Residential Parking Permit District Program History Copyrighted
February 4, 2019
City of Dubuque Action Items # 2.
ITEM TITLE: Residential Parking Permit District Program History
SUMMARY: City Manager transmitting history on the City of Dubuque's
Residential Parking Permit Program and future
considerations.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Residential Parking Permit District History-NNM Memo City Manager Memo
RPPD History Staff Memo Staff Memo
THE CITY OF Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Residential Parking Permit District - History
DATE: January 30, 2019
City Engineer Gus Psihoyos is transmitting history on the City of Dubuque's Residential
Parking Permit Program and future considerations.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen �� �
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Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
THE CITY OF Dubuque
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TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager �
FROM: Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer - � `
DATE: January 25, 2019
RE: Residential Parking Permit District— History
This memorandum is for information purpose only; to provide a history of the City's
Residential Parking Permit Program and future considerations.
BACKGROUND
The University of Dubuque (UD) experienced rapid expansion during the 1950s and
1960s during the administration of Dr. Gaylord Couchman (President 1953-1967) who
managed the construction of eight buildings and an expansion of McCormick
Gymnasium. Enrollment at the University soared from 500 students to 900 students
and endowment funds doubled under Dr. Couchman. With the addition of these
buildings and an ever growing endowment fund, the University was well on track to
continue growth in campus structures and enrollment into the 1970s and 1980s.
Due to increased expansion, neighbors of UD expressed concerns over on-street
congestion that created problems related to parking, traffic flow and emergency
response, ice/snow control operations, noise, littering, and losing the sense of being a
neighborhood. These concerns were brought to the attention of, not only UD officials,
but City Departments including Engineering, Parking, and Police.
During the mid-1980's City staff from Engineering, Parking, and Police devised a plan to
create permitted resident parking areas to alleviate on-street congestion and the
growing number of resident concerns near UD's campus. Permitted resident parking
ai-zas could aiso be inlplei�nented in other- ar�as ot Dubuyue wher°� sir��ilar is�ues exist.
On October 7, 1985, the City Council amended the Code of Ordinance by enacting a
new Division 6 to Chapter 25 that provided restrictions on parking in designated
residential districts, and established a Residential Parking Permit Program (RPPD).
The City Council declared that the provisions of this Division were enacted for the
following reasons:
A. To reduce the traffic congestion resulting from the use of streets within residential
districts for vehicles parked by persons not residing within the residential district;
B. To protect the residential districts from polluted air, excessive noise, and refuse
caused by the entry of such vehicles;
C. To protect the residents of these residential districts from unreasonable burden in
gaining access to their residences;
D. To preserve the character of these districts as residential districts;
E. To preserve the value of the property in these residential districts;
F. To promote traffic safety and the safety of children and other pedestrians in these
residential districts;
G. To forestall dangers arising from the blocking of fire lanes, hydrants, and other
facilities required by emergency vehicles, both in reaching the victim and in
transporting them to the hospital; and
H. To promote the peace, comfort, convenience, and welfare of all inhabitants of the
city.
The procedure for being designated a residential parking permit district shall be as
follows:
A. Petition:
1. Required: In order to be considered for a residential parking permit district
designation, a group of residents must submit a petition to the City
Manager containing the signature of an adult member of at least sixty
percent (60%) of the dwelling units in the residential area. Petitions shall
only be considered for areas which contain at least four (4) adjacent block
faces or fifty (50) curb parking spaces.
2. Exception: A petition may be considered for an area which contains less
than four(4) adjacent block faces or fifty (50) curb parking spaces if there
are extenuating conditions that render such requirement unreasonable.
Upon the recommendation of the City Manager, such requirement may be
waived by the City Council if it finds that the proposed residential district is
isolated or separated from other residential areas by topographical
features or by commercial area. The City Council shall not grant such a
waiver, however, if it determines that the only basis for granting such a
waiver is the convenience of the residents or if it determines that the
waiver is being requested by the petitioners to prevent opposition to
establishing a district. All other requirements of this division must be
established.
B. Parking Study: Upon receipt of a valid petition, the City Manager shall cause a
parking study of the area identified in the petition to be conducted. A residential
parking permit district may be established only if the results of the study
demonstrate that both of the following criterions are satisfied during peak
periods:
1. At least seventy percent (70%) of the curbside parking spaces in the
proposed parking permit district were utilized during peak periods. For
purposes of this criterion, a legal curbside parking space shall be twenty-
three (23) linear feet; and
2. At least twenty-five percent (25%) of the curbside parking spaces in the
proposed parking district were utilized by nonresident parkers. For
purposes of this criterion, the latest available motor vehicle registration
information shall be used.
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C. Parking Study Report and Recommendation: Upon completion of the parking
study, if the conditions of subsection B of this section are established, the City
Manager shall make a report and recommendation to the City Council, based
upon the petition and results of the survey, on whether or not to designate the
proposed parking district or a portion thereof as a residential parking permit
district and the hours such restrictions are to be in effect. The recommendation
shall take the following into account:
1. The effect on the safety of the residents of the proposed residential
parking permit district from intensive parking by nonresidents;
2. The difficulty or inability of residents of the proposed residential parking
permit district to obtain adequate curbside parking adjacent to or near their
residences because of widespread use of available curbside parking
spaces by nonresident motorists;
3. The likelihood of alleviating, by use of the Residential Parking Permit
Program, any problem of no availability of residential parking spaces; and
4. The desire of the residents in the proposed residential parking permit area
for the institution of a residential parking permit district and the willingness
of those residents to bear the cost incidental to the administration of the
Residential Parking Permit Program.
D. Public Hearing: Upon receipt of the report and recommendation from the City
Manager, the City Council shall set a public hearing on the petition. Upon
completion of the public hearing, the City Council may reject the petition or adopt
an ordinance designating the permit area as a residential parking permit district
and the hours such parking restrictions are to be in effect.
E. Amendments:
1. Amendments to the existing districts for expansion or reduction of the
district must be requested by submitting to the City Manager a petition
containing the signatures of an adult member of at least sixty percent
(60%) of the dwelling units in the residential area proposed for expansion
or reduction to the district.
2. Amendments to the existing districts for a change in the days/times must
comply with the standards for establishment of a district.
3. An amendment to expand or reduce a district will not be considered if the
proposed change will not meet the requirement of two (2) block faces
unless there are extenuating conditions that render such requirement
unreasonable.
4. Expansion areas of a district will inherit the same days/times for parking
restrictions as the previously established district.
If district designation is approved by City Council, the Parking Division notifies and
requests applications for permit(s) from each dwelling unit within the designated district,
and issues the requested Residential Parking Permits.
A. A residential parking permit shall be issued upon the applicant's payment of the
annual residential parking permit fee and submission of a completed residential
parking permit application. A separate parking permit fee and application is
required for each motor vehicle the applicant parks curbside within the district.
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Not more than two (2) residential parking permits shall be issued to each dwelling
unit.
a. The permit fee shall be used to offset the cost of operation and
administration of the Residential Parking Permit Program. Permit fees are
not refundable or eligible for proration.
i. Each resident permit costs $15/year, dating from September 1St to
August 31 St annually.
b. One (1) guest parking permit shall be issued without charge with each
residential parking permit for use only by nonresidents of the residential
parking permit district.
c. Up to two (2) guest parking permits may be issued to a dwelling unit
wherein none of the residents own or operate a motor vehicle.
i. Fee for this type of guest permit is $10/year.
B. No residential parking permit shall be issued for a vehicle whose owner or
principal operator is not a resident in the designated residential parking permit
d istrict.
C. No residential parking permit or guest permit shall be transferred or sold to
another party.
Currently, there are eight (8) Residential Parking Permit Districts:
A. District A was established on December 16, 1985 and is now located on:
a. Grace Street from Ida Street to a point 270 feet east of McCormick Street.
B. District B was established on February 17, 1992 and is now located on:
a. Emmett Street, from St. Mary's Street to Bluff Street. (02/17/1992)
b. St. Mary's Street from W. 3�d Street to Emmett Street. (02/17/1992)
c. West 3rd Street, from St. Mary's Street to Bluff Street. (04/05/1993)
d. East side of Bluff Street from West 1 st Street to West 3rd Street.
(12/02/1996)
C. District C was established on March 20, 1995 and is now located on:
a. Clarke Drive from the east property line of 1687 Clarke Drive to St.
Ambrose Street. (03/20/1995)
b. Hoyt Street. (03/20/1995)
c. N. Grandview Avenue, west side, from Rosedale Street to the north
property line of 2165 N. Grandview Avenue, east side, from Clarke Drive
to the north property line of 2280 N. Grandview Avenue. (03/20/1995)
d. Sunnyview Drive, from North Grandview Avenue to St. Ambrose Street.
(03/20/1995)
e. Ungs Street, south side. (03/20/1995)
f. Saint Ambrose Street, both sides, from Clarke Drive to Sunnyview Drive.
(10/02/2017)
D. District D was established on July 21, 1997 and is now located on:
a. Lucy Drive, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Welu Drive. (07/21/1997)
b. Amy Court, from Marjorie Circle to the northerly end. (05/21/2001)
c. Marjorie Circle, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Amy Court.
(12/03/2012)
d. Alicia Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Andrea Street. (06/02/2014)
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e. Marjorie Circle, from Amy Court to Andrea Street. (06/02/2014)
E. District E was established on May 7, 2001 and is now located on:
a. Grandview Avenue, North, south side, from Avoca Street to Auburn Street.
(05/07/2001)
b. Rosedale Avenue, south side, from Avoca Street to the alley west of
Avoca Street. (05/07/2001)
c. Rosedale Avenue, north side, from Avoca Street to the west property line
of 2095 Rosedale Avenue. (05/07/2001)
d. Algona Street, both sides, from North Grandview Avenue to Green Street.
(05/07/2001)
e. Avoca Street, both sides, from Rosedale Avenue to Green Street.
(05/07/2001)
f. Auburn Street, both sides, from North Grandview Avenue to Dexter Street.
(09/18/2017)
F. District F was established on March 1, 2004 and is now located on:
a. Rosemont Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue to Creston Court.
(03/01/2004)
G. District G was established on May 17, 2004 and is now located on:
a. Cornell Street. (05/17/2004)
b. Pickett Street. (05/17/2004)
c. West 15th Street from Cornell Street to Fairview Street. (05/17/2004)
d. West 16th Street from Catherine Street to Fairview Place. (05/17/2004)
H. District H was established on August 7, 2006 and is now located on:
a. Keymont Drive from Key Way Drive to its westerly terminus. (08/07/2006)
b. Vizaleea Drive from Pennsylvania Avenue to Keystone Drive.
(08/07/2006)
c. Hansel Drive, between Keystone Drive and Keymont Drive. (11/20/2006)
d. Phyllrich Drive from Keystone Drive to Keymont Drive. (04/02/2007)
e. WITHDRAWAL: Phyllrich Drive from Keystone Drive to Keymont Drive.
(09/06/2016)
f. Phyllrich Drive from Keystone Drive to Keymont Drive. (11/05/2018)
g. Keystone Drive from Phyllrich to its westerly terminus. (01/07/2019)
DISCUSSION
As the City Ordinance states: Residential parking permits are issued for a one-year
valid duration from September 1 St—August 31 St at a cost of $15 per resident permit.
Each dwelling unit is allowed up to two (2) resident permits ($15/each). For each $15
resident permit that is purchased, a free ($0) permit is issued for use only by
nonresidents of the district. If a resident does not require a $15 permit for on-street
parking, a maximum of two (2) guest permits can be purchased for$10 each.
Below is a table that illustrates an estimated cost breakdown for the permit year from
September 1, 2017 to August 31 , 2018:
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COST BREAKDOWN OF RPPDs {U9/01/2017 -OS[31 2018
REVENUE
RESIDENT PERMITS ISSUED: 383
RESIDENT PERMIT REVENUE (EACH): $15.00
RESIDENT PERMIT REVENUE: $5,745.00
GUEST PERMITS ISSUED: 383
GUEST PERMITS REVENUE (EACH): $0.00
GUEST PERMIT REVENUE: $0.00
GUEST ONLY PERMITS ISSUED: 17
GUEST ONLY PERMITS REVENUE (EACH): $10.00
GUEST ONLY PERMIT REVENUE: $170.00
CITATIONS ISSUED AND PAID: 898
CITATION REVENUE: $15,068.00
TOTAL REVENUE: $20,983.00
EXPENSES
COST OF PRINTING PERMITS: ($705.25)
ENFORCEMENT HOURS: 246.5
ENFORCEIVIENT COST(t6VCLUDiNG VEHICLE): ($7,523.18)
SIGN MAINTENANCE C057: ($1,573.84)
SUPPORT(POST) N9AlIVTEE�ANCE COST; ($9.,385.71)
ENGINEERING SERVICES HOURS: 86
ElVGINEERIIVG SERVICES COST (INCLUDING
VEHICLE): ($4,288.40)
PARKING ADMINISTRATIVE HOURS: 200
PARKiNG ADMINISTRATfVE C057; ($7,778.00)
TOTAL EXPENSES: ($23,254.38)
NET REVENUE FOR RPPDs: ($2,271.38)
According to our maintenance records the cost for sign and support (post) maintenance
activities for all Residential Parking Permit Districts for the last 17 years was
$28,365.21.
In the upcoming weeks, all existing District H signs (60) will be replaced to reflect a
recent amendment that changed the effective hours to include School Days Only, and
two (2) new petitions for additions to District H have been submitted, which will account
for another 40 new signs. Replacing existing District H signs and supports is estimated
to cost $9,500. If the areas petitioned to be added to District H pass a parking study
and are approved by City Council, installation of new signs is estimated to cost $6,500.
The permit fee shall be used to offset the cost of operation and administration of the
Residential Parking Permit District Program. On-going maintenance costs of existing
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districts and continued resident petitions for new districts and/or district expansion
creates a forecasted expenditure/revenue amount that is unpredictable. Permit years
that have little district changes and few maintenance activities could show a positive
revenue; while other years where many changes occur to districts resulting in more
maintenance activities may show a negative revenue.
CONCLUSION
As the cost breakdown table indicates, the revenue for the Residential Parking Permit
Program from September 1 St, 2017 to August 31 St, 2018 was $20,983.00, but the
expense for program operation was $23,254.38, for a short fall of$2,271.38. Based on
costs for this particular permit year, the cost for a resident permit could actually be
increased to $20 per permit, so the program would not run in a deficit.
At the time of creation for the Residential Parking Permit Program in 1985, it was
determined that each dwelling unit could purchase up to two (2) resident permits, and
receive one (1) no-cost guest permit with the purchase of a resident permit. If a
dwelling unit did not require a resident permit, up to two (2) guest permits could be
purchased at a discounted rate. Having an unlimited number of no-cost or discounted
cost guest permits could equate to problems in some districts where nearby parking
costs are higher. For example, if a resident were to obtain a high number of no-cost or
discounted cost guest permits and sell those permits to commuter student/workforce at
a lower rate than nearby parking options, this could lead to parking issues that originally
created the parking permit district.
A consideration is to allow a dwelling unit to purchase additional resident permits ($15)
that would match the total number of vehicles owned and operated by occupants of that
dwelling unit. Each resident permit ($15) would be associated with a specific vehicle
license plate that is owned and operated by a person residing at that specific dwelling
unit. A no-cost guest permit could still be issued with the purchase of a resident permit.
The maximum number of permits is dependent on the number of vehicles associated
with that residence. A possible problem with this consideration is in locations of high
density multi-family dwelling units.
Another consideration that is similar to the before mentioned is to allow the purchase of
additional resident permits at a discounted rate, after the purchase of the two initial
resident permits. In this scenario, the first two (2) resident permits would have a fee of
$15 each annually, and any additional resident fees would have a fee of$10 each
annually. Initial and additional permits would still be associated to a specific vehicle that
is owned and operated by a person residing at that specific dwelling unit. The issuance
of no-cost guest permits would be the same.
Prepared by:Troy Kress, Engineering Technician
Cc: Renee Tyler,Transportation Service Director
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