City of Riverside Votes Shoupista

The City of Riverside, CA has decided to follow the lead of Pasadena, Redwood City, and numerous other entities in the US and take a Don Shoup position on parking. At its meeting last week it past the following:

Parking Workshop
Recommendations

That the City Council:

1. Adopt an 85% occupancy goal
for each block of on‑street metered parking, surface lot, and individual level
of each parking garage and allow administrative adjustment of parking rates to
achieve the goal;

2. Eliminate time limits in
all metered parking zones;

3. Eliminate metered parking
in the Outer Core and RCOE areas, replacing it with 90 minute free, timed
parking zones.

4. Approve 90 minute free
parking in all garages (eliminating the validation requirement);

5. Designate 50% of net meter
revenue for future parking garage construction and 50% toward security and
other public improvements within the downtown parking meter area. Funding
priorities shall be determined by a subcommittee of the Downtown Parking
Committee working with downtown merchants. The Riverside Downtown Partnership’s
Downtown Parking Committee representative and the vice­chair of the Downtown
Parking Committee would co‑chair the subcommittee.

6. Direct the City Manager to
return to the City Council with an amendment to the Downtown Specific Plan to
establish uniform parking criteria and an in‑lieu parking fee for new projects
and eliminate parking criteria for existing buildings.

7. Direct the City Manager to
install the New Generation Parking Machines in the high demand areas.

8. Report back to the council
by 12/31/07 on results.

I will follow the results of this closely to see how these changes affect the parking situation in Riverside. Congratulations to Don who spoke to the council just prior to the 4-1 vote in favor of this resolution.

JVH