Laserfiche WebLink
WEST MAIN STREET PARKING OPPORTUNITIES AND ANALYSIS <br /> City of Charlottesville <br /> <br />Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | 22 <br />Shared parking <br />Despite the number of parking spaces on or near West Main Street, residents and business <br />owners state that parking can still be difficult to find. Shared parking, or allowing businesses and <br />institutions to pool their resources, is one potential solution. It is effective in mixed use <br />environments, either when there is a mix of uses on a single site or when sites with different uses <br />are located suitably close together. One example of this is an office building sharing parking with <br />a restaurant or movie theater, since most of the office workers (and their cars) will be gone in the <br />evenings when there is the most demand for parking from the restaurant or theater. <br />Benefits <br /> This would maximize the amount of available parking for all users along the corridor. <br /> Not only would this better utilize the corridor’s parking amenities, but it would improve <br />access and encourage customers and businesses to the area. <br /> Regulations and restrictions for parking in private lots, which are currently confusing at <br />best, would be reviewed and codified into an understandable, consumer friendly form. <br /> By allowing for and encouraging shared parking, the City could implement minimum <br />parking requirements and reduce the required number of parking spaces for mixed use <br />developments or single-use developments in mixed-use areas. <br />Limitations <br /> There are over 70 different parking facilities along the West Main corridor. Some of them <br />have as few as 7 parking spaces, and several lots are completely unmarked. All of the <br />facilities have different and potentially competing owners. <br />Challenges <br /> One challenge with shared parking is working out an agreement between land owners or <br />developers if the uses are not all on the same property. <br /> Any shared parking scheme would require extensive cooperation among owners and <br />standardization of parking rates and restrictions. Many local jurisdictions have utilized <br />Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), parking authorities or parking management <br />partnerships to formulate and organize private resources. <br />Public (or District) Valet Parking <br />A growing practice to expand the efficiency of available parking resources is the use of valet <br />parking in public and private parking areas. The available off-street parking lots along West Main <br />Street could be utilized during peak periods (such as Friday evenings, seasonal weekends, and <br />special events) as public valet parking at no additional charge. <br />Benefits <br /> In many cases parking supply can increase by 40% as attendants can utilize drive aisles <br />and other available space. The City of Annapolis successfully provided valet parking in its <br />downtown garage during the summer season of 2013 and noted increased usage, revenue <br />and customer satisfaction. <br /> For the City of Charlottesville to pursue public valet parking as a viable option there <br />would be a few obstacles relating to regulation and implementation. <br />Limitations <br /> The primary concern would be the insurance and liability concerns related to valet <br />parking and ensuring that all private operators met the City’s demands. <br />Challenges