[OMS_MANAGERS] Free parking in Downtown?

[Manvel, Evan]

Mindy,

Parking is a favorite topic of ours at the Transportation and Growth Management program.

A few quick notes:

-          Parking meters were created in Oklahoma City in 1935 by businesses interested in encouraging customer turnover.

-          From experience across the country, it seems most customers would rather to pay a bit to have a spot free near where they are going than to have to spend lots of time searching for a spot

-          Parking management consultants usually call for using time limits and pricing to make sure roughly 85% of spaces are full to optimize parking, as that means roughly one-two spaces are free each block.

-          I’d recommend skimming “the High Cost of Free Parking” though it’s 700+ pages long, it’s a quick read. Chapter one is here: http://shoup.bol.ucla.edu/Chapter1.pdf. Another of Shoup’s writings is here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ny7kt9jnfzmt5fy/ParkingPriceTherapy.pdf?dl=0  and a host of it is here https://www.shoupdogg.com/publications/

For those interested in parking resources, we’ve got a web page full of them:
https://www.oregon.gov/lcd/TGM/Pages/Parking.aspx

As far as to your immediate question - In short, the transition may be hard and involve customers complaining – but in the end, businesses are likely to gain if they are businesses people like to go to. A dollar or two for convenient parking is not usually the difference between customers coming and not when someone is going to a $30 dinner or buying a $80 dress, or even stopping for an $8 lunch. Having some free parking on the edges may be useful for those who would rather walk four blocks than pay.

A few years ago the City of Salem, for example, debated putting in meters, did not, removed time limits – and then the businesses clamored for time limits to be re-instituted. You might call them about their experience.

I believe the City of Eugene may have instituted parking price adjustments recently too. You might reach out to Jeff.  https://www.eugene-or.gov/778/Downtown-Parking

Call with questions.

Cheers,

Evan


[cid:image001.jpg at 01D509AD.DADFCD30]

Evan Manvel
Land Use and Transportation Planner
Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
635 Capitol Street NE, Suite 150 | Salem, OR 97301-2540
Direct: 503-934-0059 | Main: 503-373-0050
evan.manvel at state.or.us<mailto:evan.manvel at state.or.us> | www.oregon.gov/LCD<http://www.oregon.gov/LCD>



From: OMS_MANAGERS [mailto:oms_managers-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of Downtown Bend, OR
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2019 4:31 PM
To: Oregon Main Street program managers <oms_managers at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
Subject: [OMS_MANAGERS] Free parking in Downtown?

Greetings,

Our city is considering eliminating free parking in our Downtown.  Has anyone else gone through this transition and would you be willing to share the impact that it had on businesses?

Thanks!
Mindy Aisling
Executive Director
--------------------
[https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1-ao1XqSWKmxVF5_gQGs_gthlRITrrtw_&export=download]

Downtown Bend Business Association
Talk or Text - 541-788-3628    www.downtownbend.org<http://www.downtownbend.org>
916 NW Wall Street in Downtown Bend Oregon

We are a nonprofit committed to increasing
the vitality of Downtown Bend.







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