Parking Policies

Supporting Healthy & Creative Communities

mark.chase@tufts.edu

Market SignalsFamine mentality

1989

Can we raise your parking prices?

Can we better manage parking?

Can we better manage parking?

Build our way out of it?

Surface: +/- $10,000 or $50/ month

Garage:+/- $20,000 or $100/ month

Underground:+/- $40,000 or $200/ month

Assumptions4% interest rate30 years

Pricing Alternatives

Time limits?

Permits?

Ticketing?

Parking in Davis Square

Parking Studies

Time-limits/ ticketing

Pricing and technology

Framing Parking Management…

Lowest possible price!

To maintain a few available spaces

1. Managing Parking is about demand

Not revenue!

OPEN DATA

We decide where to spend the money

2. Parking can pay for what the community wants!

Parking Benefit Districts

Tangible community improvements

Community control of revenues

Parking Benefit Districts

San Diego

Austin

Houston

Washington DC

Ventura, CA

Redwood City, CA

Nashua, NH

We decide where to spend the money

Meter Revenues &MGL Chapter 40 Section 22A

necessary expenses related to parking meters…&

“…regulation of parking and other traffic activities…”

street cleaningsnow removal

We decide where to spend the money

2012 Revision

MGL Chapter 40 Section 22CPurchase or lease of additional parking lotsCommuter shuttles or commuter shuttle servicesTransit station accessibility improvements or traffic controls

Common Practice-> General FundCities and Towns spend far more in aggregate than they take in

We decide where to spend the money

RealityNo case-law to date in MassachusettsBarrier is politicalCommunity Support?

We decide where to spend the money

A Model: Nashua, NHParking Revenues General FundIf GT $728,000 in meter revenue…Decided upon by the Downtown Improvement Committee.

2012: $140,000

2013: $120,000

Nashua

A great community based plan!

City resourcesCommunity Development Block GrantsBIDParking Benefit DistrictTax Increment Financing

How to pay for it?

Year 1: $140,000 -- > Meter Technology

Year 2: $120,000 -- > TBA (lighting, marketing & branding, festivals)

Bigger pictureZoning & Economic Development

Affordable housing

Congestion & Sustainable Transportation

Public space

Equity

Neighborhood Imagination Fund

•Community based•Design competition•Spent in the community•Celebrated!

Somerville Resident Permit Parking

Currently issues about 50,000 permits $2.50 month!

Cambridge Resident Permit Parking

Currently issues about 38,000 permits for $2.08/ month!

Boston Resident Permit Parking

Currently issues about 350,000 permits for free!

Mark ChaseMark.chase@tufts.edu