Staff Report Parking Study
MEETING DATE: 08/20/2019
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
ITEM NO: 15
DATE: August 15, 2019
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Provide Input to the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study
RECOMMENDATION:
Provide input to the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study.
BACKGROUND:
On March 19, 2019 the Town Council approved an agreement with Dixon Resources Unlimited
(DIXON) for a Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study. The study scope includes a full review
of existing conditions, past parking discussions and policies, outreach to stakeholders, data
collection and analysis, and suggested strategies for managing parking in the future. DIXON will
be developing a Parking Roadmap with an Action Plan for improving the Town’s parking
program. The Action Plan will recommend goals and strategies related to parking demand
management, employee parking, residential parking, enforcement, loading zones, electric
vehicle charging, high school area parking, shared parking, special events, wayfinding, and
transportation demand management.
Previous parking studies, including a 2001 study, have found the need for additions and
changes to the parking program. The 2001 Parking Management Study found that public
parking spaces were heavily occupied (93%) at mid-day during the week and on Saturday. The
study also found that more than 850 employees parked in prime parking spaces in the
downtown core. The 2001 Study recommended a variety of parking management strategies to
meet an 85% parking occupancy target. The study resulted in the addition of parking spaces,
including spaces in parking lot 6 (behind the La Canada Building). Other recommendations
included expanding the holiday valet program, allowing the leasing of private parking spaces to
downtown employees, a residential permit program, establishment of 90-minute parking zones
in the Main Street District, hiring of additional Parking Control Officers, and a two-phased
PREPARED BY: Matt Morley
Parks and Public Works Director
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, and Town Attorney.
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 406-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
PAGE 2 OF 6
SUBJECT: Provide Input to the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study
DATE: August 15, 2019
BACKGROUND (continued):
approach that maximized existing parking assets first before increasing parking supply.
DISCUSSION:
Since the start of the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study in May 2019, a number of
stakeholder meetings, surveys, and parking data collection efforts have occurred as
summarized below. In the coming months, additional data will be collected, DIXON will develop
a Parking Roadmap and Action Plan, and the study with recommendations will conclude in the
late fall of 2019.
An initial round of stakeholder meetings were conducted in May and June 2019. Table 1
outlines the primary discussion topics by stakeholders during each meeting:
Table 1. Stakeholder Meeting Summary of Topics
Date Meeting Discussion Topics
Enforcement staffing;
License plate recognition cameras and virtual
Police Department permitting;
Centralized parking program management; and
Employee permit parking program.
May 1
Parking garage development;
Expansion of residential permit parking program;
Residential Parking
Mitigate high school student parking impacts; and
Parking enforcement.
Employee permit parking program;
Parking structure development;
Commercial loading zones;
Chamber of Commerce
Time limit length of time and hours of operation;
Paid parking;
Wayfinding signage; and
May 2 Shuttle program.
Modernization of the parking program;
Wayfinding signage;
Town Manager,
Community Paid parking;
Development Director,
Valet parking expansion;
and Planning Director
Parking municipal code updates; and
Local circulator shuttle.
PAGE 3 OF 6
SUBJECT: Provide Input to the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study
DATE: August 15, 2019
DISCUSSION (continued):
Date Meeting Discussion Topics
Traffic flow and roadway capacity;
90-min. parking stalls;
Parking structure;
June 5 Los Gatos High School
Pedestrian overpass;
Permit parking policies; and
Shared parking.
Parking occupancy and turnover data collection also began in May 2019. The goal of the data
collection was to evaluate parking utilization trends for on- and off-street parking before and
after the summer season and the One-Way Street Pilot. Samples of evening and weekend data
were also incorporated into the plan. The data collection schedule is outlined in Table 2:
Table 2. Data Collection Dates and Times
Round* Dates Times
9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 7PM
Wednesday, May 1
1
Friday, May 3
Saturday, May 11
9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM
Wednesday, May 22
2
Friday, May 24
9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 7PM
Wednesday, June 26
3
Friday, June 28
Saturday, June 29
9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 7PM
Wednesday, July 31
4
Friday, August 2
Saturday, August 3
9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM
Wednesday, August 21
5
Friday, August 23
9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM
Wednesday, September 11
6
Friday, September 13
*Rounds 1 and 2 of data collection consist of a reduced study area. The remaining data
collection rounds are an expanded study area that also include private parking supply. Trends
will be utilized to make assumptions about occupancy and turnover rates.
PAGE 4 OF 6
SUBJECT: Provide Input to the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study
DATE: August 15, 2019
DISCUSSION (continued):
Initial high-level findings from the first three rounds of data collection include:
Portions of Santa Cruz Avenue, University Avenue, and Main Street often reached
capacity;
There were typically parking spaces available 1 or 2 blocks from heavily impacted areas;
Peak parking occupancy typically occurred around 12PM and 3PM;
Parking occupancy was higher in the downtown commercial and civic center areas
compared to residential streets;
Highest occupied public lots typically included: Montebello, Park Ave, South Side, and
Lots 2 through 6.
Some private parking lots were underutilized
The majority of vehicles were parked for less than 3 hours at a time on-street in the
downtown commercial and civic center areas;
The on-street civic center area parking was generally less than 70% occupied throughout
the day with very few blocks reaching capacity during the data collection times; and
Average daily occupancies in residential zones were around 40% each day and very few
residential streets reached capacity during the day.
As data continues to be collected, more findings regarding overall trends and patterns will be
realized. DIXON plans to assess the data along with stakeholder feedback to evaluate the
perception of parking and identify strategies that will maximize the use of existing parking
assets.
In addition to collecting parking data, DIXON visited a variety of downtown businesses and
conducted employee surveys in-person on June 5, 27, and 28. A total of 77 employees were
surveyed from 61 businesses. Key findings include:
93% drove a car to get to work;
10% parked on-street and 56% in a public parking lot;
92% parked within 1 block of their work;
72% would be willing to buy an employee parking permit if it meant they could more
easily find a space to park;
81% think there is not enough parking downtown for customers;
50% think customers would not be willing to pay for parking, 36% think they would, and
14% are not sure.
PAGE 5 OF 6
SUBJECT: Provide Input to the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study
DATE: August 15, 2019
DISCUSSION (continued):
Participants were also asked what they would do if they could change, fix, or improve anything
about parking in Los Gatos. A variety of responses were given, with some of the most frequent
responses including:
Add more long-term parking options or increase time limits;
Build a parking garage;
Create more employee permit parking locations;
DIXON also developed a more detailed online survey to reach a broader audience. The Town
promoted the online survey through social media platforms beginning mid-June and 326
responses have been collected to date. The majority of participants live in or near the Town
and visit downtown multiple times per week with 20% of participants working downtown.
Response highlights include:
Regarding their most recent visit to Downtown Los Gatos:
Dining and shopping were the most common reasons for visiting downtown;
Very few visits lasted more than 4 hours;
The majority of participants took a personal vehicle to reach downtown;
Zero participants took public transit to reach downtown;
The amount of time it took to find parking was evenly varied, with a slim majority
finding a parking space in less than 5 minutes;
The majority found parking within 1 block of their destination; and
The majority would not have been willing to pay for parking for a more convenient
space.
Ease of finding of parking space was on average the most important factor when deciding
where to park:
The majority agreed that they would visit downtown more often for leisure activities if
parking were easier to find.
In addition, the majority of participants believe that:
The 2-hour time limit is not long enough for most visitors, but a 3-hour time limit is;
There is not enough long-term parking downtown; and
The Town should build more parking.
DIXON will continue to evaluate parking occupancy, turnover, and survey data to incorporate
findings into the Parking Roadmap and Action Plan.
PAGE 6 OF 6
SUBJECT: Provide Input to the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study
DATE: August 15, 2019
CONCLUSION:
This meeting provides an opportunity for the Council to offer feedback and direction regarding
the Comprehensive Downtown Parking Study. Based on the Council’s comments, DIXON will
incorporate additional considerations into the study and prioritize recommendations according
to Council’s input. The draft report that results from the study will be presented to the Council
in the late fall.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact as a result of this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.