non-metered; off-street public and private) on a block-by-block basis and a
block face-by-block face basis.
Research of the urban planning background is ongoing. This will be documented in the detailed study reports and includes consideration of the Official Plan, Zoning Bylaw, any zoning changes, Community Development Plans, Cash-in-Lieu of Parking applications, and other planning studies. There are no new planning studies proposed for the area. However, there are several recent and ongoing planning studies in the area that impact these parking studies, including the:
·
Downtown Ottawa
Urban Design Strategy (2004);
·
ByWard
Market Heritage District; and,
·
Rideau
Street Urban Design Study (ongoing).
Data Collection
As a first
step towards undertaking these Local Area Parking Studies, the City carried out
an update of the Central Area Parking
Study (CAPS), which was last updated in 2005. This is a recurring technical parking study
that is undertaken every four to six years (since 1985) to monitor general
trends in parking demand and supply in the central core area (which includes
the ByWard Market and Downtown Rideau areas).
As part of the
Central Area Parking Study, parking supply and usage information was collected
and business surveys were conducted in the area east of the Rideau Canal in 2009.
The data collected for this Central Area Parking Study update is being
used for these Local Area Parking Studies. (Note that data collection for the Central
Area Parking Study update for the area west
of the Rideau Canal will be undertaken in 2010.)
Parking Inventory:
This step involved undertaking a
complete parking inventory for the ByWard Market and Downtown Rideau areas. The parking supply (short-term and long-term)
was consolidated on a block-by-block and block face-by-block face basis, and
includes:
·
On-street parking (meters / pay and display; parking
compounds; angle parking; loading zones; no parking / stopping zones and other
curb-side uses);
·
Off-street municipal parking (ByWard Market Garage,
Clarence-Murray Garage); and,
·
Off-street private parking (publicly accessible parking lots;
private parking lots; residential
parking; and shared parking).
Past studies have examined parking
supply and demand on a typical weekday during the mid-day period as a primary
reference point. There are several
examples of off-street privately-owned lots that are reserved for different
uses during the day as opposed to at night or on the weekends. In general, the actual supply of publicly
available parking increases in the evening and on weekends. This data has been captured, and as part of
the detailed studies, further opportunities for shared parking supply will be
sought.
The following specialty parking has
been identified for the purpose of the studies:
·
Motorcycle
parking in ByWard Market garage; and,
·
Bicycle
parking (in parking garages/lots and on-street).
The final Central Area
Parking Study Update report will provide a comparison of existing available
short-term parking spaces to those in 2005; outline changes to the number of
secured (structure-type) parking spaces since 2005; and explore the degree / nature
of change and relationship between the short-term and long-term parking (public
and private).
The following is a summary of
the findings to this point:
· The overall parking supply in the Central Area east of the Rideau Canal has remained consistent since 2005, increasing only slightly from 8,872 spaces to 8,885 spaces;
· Short-term (< 3 hrs) parking supply has increased by 7% (207 spaces);
· Long-term (>3 hrs) parking supply has decreased by 3% (194 spaces);
· On-street parking supply has increased moderately by 3% (26 spaces); and,
· The amount of private parking has increased by 6% (192 parking spaces).
Parking Utilization:
Data was collected in a
manner that was consistent with the process used for past Central Area Parking
Studies. In September 2009, an
extensive, four-day parking utilization survey was conducted to obtain a
snapshot of parking usage. Data was
collected during the following times:
·
Weekday Morning, Mid-day and Afternoon (September 24);
·
Friday Evening, 6:30pm to 9:30pm (September 25);
·
Saturday Morning, Mid-day and Afternoon (September 26); and,
·
Sunday, Mid-day and Afternoon (September 27).
For each of the above
periods, data was collected on an hourly basis for:
·
On-street parking (metered parking, unmetered parking, no
parking areas);
·
Off-street municipal parking (short term, long term);
·
Off-street public parking (short term, long term); and,
·
Off-street private parking (long term).
License plate data was recorded in all time
periods by location in order to be able to determine parking duration and
turnover. Parking turnover is of
significant importance to the study, and will allow for a detailed examination
of issues related high occupancy time periods (i.e. Friday evenings and
Sundays). Based on the data collection to this point, the
following general observations can be provided:
For On-Street Parking:
· On Friday evening, total on-street parking utilization was observed to be 108% of actual capacity (meaning that the number of cars parked on street exceeded the supply of on-street spaces by 8%), with most of the block faces exceeding practical capacity (practical capacity is considered to be 85% to 90% of actual capacity or number of spaces).
· On Sunday afternoon, the total public on-street utilization was observed to be 106% of capacity. All zones, with one exception, had utilization rates in excess of practical capacity.
Off-Street Parking:
· In general, there is a sufficient parking capacity in the Central Area, east of the Rideau Canal.
· On weekday afternoons most blocks have utilization rates greater than 75% of actual capacity.
·
On Friday evening, the area between Clarence
Street (to the north), Dalhousie Street (to the east), York Street (to the
south) and Sussex Avenue (to the west) is experiencing high utilization,
ranging from 84% to 104% of capacity.
·
As a whole, the area has enough public parking
supply to meet the demand, despite the decrease in supply since 2005. However, some area blocks and zones have much
higher demand than others.
In summary, the above data indicates that on-street parking in the
Downtown Rideau and ByWard Market areas is well utilized and is over capacity
at peak times and days. However,
off-street parking utilization was found to be moderate. This indicates that although on-street utilization is
of concern, the overall short-term parking supply is sufficient to meet present
levels of public parking demand.
Existing parking regulation data has also been compiled and documented for
the area. Fees and charges at Municipal
and privately-owned public parking lots have been surveyed. This task includes the documentation of
parking lot rates by time/day/duration.
Business and Consumer Surveys
were carried out within the study areas in October and November 2009. The questions included in this survey were
based on past Central Area Parking Studies (to allow for comparison) and also
included several new questions. The
nature of these surveys was discussed extensively with the BIAs.
The results of this initial survey have been
presented and discussed with both BIAs and will form the basis of more detailed
and focused customer, business owner and employee surveys. These detailed surveys will look at the overall parking
experience in the area, including such things as: access to and from the Rideau
/ ByWard area; signage and visibility of the parking facilities; clarity of
information, guidance and information signs within the parking facilities;
payment methods and options; etc. These
results can be used to improve access and promotion of the City’s parking
facilities, and other publicly-available facilities.
Through additional focussed
surveys, the requirements for employee parking in the Downtown Rideau and
ByWard Market areas are to be examined to help identify what times and days employee parking is an
issue, how the demand is accommodated, and ultimately, if employee parking is a significant issue.
The detailed surveys will be
undertaken later in 2010. Survey
questions will be reviewed with the BIAs, Community Associations and other
stakeholders prior to commencement of the survey.
Issue Identification
Existing Challenges and Opportunities:
Throughout the
initial stages of this study, efforts have been made to identify and examine
potential “quick wins”. The results have
yielded a few opportunities to add parking – mainly on-street – by adjusting
curbs, removing redundant driveway depressions, and reviewing signage that may
no longer be required. The Parking Operations, Maintenance and Development Branch
will work with Infrastructure Services in an effort to plan for this work in
early 2011.
Various issues
and opportunities have been discussed with key stakeholders. From these discussions, a list of
parking-related issues/opportunities has been derived. It currently consists of approximately 20
topics, some with numerous specific locations. These categories and potential opportunities
include the following:
·
Examine opportunities to permit
additional on-street parking during off-peak traffic/transit hours / days (5
potential locations);
·
Examine opportunities to provide
additional on-street parking (10 potential locations);
·
Review existing Parking Regulations
on several streets (7 streets);
·
Identify opportunities for
convertible or shared use parking spaces / curb use (for example, tour bus
parking daytime, taxi zone at night);
·
Identify opportunities to provide for bicycle and motorcycle /
scooter parking, as well as for other alternative modes of transportation;
- Review of parking needs and
specific challenges associated with vendor stalls in the ByWard Market;
- Review existing Loading Zones
(requirement, relocation options, additional loading zones);
- Review existing Tour Bus
Parking locations;
- Review Taxi Zones (within the
context of the Rideau Street Taxi Study (2005));
- Examine wayfinding and
directional signage to/from Municipal Parking Lots;
- ByWard Garage and Clarence-Murray
Garage (review utilization patterns, identify future opportunities,
examine signage/entrances);
- Detailed review of on-street
parking on priority blocks (as identified by BIAs);
- Review safety and security,
determine impacts on the desirability of existing parking;
- Identify and examine barriers
between parking facilities and destinations;
- Study specific time periods of
high parking utilization / low turnover (including Friday evening and
Sunday in the ByWard Market); and,
- Identify opportunities for
additional off-peak public use of private parking lots.
To ensure that each of the
potential opportunities listed above (and options considered) is aligned with
the Council-approved Municipal Parking Management Strategy, they must support
one or more of the following Strategy objectives:
- Provide and maintain an
appropriate supply of affordable, secure, accessible, convenient, and
appealing public parking.
- Provide and promote
affordable short-term parking services, and fair and consistent
enforcement services, that support local businesses, institutions, and
tourism.
- Promote, establish, and
maintain programs and facilities that encourage the use of alternative
modes of transportation including public transit, car/van pooling, taxis,
auto sharing, cycling, and walking.
- Support residential
intensification and resolve parking problems within residential areas
caused by significant traffic generators or conflicting uses of the
roadway, including implementing on-street permit parking programs to
relieve area residents and visitors from parking regulations directed at
the non-resident.
- Ensure the revenues
generated by the Municipal Parking Program are sufficient to wholly
recover all related operating and life-cycle maintenance expenditures; contribute
to a reserve fund to finance future parking system development, operation,
and promotion; and then assist in the funding of related initiatives to
encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation.
Future Challenges and Opportunities:
A long-range vision for each
of these study areas needs to be developed based on existing conditions,
approved development, potential development, and zoning regulations. The analysis undertaken as part of these
studies will assist in projecting future parking conditions and needs. The
vision will need to account for projected demand and may include the
identification of new or expanded facilities.
Such opportunities and requirements will be identified and fully
evaluated. For example, in past studies,
there has been discussion about an addition to the ByWard Municipal Parking
Garage. This evaluation will consider
such things as planning issues, compatibility with the surrounding land uses,
practicality, costs, and road capacity.
Transportation-Related Studies:
There are several ongoing planning
and transportation-related studies in the ByWard Market and Downtown Rideau
areas. In some cases, the guiding
principles of the other studies will need to be taken into account during the
evaluation of any recommendations. For
example, any changes on Rideau Street will need to be made with consideration
to Planning and Growth Management’s ongoing study, Rideau
Street Urban Design Study, and the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy (2004).
Budget and Implementation
With respect to funding, a
budget of $75,000 was established in 2009, as per the Municipal Parking
Management Strategy and Governance Review Report. Approximately $58,000 has been spent on the
combined collection of parking data, and the remaining $17,000 was allocated
for the completion of the final Central Area Parking Study (East) report, which
serves as the basis for both of the current Local Area Parking Studies.
In 2010, an additional
$150,000 has been allocated for Local Area Parking Studies. A portion of this will be used toward the
completion of the ByWard Market and the Downtown Rideau Local Area Parking
Studies covering various aspects, including public consultation, stakeholder
engagement, discussion/confirmation of issues, and, development of
recommendations. It is expected that
through these studies, additional “quick wins” will be identified. These will be reported in the final Local
Area Parking Study reports. Further work
is required to clarify these opportunities and refine cost estimates.
Local Area Parking Studies
for two new locations are proposed to commence in 2010, and the Central Area
Parking Study will re-commence with data collection west of the Rideau Canal in
September/October 2010 (with completion in 2011). Additional funding will be required in 2011
to complete these 2010 studies. This is
a direct result of $75,000 being allocated towards studies in 2009, less than
the funding required for the ByWard and Rideau studies. A request for additional funding (one time
only) for 2011 to address this issue and place the LAPS program funding back on
schedule as planned will be communicated through the 2011 Work Plan for Parking
Operations, Maintenance and Development.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no rural
implications associated with this report.
CONSULTATION
As
this review is being undertaken concurrently with the Rideau Area
Transportation Network Study update, the selection process has been the same
for each project. The major stakeholders
have been identified as follows:
·
A local BIA or business community
representative:
o
ByWard BIA, Downtown Rideau BIA
·
A major property owner / developer:
o
Rideau Centre (and others as part of
BIA stakeholder teams)
·
A Community Association
representative:
o
Lowertown, Sandy Hill
·
Institutional (place of worship /
community centre) representative:
o
Ottawa University, others TBD
·
Other stakeholders depending on the
specific areas and its issues:
o
Advisory Groups (cyclists,
pedestrians)
o
Institutions: Arts Court; Ottawa Conference Centre
o
Government: NCC; STO (consultation
with STO will be part of the upcoming work)
The Parking Stakeholder
Consultation Group (PSCG) was briefed (meeting of February 25, 2010) on the
current status of the projects. PSCG
will be kept informed on the progress of the current Local Area Parking Studies
(LAPS). In addition, PSCG will be
consulted and input will be sought on future LAPS as part of the Parking Branch
Annual Work Plan.
At the time of drafting this
interim report, community consultation / briefings have taken place with:
·
ByWard Market Core Team (March 1st);
·
Lowertown Community Association (March 8th);
·
Downtown Rideau “Project Team” (BIA, merchants, Arts Court,
etc.) (March 25th, April 1st, April 8th);
·
Downtown Rideau BIA Board of Directors (April 13th);
and,
·
ByWard Market Vendors (April 13th and 14th).
Scheduled meetings are:
·
ByWard Market BIA Board of Directors (May 17th);
and,
·
ByWard Market Core Team (May 25th).
Further briefings / consultations
are planned:
·
Sandy Hill Community; Lowertown Community Association;
·
Ottawa University; and,
·
Others to be determined.
The next consultation steps
will include: project consultation
meetings with stakeholders to present results of data collection, discuss and
confirm carry-forward items; notification of project data findings and
ideas/issues to stakeholders for comment and confirmation; meetings with
stakeholders to present project recommendations and further actions;
identification of quick wins; and implementation of quick wins where feasible.
Work
over the summer months is to include the development / refinement of options
for addressing issues and to continue working with Stakeholders. Further consultation with stakeholders and the
development of recommendations on major issues will take place between
September and November.
The ByWard Market and
Downtown Rideau BIAs are considered to be the key stakeholders in this
process. Regular (bi-weekly)
consultation has and will continue to take place. The feedback received will guide the
development of the project. Staff have
been working with and through the BIAs to communicate with the area merchants
and businesses.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR
Councillor Bédard is aware of
these studies, and has been involved in the process, through attendance at
several of the briefings provided to stakeholder groups.
LEGAL / RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal / risk management
impediments to the implementation of this Report’s recommendation.
CITY STRATEGIC PLAN
The requirement for Local Area Parking Studies
is identified in the Municipal Parking Management Strategy, which in turn is in
alignment with the Transportation Priority of the City’s Strategic Plan. This approach to parking management supports
the City’s existing transportation network and ultimately helps to allow for
more efficient movement of people and goods and encourages economic growth.
The Municipal Parking
Management Strategy also reflects the principles of the Transportation Master
Plan.
TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS
There
are no technical implications to the implementation of this Report’s
recommendations.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
The
costs identified in the body of the report were approved in the 2009 Capital
Budget ($75,000) and the 2010 Operating Budget ($150,000). The 2011 Work Plan requirements for Parking Operations,
Maintenance and Development will be included
in the draft Operating Budget for Council consideration in 2011.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 - Local Area Parking Studies – Standard Terms of Reference (Immediately follows the report)
Document
2 - Local Area Parking Study Areas (Immediately follows the report)
DISPOSITION
Parking Operations, Maintenance and Development
Branch staff will continue with the Local Area Parking Areas studies for the
ByWard Market BIA and Downtown Rideau BIA, subject to Transportation Committee
direction as a result of this interim report.
Document 1
Standard Terms of Reference for
Local Area Parking Studies
City of Ottawa
Prepared For:
City of Ottawa
April 2009
