HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/06_1/2001, C14 - RAILROAD SERVICE AREA PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN council M"m°D `February 6,2001
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CITY O F SAN LUI S OBI SPO
FROM: Mike McCluskey, Director of Public Workse
Prepared By: Keith Opalewski, Parking Manager
SUBJECT: RAILROAD SERVICE AREA PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN
CAO RECONEMEENDATION
1. Approve the proposed Railroad Square Service Area Parking Management Plan.
2. Direct staff to work with the stakeholders for Plan improvements six months after
implementation and make changes as mutually agreed upon as appropriate.
3. Adopt a resolution establishing parking management guidelines for expanded reserved
Amtrak parking in the Railroad Transfer Center in cooperation with San Luis Obispo
Council of Governments (SLOCOG).
4. Rescind previous Council direction to require multiple reimbursements of General Fund
from Parking Enterprise Fund and vice-versa.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City acquired a two-acre parcel, from Southern Pacific Railroad, adjacent to the train depot
in 1985 as part of an intermodal enhancement project that included depot renovations and
parking lot improvements. The overall area has become known as Railroad Square. As a subset
of that, the Railroad Square (RR Square) Parking Service Area has been operating in its present
state since the late 80's (Attachment 2). The area provides parking for Amtrak users and local
businesses.
The improvements were funded through a combination of city, state and private contributions.
Because the City actually provided the private funding on behalf of the adjacent private owners,
those owners were required to enter into long-term leases with the City to meet their parking
requirements, and reimburse the City. The 126-space parking lot has been operating on a first-
come, first served basis since 1987 without a formal parking management plan. This "shared
approach" has been reasonably successful because the peak demand periods for the different
uses(lunch crowds and train arrivals/departures) vary throughout the day.
However, in the late 90's business intensification and increased rail service began to impact the
available parking for all users of the area. Long-range plans called for the acquisition of adjacent
railroad property that would be developed into a Multi-modal Transit Center to help improve the
parking needs for present and future Amtrak patrons and provide bus layover facilities for the
CCAT system.
The nearby property was purchased in 1999 with state transportation (Proposition 116 and
Transit Capital Improvement) funds to develop the land as a multi-modal service area. The
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Council Agenda Report—RR Parking Management Plan
Page 2
Railroad Transfer Center (RTC) project is currently in its final construction phase with a March
2001 operational date. The development of the new lot will provide 134 (123 regular vehicle, 5
handicap and 6 regional bus) parking spaces. Combining the existing RR Square lot with the
new RTC lot will provide a parking area of 257 mixed-use spaces.
Developing the Plan
The proposed parking plan represents the consensus of the stakeholders for the railroad service
area. The stakeholders group was comprised of representatives from Amtrak, SLOCOG,
Railroad Museum, local business owners, and City Transportation Division staff. Stakeholders
met several times to discuss various parking allocations that would meet the needs of all user
groups. The challenge was to find a balance of short and long-term spaces that would not
adversely impact any specific user group. Business owners were concerned that allowing Amtrak
users to continue to park in the existing RR Square would force their customers to park further
away. Amtrak felt that not providing some longer term parking near the depot would be very
inconvenient for their customers as well, especially if they have to cant'luggage.
The proposed plan is a compromise of the various discussions, with the understanding that the
plan will be a`working plan"that will be evaluated after six months of operation to see if revised
space allocations and/or some other form of parking controls should be implemented to better
serve one or more of the user groups. The current plan continues to allow free parking for all
users, and is consistent with the.current Amtrak agreement for the RTC development to allow
free patron parking (Attachment 3). The proposed allocations are as follows and shown on
Attachment 4:
Short-term---43 spaces comprised of four 10-minute and 39 two-hour that will be allocated
within the existing RR Square parking.
Day Parking---172 10-hour parking spaces for Amtrak and general use, with 44 of these
earmarked for RR Square employees and other non-Amtrak users.
Long-term---24 reserved spaces for exclusive use by Amtrak patrons.
Other---11 Handicap, 6 reserved bus, and 1 reserved Train Police space
Note: Historic Railroad Museum parking will be addressed on a demand basis as the facility expands over the
coming years. Initially, Railroad Museum patrons will share the day parking spaces in the RTC. If and when the
Museum use intensifies to the point that existing space allocations do not meet its needs, additional spaces could be
identified for their use.
One area of concern from SLOCOG was the number of spaces actually "reserved" for Amtrak
patrons. SLOCOG staff has requested reserving up to 100 spaces in the RTC for future Amtrak
users. This reservation would be demand driven as rail services increase over the next five to
seven years. Furthermore, SLOCOG's support for the proposed parking plan was contingent
upon a portion of the day parking spaces in the existing RR Square lot remaining available for
Amtrak users. SLOCOG has requested a formal agreement with the City so that Amtrak's long-
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Council Agenda Report—RR Parking Management Plan
Page 3
term parking needs will be met at such time that service expansions occur and demand increases
(Attachment 5). The proposed resolution satisfies SLOCOG's request for a formal management
document to meet Amtrak's future parking needs.
In their request for additional Amtrak parking SLOCOG has acknowledged that "It is very
difficult to fully quantify,the current and future parking demand without a detailed parking study.
No standard parking ratio for train stations exists since each has its own unique
characteristics". Given this difficulty to determine how many spaces should be reserved at any
given time, staff is recommending that future Amtrak space allocations be based on real demand
figures. Through the use of parking demand "triggers" based on actual usage, additional spaces
could be reserved for train travelers as the need arises. Implementation triggers would be
enacted whereby Amtrak expansion would take place when occupancy levels of the "reserved
spaces"reach predetermined levels (e.g., 80% or more for at least 8 hours during weekdays). The
actual number of spaces.to be reserved would be increased incrementally (no more than 100% of
the existing number of reserved spaces) up to a cap of 100 spaces based on the level of service.
Field surveys to determine the occupancy levels would be conducted on a semiannual basis as
part of the enforcement effort in the service area. SLOCOG has endorsed this concept for
future Amtrak parking and is supportive of the attached resolution for parking management,of.
Amtrak reserved spaces.
CONCURRENCES
SLOCOG, staff, business owners and Amtrak representatives agree that the proposed plan is a
good first try and accept the need for periodic review and adjustment of the Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
Implementation of the Parking Management Plan will require the installation of new signs and
curb painting designating the various types of spaces. The sign cost ($2,000) will be borne by
the Parking Fund's existing sign account with city crews performing the installation. This is a
warranted "Parking" expense since the Parking Fund has been receiving the lease revenues for
lot maintenance and improvements.
As part of its approval of the existing RR Square project, Council provided $100,000 in general
fund monies to advance private contributions for the project in 1987. This money was to be
reimbursed (with interest) under the 20-year, annual lease program that was enacted by Council
in 1989. To date, in excess of $150,000 has been collected from RR Square parking leases and
has been deposited in the City Parking enterprise fund. No reimbursement to the General Fund
has yet taken place.
At its December 01, 2000 meeting the Council approved the construction budget for the RTC
project, which included using $150,000 in Parking enterprise funds to cover the shortfall in
construction funding for the project. At a subsequent meeting the Council determined that the
General Fund should fund this shortfall and approved reimbursement to the Parking fund via a
three-year recovery schedule. Further, as part of any parking management plan for the RTC, it
was requested that the parking lease amounts be structured to reduce the demand on the General
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Council Agenda Report—RR Parking Management Plan
Page 4
Fund money and minimize the necessary amount of reimbursement. As can be seen, these two
Council directions require transfers from one fund to another and vice-versa. Assuming a three
year reimbursement time for each issue(from this point forward) at 6% interest rate:
RR Square Reimbursement (1989 Council Decision):
Initial Investment from General $100,000
Fund:
Interest Amount @ 6% for 13 years $113,293
(1987 to 2000)
Total: Parking Fund owes to $213,293.00
General Fund (2000):
RTC Reimbursement (2000 Council Decision):
Initial Investment from Parking $150,000
Fund & General Fund owes to
Parking Fund (over 3 years)
Interest Amount , 6% for 3 years $18,349
Total $1689349.00
As can be seen from the above calculations, because of the length of years and the dollar
amounts, these two reimbursement amounts are reasonably equivalent. Because the interest rate
is debatable, these amounts may actually be closer or farther apart than the above calculations
may indicate. Because the amounts are somewhat equitable, Staff is recommending that Council
approve that the reimbursement of these two accounts be waived and that the Parking Fund and
the General Fund balances remain at current levels. Parking funds will be used to fund the RTC
project but no reimbursement for previous RR Square work will be required. Thus, the Parking
and General funds will remain whole, and simplification on these issues is achieved. Staff is also
recommending that annual lease payments continue to be deposited in the Parking Fund to cover
annual operating and maintenance costs.
Other fiscal impacts relate to additional staff time for the increased enforcement and monitoring
of the area. The "managed" approach to the railroad parking area will have a direct impact to
parking enforcement staff. The entire area, short-term (two-hour) spaces in particular, will
require considerable enforcement effort in order to be effective. This may require up to three
trips or more per day to patrol the lot, chalk tires and issue citations. The time spent patrolling
the railroad area will mean less time devoted to downtown parking for meters and loading zones
and outlying residential parking districts, which translates to reduced parking meter and parking
fine revenues. Conversely, the additional parking fines that will be generated from the proposed
plan could offset some of this potential lost "money". Exact figures for both are difficult to
determine until the plan has been in operation for the first six months to get a more accurate
enforcement officer use and operations impact. However, given the expanded field time (as
much as 2 hours or more per day) for managing this area, along with requests for increased
enforcement of existing residential districts, with more districts on the horizon, additional
enforcement personnel may be warranted to meet the increasing demand. If this staffing increase
does materialize, the proposed retention of parking lease and fine monies would be one source of
additional revenue to help offset the cost of funding a new position.
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Council Agenda Report–RR Parking Management Plan
Page 5
ALTERNATIVES
Different configurations of the space allocations could be implemented as part of the initial plan.
More or less spaces could be designated for the various uses. The following options are a
consideration:
Option 1—Continue to allow Amtrak use (by permit) throughout the entire service area(old and
new lots) with the exception of the two-hour spaces. This is similar to what currently exists in
the RR Square lot. It offers a more consistent allocation, but could displace employees and
customers, especially during peak holiday travel times.
Option 2—Not allow long-term Amtrak use in the existing RR Square lot and direct all train
travelers to the new RTC lot. This would force train travelers to traverse a longer distance and
would be inconsistent with the state funds appropriated for intermodel improvements for the RR
Square area.
Option 3—Maintain the entire area as currently exists with no short-term parking. This does not
address the short-term needs for train arrival and departures and could continue to impact nearby
businesses.
Option 4—Parking meters or pay-on-foot permit machines could be installed to help with the
parking management. Mechanized parking controls offer the advantage of being a definitive
enforcement tool as well as producing additional revenue beyond parking fines. One
disadvantage is the high capital investment ($50,000 to $100,000 or more) depending on the final
number of meters or ticket machines. They also require staffing for collections and maintenance
and can be perceived as having an adverse effect on customer parking. In this particular
operation, they would also require a more complex system to exempt current leaseholders from
double paying for their required parking.
Since the parking plan needs to be in place in order to more accurately assess the real needs of all
users, and the proposed plan represents a reasonable starting point that the stakeholders have
azreed to allow to unfold and adjust as deemed necessary sometime in the near future, staff
would not recommend any changes from what has been proposed at this time. However, Council
may choose to adjust these numbers if so desires.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1---Resolution for Reserved Amtrak Use
Attachment 2---Railroad Service Area Parking Map
Attachment 3---RR Square and RTC Parking Plan
Attachment 4---Amtrak Agreement for RTC Development
Attachment 5---SLOCOG Request for Additional Reserved Parking
1:CAR/Parking/rrsquare pkng mgmt plan
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Attachment 1
RESOLUTION NO. (2001 Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
ESTABLISHING PARKING MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR RESERVED
AMTRAK PARKING IN THE RAILROAD SERVICE AREA
WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo has developed the Railroad Transportation
Center (RTC) for Amtrak patron parking, Historic Railroad Museum parking, and as a layover
facility for the regional bus system, and
WHEREAS, the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) has requested that
one hundred (100) parking spaces be reserved within the RTC for current and future AMTRAK
patron use.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo
as follows:
SECTION 1. Within the existing Railroad Square parking lot, twenty-nine (29) daylong
and shared-use parking spaces shall be maintained for AMTRAK patrons.
SECTION 2. Upon completion of the RTC, twenty-four (24) parking spaces shall be
initially reserved for AMTRAK patrons, as shown on Exhibit A.
SECTION 3. Upon completion of the RTC, the City will monitor the use of reserved
AMTRAK patron spaces twice a year, on weekdays, during non-holiday weeks. If eighty (80%) ,
percent or more of these spaces are occupied for eight hours or more during either of the two
monitoring periods, then the City will incrementally expand, by five (5) spaces, the amount of
reserved parking for AMTRAK patrons. The total number of reserved spaces shall not exceed
100.
SECTION 4. Consistent with the monitoring provisions of Section 3, the City will
reserve a maximum of one-hundred (100) parking spaces within the RTC for AMTRAK patrons.
With the concurrence of SLOCOG, the City may reduce the forecasted 100-parking space
maximum reservation within the RTC if on-going monitoring shows that the full 100 spaces are
not needed to serve AMTRAK patron needs.
SECTION 5. The City will install appropriate signage designating the "reserved"
AMTRAK spaces. AMTRAK personnel shall be responsible for dispersing parking information
to all of its patrons directing them to use the approved parking spaces.
Upon motion of , seconded by
and on the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
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Resolution No. (2001 Series)
Page 2
the foregoing resolution was adopted this day of 72001.
Mayor Allen Settle
ATTEST:
Lee Price, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
effrey G. Jorgensen, City Att6rpCy
amtrakresolution
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Exhibit A
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a Day Parking 10-Hr. (29 Spaces)
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Bus Parking(6 Spaces)
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Attachment 2
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Attachment 3
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Attacbment 4
Agreement No. 75Y524 A/2
page 1 of 1
EXHIBIT A
AMTRAK PATRON PARKING AGREEMENT
Upon completion of the parking portion of the project, the City agrees to permit Amtrak
patrons free parking within the Railroad District parking lot purchased by State Funds.
Caltrans and Amtrak will work with the City to develop a parking management plan,
ensuring daily parking for Amtrak patrons-
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Attachment 5
San Luis Obispo Council of Governments
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Regional Transportation Cation Plannin Agency n�uva
Metropolitan Planning C)rganiruion (:may uc:ullM,■mnny
Census Data Affiliate Pm,lu„hl"
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RwmW L.0c(:ul1•ricculbr Uurow Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways San Luu ohiMu,
sau Luir r1t4yni Courvy
December 4, 2000
Ken Hampian, Acting City Administrator
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Re: Railroad Transportation Center Parking
Dear Mr. Hampian:
We are pleased to see that the Railroad Transportation Center (RTC) is under construction and
scheduled for completion early next year. Over the past several years we have worked with the
City on the project, and over the last several months have worked with the City's Parking Division
to help develop the proposed parking plan. Overall, we support the current mix of parking in the
proposed Parking Management Plan, including its provisions for long-term Amtrak parking.
However, we are requesting assurance from the City that additional Amtrak parking will be
provided as warranted by future rail service expansions.
As you are probably aware, the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) programmed.
over$2 million towards the completion of the RTC from the following funding sources:
Activity Funding Source Amount
Land Acq. &Dev. Proposition 116 funds $1,016,000
Land Acq. Transit Capital funds 5582,000
Rehab. Freight Bldg. Trans. Enhancement funds $440.000
TOTAL; ,$2,028,000
The main purpose for this investment is to provide long-term parking for Intercity rail passengers
and a layover area for regional transit buses. In addition, in October 1999, the. SLOCOG Board
recommended funding based upon reserving 100 parking spaces for Amtrak users. Currently,
only 24 of the new 134 parking spaces will be reserved for long term Amtrak use. SLOCOG staff
believes this is appropriate at this time, but is acceptable only as long as the 76 spaces in the
existing lot remain available for Amtrak patrons (by permit for <72 hour use), and the City is
committed to making adjustments as needed for additional"Amtrak only" parking.
It is very difficult to fully quantify the current and future parking demand without a detailed parking
study. No standard parking ratio for train stations exists since each has its own unique
characteristics. We know that Amtrak currently serves approximately 90,000 people per year in
San Luis Obispo. We also know that rail services to and through the region will increase in the
future, perhaps beginning as early as Fall 2001 with new services to downtown San Francisco and
Los Angeles. It is reasonable to believe the level of rail services to the region could double over
the next five to seven years.
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1 150(7sus StrCc1,S(c. 202.San Luis Obispo.(A 93401 ♦ TO. (805)781.4219♦ I;u. (805_)7%_1.5_7o3__
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You can see why we are concerned about the small number of parking spaces currently reserved
for Amtrak accommodating future needs. Additional. funding for intercity rail parking is not likely
when the new services are added over the next several years (especially since the current project
is intended to provide for that eventual need). In addition, a convenient location for additional
parking is not available in the vicinity of the station. Therefore, consistent with our Board's
approval of the project funding, we request a formal agreement with the City that Amtrak's long-
term parking needs will be met at such time as these service expansions occur and demand
increases.
Thank you for working with the railroad. Caltrans, Amtrak, the general public and local business
owners to improve this "gateway" to the City for train and motorcoach travelers. We believe the
City's participation in this project is a valuable contribution to the multimodal infrastructure for the
region.
Please do not hesitate to contact me, or Peter Rodgers of my staff at 781-5712, if you have any
questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
.Ronald De Carli
Executive Director
Attachment: Proposed parking plan
c: Pat Merrill, Caltrans Rail
Darrell Johnson,Amtrak
Keith Opaleskl, SLO Parking
SLOCOG Board
SLO City Council
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