“We are proposing an increase to the downtown residential parking permits, just in the center core zone, said Community Planning & Development Program Analyst Max DeJarnatt during Olympia’s Parking & Business Improvement Area (PBIA) Advisory Board as they discussed parking enforcement updates during a committee meeting yesterday, June 7.
“These are permits that if you live downtown [or] have an address downtown, you can apply for. Currently, those permits are $60 and we're proposing an increase to those permits,” DeJarnatt said as he presented some proposed improvements for the parking regulations.
Increasing the price of these on-street residential and 9-hour meter permits will incentivize the use of off-street parking options, which is recommended in the city’s parking strategy.
DeJarnatt added that they are also proposing to expedite the impounding for improperly parked vehicles in load zones, restricted bike lanes, and crosswalks.
“We have a longer process to get these cars removed from restricted areas, and so we're trying to clean that up a bit, be more responsive to get our streets safer,” said DeJarnatt.
This is supported by Parking Services Supervisor Garth Edwards as he shared the objectives of the enforcement: incentivizing longer-term parking off-street to increase available parking on Saturdays, increasing the presence of parking staff, and addressing illegal/unsafe parking issues during peak hours.
“I've done a few of these counts myself in the evenings and weekends and oftentimes the load zones bike lanes are double parked. It's unsafe for pedestrians,” Edwards said.
For this purpose, Edwards added that they will be hiring two halftime employees, and a third person who will be assigned to manage things and can cover if one of the two is sick or on vacation.
“It's all about safety. It's about pedestrians, people. Like I just parked there for two minutes and all it takes is a double-parked person to park there for 30 seconds and somebody comes around the corner and hits a pedestrian that does happen that is why we have these rules,” Edwards said.
Director of Community Planning and Development Leonard Bauer explained the necessity of having these parking enforcement rules.
“The reason we have parking enforcement downtown for parking and time limits is to encourage turnover of parking occupancy on the streets so that people coming downtown will have a better chance of finding convenient parking so they can do their business or visit or just make that a more active downtown,” Bauer said.
Strategy 1: Update Management & Enforcement Tools
Strategy 2: Improve On-Street Parking
Strategy 3: Reinvigorate Off-Street Parking
Strategy 4: Improve Access to Downtown
Strategy 5: Refine Residential & Employee Parking
Strategy 6: Enhance Arts, Culture & Entertainment Uses
Strategy 7: Improve Disabled Parking Management
Bauer added that updating the city’s downtown parking strategy will outline a strategic path forward to make sure there's convenient available parking to support local businesses and residential needs.
“As more residents move into downtown again, it probably is even more important to do this and make sure we have that turnover,” Bauer said.
Bauer also shared that the city strives for the 85% rule, wherein policies align to occupy 85% of parking spaces for long-term parking and make the other 15% available for short-term parking.
“We strive for an 85% rule and this comes from a lot of research out there about parking in downtown across the country. That target says a good rule of thumb 85% occupancy of parking spaces at any given time at a maximum, and what that does is leave the other 15% available for parking,” Bauer said.
“When you apply the 85% rule to our downtown, it's roughly one space (open) per block. There's usually going to be a space on every block face available for someone coming downtown to visit our shops,” Bauer added.
Bauer mentioned that visitors and pedestrians will have more convenient parking that reduces congestion, which also helps the community’s climate goals.
“We want visitors to be able to find parking near their destination with a minimum hassle,” said Bauer.
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RetiredPoliceChief
I'll support the increased tax for those choosing to shop downtown. However, the city must balance the increase cost by immediately impounding shopping carts and return them immediately to the store owner. Those stealing shopping carts (which is a tax on food, as well as a public health and safety issue), and jail the numerous shopping cart thieves. When I see results, and our downtown is safer and cleaner, I'll consider paying for parking. For now, as has been for the last 4 years... downtown Oly is a "no go zone".
Saturday, June 10, 2023 Report this
HappyOlympian
Olympians might be shrewd voters, but seem very willing to park illegally whenever they like. Please add a massive increase to fines and tow those cars!
Saturday, June 10, 2023 Report this
HappyOlympian
I also agree with the idea of hefty fines and punishment for stealing shopping carts! Folks seem to steal them for one-way trips and leave them anywhere without hesitation; something that would help is for Intercity Transit to ban anyone from riding a bus who is seen with a cart near IT property.
Saturday, June 10, 2023 Report this
gurfunkel
Off street parking options? What off street parking options would downtown residents like myself have? I already park 3 walking blocks from my apartment. Does the city just not want people to live downtown? Or just people who need a car for their job? Seriously, Olympia is acting dumb again.
Saturday, June 10, 2023 Report this
SecondOtter
It would be very helpful if the city actually made sure the meters WORK.
There's one near the bank on the corner of 5th and Columbia that routinely steals my coins. I'll press for the fifteen minutes,then put in my coins for additional time and it doesn't add time. And yes, I am aware that there's supposedly a phone number to call, but if I don't have the time to wait for the parking meter person to actually respond, I'm stuck having lost money and perhaps risking a ticket.
This is the fourth generation of parking meters that have been installed in downtown Olympia in the last decade. All they've done is force people to park illegally or just not shop downtown at all. It really makes one wonder if someone on the City Council has stock in a meter company.
Sunday, June 11, 2023 Report this
WayTooOld
I’m with gurfunkel. The only offstreet parking options I see downtown are the sidewalks.
Monday, June 12, 2023 Report this
smithcastle
This is ridiculous. No one with common sense should believe that more enforcement means more parking!! This is such an outdated model of revenue generation for a municipality, but I see why the City of Olympia loves it. It seems now that the State workforce will no longer be coming back and revenues on parking enforcement are down. The city is choosing to raise rates and even extend the enforcement and penalization of the downtown business' through Saturdays all the way to 7:00PM!!
PARKING SHOULD BE FREE IN DOWNTOWN! ALL DAY EVERY DAY! WE NEED TO DEFUND PARKING ENFORCEMENT!
We own several properties downtown and business is difficult enough with all the other poor conditions patrons experience there. People will continue to choose to shop, dine and experience other areas like Tumwater, Lacey and even the Westside of Olympia to enjoy a meal and a good time out on the town and not have to worry about coming back to a $75.00 ticket. The City of Olympia's parking enforcement is not necessary since we property owners are the ones to call Summit Towing anytime someone parks in the wrong spot around our buildings. We watched the enforcers as they removed meters, put up signs and switched to these new mobile app and kiosks that for weeks took many patrons by surprise as we saw countless tickets handed out by the City! These abuses must stop if we ever have hopes for a thriving, vibrant downtown that is safe, clean and welcoming to everyone! Especially for those that need to drive there!!
Monday, June 12, 2023 Report this
SecondOtter
You're right, Smith Castle, parking should be free. It used to be free, then the City said that those nasty State workers were bogarting all the parking spaces, let's punish them by putting in meters.
But, having worked downtown for the State, we didn't park on the streets. We parked in the parking underneath the buildings.
It was just a lame excuse to extort more money from downtown patrons and the result is: fewer people coming downtown to shop. Never mind the poor people who owned houses on the sidestreets and one day a meter popped up in front of their home and the resident told they had to pay to park in front of their own home.
Monday, June 12, 2023 Report this
Yeti1981
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akm7ik-H_7U
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Report this