[MissoulaGov] Parking Kiosks

[Brent Campbell]

Right on Scott.  Mature, vibrant downtowns have invested in structured
parking increasing parking supply.  This in turn reduces the demand for
surfacing parking lots which then turn into tall buildings.  Once the
downtown densifies, transit becomes much more efficient.  Density drives
transit efficiency on the origin and destination ends of the trip.
Converting surface parking lots in downtown to residential housing
eliminates the need for the trip in the first place and is the MOST
GREEN THING YOU CAN DO.  If you do not have parking, development will
not occur as is the case with the Riverfront Triangle.  Structured
parking is the the critical element that makes the economics work for
the private sector investment.  That is why TWO new structured parking
lots in downtown is the critical first step to implementation of the
downtown master plan.
 
Please copy this email and resend this every couple of months as we seem
to need to continually explain this to folks.
 
Brent Campbell, P.E.
President / CEO
WGM Group, Inc.
http://www.wgmgroup.com <http://www.wgmgroup.com/> 

 

________________________________

From: Scott Sproull [mailto:scottsproull at gmail.com] 
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 9:32 AM
To: Geoff Badenoch
Cc: pnooney at earthlink.net; Jordan Hess; Sally Brown;
missoulagov at cmslists.com; Brent Campbell
Subject: Re: [MissoulaGov] Parking Kiosks


I have worked with Geoff Badenoch on many important Downtown issues over
the years and I would just like to say he's doing a great job of
explaining how the Msla Downtown Assoc., the BID and the Missoula
Parking Commission are working together to juggle and keep afloat a lot
of similar and dis-similar Parking Demand Management Balls in the air
all at once.  As a business owner and long-time Downtown Observer, it
seems to me that the Owners, Workers, Employees and a bevy of Downtown
Support Groups are doing a lot more with 'alternative - Downtown
Friendly' transportation options than Downtown Customers are at this
time.  No doubt, being good Customers, they often have arm-loads of
clothing, books or even shoes to bring home with the help of a motorized
vehicle.  I'm feeling pretty good that all the transportation groups
associated with our Downtown are doing their best to 'encourage'
alternative transportation methods, while also doing their best not to
alienate customers who have not been 'enlightened' yet.  Thanks All!
Scott Sproull (below is the finale of my crazy idea for using new
parking concepts to enhance the economic viability of specific, more
economically blighted Downtown areas).
 
================================
 

Part Two - What are the Amazing Benefits associated with replacing a few
Antiquated Parking Meters in one small corridor of our Downtown with
(Customer-Attracting, Customer-Convenient & Business Enhancing)
'Two-Hour-FREE' Parking spaces?

 

This is the  'Rest of the Story' on why I made the 'seemingly' crazy
suggestion that the ELIMINATION of a small (token) number of Parking
Meters (only 42 out of 1,100... or less than 4%)... and their
replacement with 'Two-Hour-Free-Parking' spaces, on Higgins Avenue
(specifically NORTH OF BROADWAY), has a HUGE number of potential
benefits that would greatly improve the economic and cultural vitality
of that part of our Downtown (North of Broadway, on Higgins, but also on
streets adjacent to North Higgins) that is in so much need of some
critical, ASAP Business & Economic Development help (which would also
benefit much of the 'Core' and 'Heart' of our Downtown in the long-term
as well!).

 

* Please note:  This 'how to provide new customer-friendly parking
management concepts and technology' discussion amongst dozens of readers
of the missoulagov blog has been specifically focused on the North
Higgins Project, which is located on Higgins Avenue, NORTH of Broadway,
and all the way North to the old train depot.  We all continue to repeat
this location information because in the past, and again just yesterday,
I and others are too-often horribly misquoted in the media (see an
independent newspaper nearest you) where it says that, Scott Sproull...
" believes two-hour free parking IN FRONT OF HIS HIGGINS AVENUE
STOREFRONT [my emphasis] would make an immediate impact on his
business."  If the reader doesn't know, my 37 year old business (Hide &
Sole)... (1) has NEVER been North of Broadway, where the North Higgins
Improvements Project is taking place... (2) has had very steady,
healthy, organic, above-average growth for dozens of years, including
the last two years... (3)  does not need the extra economic stimulus
that other businesses might need in our Downtown... (4) and I have no
idea why this obviously unsaid and untrue statement about wanting
'two-hour-free' parking spaces in front of my store was written into the
misguided article, since the reporter and I were talking about how
"Businesses North of Broadway" could really use some Economic
Development help (which new parking management concepts can play a
helpful and positive role).  

 

============

 

The quote below from Missoula's Master Plan Consultant and Parking Guru
(Dennis Burns) sums up why Downtown Associations, Downtown Businesses,
Downtown Stakeholders and Parking Commissions don't always have the same
Big-Picture Economic Development Ideas and Visions as each other. 

 

"Downtown associations are driven by efforts to revitalize downtown
areas and see parking costs as one element that places them at a
competitive disadvantage (compared to the perception of "free parking"
at the malls/suburbs).  Parking system managers are being pushed,
usually by municipal governments, to generate revenues.  The bottom line
is they lack a shared vision and therefore are pulling in opposite
directions."

 

The Question Begs:  Are the proposed parking controls within the North
Higgins Improvement District going to be a real benefit to the economic
vitality of the (many suffering and blighted) businesses in that area,
or is the parking commission's need for revenue and efficiency
enhancements going to get top priority???  I think THAT should be the
real question for 'evaluating' and 'modifying' the parking controls in
the North Higgins Improvement District - Yes?  
 
 
No doubt, to financially justify a limited number of 'Two-Hour-Free'
Parking Spaces in the Improvement District, some of the other 'hopefully
non-customer-related' parking revenue (like employer & employee lease
rates) can and should be 'enhanced' to pay for the customers increased
support of our Downtown.

 

 

Now on to some 'Alternative & Crazy Parking Options" for the Economic
Enhancement of the Businesses - North of Broadway (and including those
Businesses on and adjacent to Higgins)!

 

Problem: Some people reading this blog find it very inconvenient and a
pain when they don't always have their 'meter coins' with them to pay
the 'antiquated' mechanical parking meters that are definitely not as
convenient as the more-modern, electronic, single-space meters (or
multi-space machines which conveniently take coins, credit cards or
debit cards).

 

Alternative Solutions: 'Two-Hour-Free' Parking does not require coins,
credit cards or payments.  In fact, the Parking is FREE, to the customer
and visitor, but for a limited time of two-hours or less (which is
plenty of time for a lunch, shopping or stroll through the Downtown.
Parking Enforcement Officers (PEO's) aka 'Meter Maids,' are just as
essential to the success of 'Two-Hour-Free' Parking Programs as with
Meters, so that Business Owners and Downtown Workers do not attempt to
hog parking spaces for long periods of time (or compete for vital
parking with their own and Business neighbors customers).  

 

Missoula currently has short-term FREE Parking in high-demand locations
like City Hall and the Post Office, but few have thought about the
Economic Development Potential of changing a few meters in the N.
Higgins Improvement District to 'Two-Hour-Free,' Customer-Friendly,
Business-Enhancing, Parking.

 

With 'Two-Hour-Free' Parking... Customers & Visitors do not have to deal
with broken mechanical and/or electronic meters, and they do not have to
search up and down the block for a multi-space, electronic, (sometimes
broken) machine... that actually might be in the opposite direction of
where they want to go (these were serious concerns mentioned by some on
the blog).

 

BUT MORE SO... from a Business Development & Downtown Enhancing point of
view, setting aside a few (token) short-term parking spaces, that are
(very important here) FREE to customers and visitors (and paid for by
owners and workers), would do a couple of other really positive and
important things:

 

A)    Create Customer Demand [Economic Driver], and no doubt customer
competition for parking spaces that are FREE, but purposely placed on
Higgins (North of Broadway), where there is a specific district where
many of the under-developed Businesses would really appreciate some
extra customers and economic incentives.

 

B)     Create a FANTASTIC Customer BUZZ & Extra Customer Referrals to
the Downtown!!!  This would be a Marketers Dream, since for the first
time in decades, there really WOULD BE (just a few, but at least some)
Free Parking Spaces for Customers in a very specific part of our
Downtown.  In reality, you might only stumble across an open Free
Parking Space on Higgins every once in a Blue Moon (rarely), but I
suspect many Downtown Supporters would find themselves driving further
up into the North Higgins Improvement District to see if they can WIN a
Free Parking Space (like a Free Lottery).  

 

C)    Most business-people know that the best, cheapest, most effective
Advertising is hard-earned 'Word-of-Mouth' excitement from customers who
are super-happy about a product or service they received and want to
tell their friends, (internet friends) and families about.
FREE-TWO-HOUR Parking is just the ticket to create a Downtown Economic
Buzz that would quickly spread throughout the Missoula and regional
community, and very much benefit the entire Downtown.

 

D)    If we are going to test a new, revolutionary (small-scale &
experimental) way to improve the parking controls and customer service
in the North Higgins Improvements District, let's put up a few, very
simple, low maintenance, non-mechanical, non-electric 'Two-Hour-Free'
Parking Signs and see what happens.  It can always be modified a little,
or a lot later on.  
 
Test this Idea - Modify It - Other Input?
 
Scott Sproull
Hide & Sole
Downtown Since 1972


 
On 12/17/09, Geoff Badenoch <geoffb at ism.net> wrote: 

	There are too many variables in the cost of developing a parking
facility to nail down a figure that exactly.  Is land included?  Each
space must have a way to get to it with a car.  That is called
circulation and varies with the size and configuration of the structure.
Internal utilities-lighting, water, security cameras, fire suppression,
ventilation, etc. all have costs that vary with each structure.
Architectural detail to dress up the structure can vary depending how
important aesthetics are to the community.  Most professionals use a
range that these days is generally between $24K and $32K per space.

	Typically financing of municipal parking structures is done
through use of cash reserves of the parking authority, revenue bonds
(fees for parking retire the debt), or tax increment financing, or a
combination of those methods.  Some exploration of use of what are known
as "new market tax credits" for a potential new structure in Missoula
has been done, but I don't believe any conclusions have been arrived at
with regard to whether it is a feasible or appropriate method.
Oftentimes, municipal parking can be developed in conjunction with
private partners, but it is very complicated.

	

	Our Missoula Parking Commission has been a good partner to
transit and made several significant cash contributions of parking
revenues to subsidize public transportation as a means of what is called
"parking demand management." PDM is the philosophy that follows what
Jordan was talking about-reducing the demand for parking by giving
people an alternative means (not cars) to get to Downtown.  Are there
other ways to devote parking revenues (as opposed to tax supported
payments) to transit?  Probably, but it is all part of a development of
a long-range strategy to accommodating people's travel to and from
Downtown.  

	

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