Downtown Parking Needs Assessment Final ReportTHE CITY OF
DUB E
Masterpiece an the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Downtown Parking Needs Assessment -Final Report
DATE: August 12, 2008
Dubuque
AN-AmericaCi ~
1 ~1
2007
During the course of the last ten months, the City of Dubuque with the assistance of
Walker Parking Consultants has conducted a Downtown Parking Needs Assessment.
As a part of the study, Walker Consultants conducted inventory usage analysis, current
needs assessments, future needs assessments and an overall parking operations
evaluation. They also conducted three public input sessions, consisting of a meeting
with businesses, developers and other stakeholders within the study area.
While the report says there is generally adequate parking availability the parking might
not be conveniently available. This information was covered in detail in the July 7, 2008
City Council worksession which was televised on CityChannel8.
Parking System Supervisor Tim Horsfield is recommending the following course of
action:
• Begin negotiations regarding partnership possibilities with Fischer Companies
relative to their parking lot located at 12 h to 13th -Main to Iowa Streets. This
would include management recommendations in the study, possible long term or
permanent lease by the City of Dubuque, potential redesign of the current
parking lot, and consideration of potential ramp construction on the site. As part
of this process the City may need to consider acquiring this piece of property to
create public parking that addresses the community need.
• Submittal of a detailed plan of implementation of "unreserving" additional spaces
within the Locust and Iowa Street Parking Ramps and the parking lots operated
within by the Parking System. The 5th and 4th Street Ramps are now operating
under this protocol allowing for an approximate 15% oversell of available spaces
due to vacations, sick time or schedule variations.
• Warehouse District -The recommendations of the study would be included and
recommendations further developed in conjunction with the Downtown Master
Plan and also with the Warehouse District study currently in progress.
• Transit issue addressed in the report will be included in the current Keyline
Comprehensive Operational Analysis.
• Not specifically addressed in the parking study but discussed extensively with
Walking Parking Consultants, was the concept of reserving and selling parking
spaces in certain areas of the study for a short tem relief of parking requests.
This would be in the area of 12th and 13th Streets mainly on Central Avenue.
• Regarding the Port of Dubuque study area, we will continue with our efforts to
establish funding sources for the construction of a multi-modal facility.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/Iw
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Tim Horsfield, Parking System Supervisor
Parking Division Dubuque ~E~1TMO~ ~""~
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830 Bluff Street ~ T^ ~ ~ ~ ~_..' ;. ~ ~.~ ~ '.
Dubuque, IA 52001 mph
Phortb: 563-589-426 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~__ y
Fax: 563-589-4308 °~"`~'
?007
To: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
From: Tim Horsfield, Parking System Supervi r
Subject: Downtown Parking Needs Assessment -Final Report
Date: August 5, 2008
Introduction
This memo provides information and recommendations to you relative to the final
report regarding the Downtown Parking Needs Assessment submitted by Walker
Parking, Inc.
Background
During the course of the last ten months, the City of Dubuque with the assistance
of Walker Parking Consultants has conducted a Downtown Parking Needs
Assessment. As a part of the study, Walker consultants conducted inventory
usage analysis, current needs assessments, future needs assessments and an
overall parking operations evaluation. They also conducted three public input
sessions, consisting of a meeting with businesses, developers and other
stakeholders within the study area.
The study area was broken into six zones in the downtown area. This seemed to
be the best way to conduct the study as the makeup of the downtown area varies
quite remarkably from zone to zone. This allowed for a more individualized
approach regarding recommendations and evaluations of both current and future
inventory requirements and also projected economic growth within zones. Two
of the six zones were the Warehouse District and the Port of Dubuque.
Discussion
to the Executive Summary of the Walker report, the first salient conclusion
provided in the report was as follows:
"At present the total parking demand in the study area does not
exceed the total available supply. If market conditions were
anticipated to remain constant, additional parking would not be
needed. While certain local blocks of downtown Dubuque
experience a deficit of parking supply during peak conditions, the
overall supply appears to be sufficient and available in adjacent
areas to ofF-set any inconvenience that might exist."
Downtown Parking Needs Assessment -Final Report
August 5, 2008
Page II
We should be careful and make sure that we consider all of the report and not
just this conclusion. Even though we have enough supply, the report also
indicates that the supply may not be as convenient as some of our customers
would prefer.
Subsequent to review of the final report, I would like to recommend to you and
with your approval to the City Council, a prioritized list of objectives to be
addressed as a result of the study. These objectives are being recommended
following final report consultation with Walker Consultants; considering projected
economic growth within the study area and general operational adjustments
suggested in the report. Following is a list of the top priorities established in the
report. /~ ~~w} U~ ,~~ f~~0i ~i ~~c (', /-1
• Begin negotiations regarding partn ship possibilities with Fischer ~~~e ~~~~~ ,~~J
Companies relative to their parkin lot located at 12 to 13 -Main to ~,. ~~~y
Iowa Streets. This would includ management recommendations in the ub1.c.
study, possible long term or per anent lease by the City of Dubuque, ~~i.~/~.
potential redesign of the curre t parking lot, and consideration of potential ,~ ~u,~
ramp construction on the site. a~~ll~~ll~~
~,~u,
. ~~ ~~
• Submittal of a detailed plan of implementation of "unreserving" additional
spaces within the Locust and Iowa Street Parking Ramps and the parking
lots operated within by the Parking System. The 5th and 4th Street Ramps
are now operating under this protocol allowing for an approximate 15%
oversell of available spaces due to vacations, sick time or schedule
variations.
• Warehouse District-The recommendations of the study would be included
and recommendations further developed in conjunction with the
Downtown Master Plan and also with the Warehouse District study
currently in progress.
• Transit issue addressed in the report will be included in the current
Keyline Comprehensive Operational Analysis.
• Not specifically addressed in the parking study but discussed extensively
with Walker Parking consultants, was the concept of reserving and selling
parking spaces in certain areas of the study for a short term relief of
parking requests. This would be in the area of 12th and 13th Streets
mainly on Central Avenue. I will be providing additional information and
recommending ordinance changes to accommodate this concept in the
near future.
Downtown Parking Needs Assessment -Final Report
August 5, 2008
Page III
• Regarding the Port of Dubuque study area, we will continue with our
efforts to establish funding sources for the construction of a multi-modal
facility.
I believe it would be a fair statement that the committee was most impressed with
the work of Walker Parking consultants and staff. I think the assessment
provides the City of Dubuque with an excellent reference tool going forward as
we partner with developers, businesses, customers and citizens in our efforts to
provide a quality service along with hopefully being a partner in economic growth
and vitality in the study area.
As we review many components of the assessment, I believe it is important to
keep in mind that each community establishes its own level of acceptable
service. As we implement or consider suggested changes, we should always
consider the impact knowing what we do about our own community, our current
customers and yet balance those decisions against decisions that keep parking
affordable and the enterprise fund financially healthy.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the members of the committee that worked
on this project. Their input was very beneficial to the outcome of the report and
we are very appreciative of the time they all gave. The members were: Dan
McDonald, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation; Dan LoBianco, Dubuque
Main Street; Chandra Ravada, East Central Intergovernmental Agency; Cindy
Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager; Ken TeKippe, Finance Director; Laura
Carstens, Planning Services Manager; Aaron DeJong, Assistant Economic
Development Director and Bill Schlickman, Traffic Engineer.
Action Requested
With your approval, I am recommending that the final Downtown Parking Needs
Assessment Study be received and accepted by the City Council.
cc: David Heiar, Economic Development Director