Monthly Archives: August 2018

A Closer Look At Satellite Parking Opportunities In Menlo Park

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Last Update: July 15, 2018

Purpose

The City of Menlo Park is studying the idea of building a parking structure in one of the downtown parking plazas. A potentially more attractive alternative is (a) reducing the number of daily parking permits issued annually for parking in the plazas and (b) creating permit parking spaces in nearby remote parking lots that are served by a convenient shuttle service.

Potential Satellite Parking Lots
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There are between 550 and 675 existing parking spaces rarely used during the week within a mile of downtown Santa Cruz Avenue. A number of these idle spaces might be transformed into remote permit parking

The cost of leasing blocks of parking spaces might be a very attractive alternative to a new parking structure.

For example, if the leasing cost per space was $1,000/year, 100 spaces = $100,000/year = $1M over ten years

The City would need to provide insurance, security, usage management equipment.

The City could also either purchase or enter into a long term lease for the parcel at the corner of Oak Grove and Alma that is currently occupied by a 7-Eleven and J&J Hawaiian and re-purpose it for permit parking. This 2750 square foot parcel could provide 60 to 70 surface parking spaces. A second level might add another 50 to 60 spaces for a total of 100 to 130 spaces.

Satellite Parking Benefits versus Parking Structure

    1. Great flexibility re: parking space capacity in the face of uncertain demand
    2. Much less cost per parking space than a structure
    3. Preserves plaza space for other future uses
    4. Can be implemented much sooner, possibly in 2018
    5. Avoids disruption caused by parking structure construction, e.g. loss of 100 to 200 existing parking spaces – depending on plaza – for 18 months
    6. Can use Nealon as a low-cost trial to gain experience

Additional On-Street Short Term Parking Solutions

Convert 14 to 48 existing unrestricted street parking spaces to either short-term or permit parking

  • Up to 34 on the south side of Menlo Avenue
  • Up to14 on the north side of Oak Grove between University and Crane

Estimated Total Potential Parking

Satellite + Converted street = between 519 and 628 spaces +  between 34 and 48 spaces = 553 to 676 spaces

Nealon Park Satellite Permit Parking

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Menlo Park should seriously consider building satellite permit parking AND reducing downtown permit parking. Together these two strategies could create hundreds of new short term parking spaces, and the flexibility them as needed.

Nealon Park Example

There are about 155 public parking spaces at Nealon Park and another 25 could easily be added at a small cost. Currently the existing parking spaces are used during weekdays by Little House participants and employees, residents of adjacent multi-unit apartments*, and park users.

* Note: There are 18 multi-unit apartment buildings adjacent to Nealon Park and another 10 on the north side of Roble, and they all have gate access to Nealon parking. At least HALF of the 155 existing spaces are routinely used by residents during weekdays.

A potential near term solution:

  • Add about 25 new parking spaces
  • Dedicate 50 of the 180 spaces for free daily permit-only parking
  • Use a lottery to select these permits
  • Run a regular free shuttle during commute times
  • Monitor success and impacts; make adjustments as needed.

A potential medium term solution:

  • Add more permit parking spaces by requiring Little House employees and volunteers to park on Roble and use the gate to walk short distance to the senior center. Seniors would not be effected.
  • Reduce the number of downtown parking permits.

In both cases some apartment residents would likely be displaced from the Nealon parking lot during the day but could still be permitted to park at other times. Menlo Park is not obliged to provide them unlimited free daytime parking.

Cost-Benefit Impact:

Avoid parking structure cost of 50 x $40,000 = $2 million.

(Earlier) economic benefits to downtown retailers: Unknown.

Implementation: TBD (50 x $2500 = $125,000???)

Cost of Shuttle: TBD

Cost of lost permit revenue: 50 x $500 = $25,000/year

 

 

Other Satellite Parking Possibilities

There are also estimated 150 to 200 parking spaces in privately owned parking lots within a half mile of downtown that are rarely used on weekdays between 8 am and 5 pm. Perhaps the owners would allow the City to use them for permit parking if the owners received a fair amount of revenue untaxed by the City.

  • $500 x 100 spaces = $50,000/year for an under-utilized asset.
  • Avoid parking structure cost of 100 x $64,500 = $6.5 million.