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Public Parking Action Plan

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The Public Parking Action Plan will modernize how curbside parking and other City-owned parking facilities are managed in Edmonton.

The plan will align the management of curbside parking and City-owned off-street parking assets with:

The recent removal of on-site parking minimums from the Zoning Bylaw, known as Open Option Parking
The direction of The City Plan to manage parking as a strategic asset and develop a connected mobility system that supports various modes of transportation, and
The City’s approach to reimagining how to best deliver services to Edmontonians in an efficient and effective way

Action Plan Development

Background Research

To inform the development of the Public Parking Action Plan, the City conducted a review of:

On-street parking and mobility policies within ConnectEdmonton and The City Plan,
Current curbside parking programs, tools and tactics used in Edmonton, including Residential Parking Programs, time restricted parking and paid parking,
Parking practices in other North American cities, as well as
Feedback shared about parking, mobility and transportation needs and other related topics from previous public engagement.

Common Themes

Four themes emerged that were common across each area of background research. These important ‘cross-cutting themes’ provide the foundation for each of the actions identified in the Public Parking Action Plan.

Strategically manage municipal assets to maximize utilization for a variety of users and uses to achieve The City Plan.

The City owns and operates many parking assets, such as all curbside parking across the city, park and ride lots, and EPark zones. These assets need to be managed strategically to support The City Plan goals.

Develop a connected mobility system that supports various modes of transportation, with a focus on transit and active transportation infrastructure.

Expanding the way we think about transportation and using technology to support users will be key. Expanding the availability of, and City support for, a variety of transportation options, including bicycles, scooters and car-share, and ensuring these options are well-connected to each other will help Edmontonians shift to new methods of transportation in the years to come.

Ensure the mobility system is accessible, safe, efficient, and barrier-free for all Edmontonians.

If we are to shift our transportation habits to include public transit use and more active transportation, such as bicycles, scooters, and walking, the City needs to be inclusive, and accommodate people of all ages, stages and mobility needs.

Encourage modal shift by providing opportunities for transit or active transportation.

Edmonton has historically been a car-oriented city. The City Plan identifies there is a need to shift our transportation patterns and use other forms of transportation like public transit and active transportation. This includes exploring how to use traditional curbside and other public parking spaces to support and encourage other forms of transportation.

Public Parking Actions

View the full Public Parking Action Plan

Action 1: Prioritize how public parking spaces should be programmed and utilized in alignment with the The City Plan and amend any relevant City of Edmonton policies, guidelines, bylaws, and design and construction standards to reflect this.

The City Plan provides strategic direction related to how Edmonton’s transportation network should be developed to build the kind of city we want now and into the future. This direction is supported by a set of guiding and regulatory documents that govern roadway design and management, such as the Complete Streets Guidelines, Main Streets Guidelines and Complete Streets Design and Construction Standards.

While these documents provide useful direction, there are gaps in guidance for how curbside space should be prioritized across different transportation modes such as vehicles, bikes, transit, and pedestrians.

This action will include a thorough review of these existing documents to establish a prioritization matrix for determining when and where certain modes should be prioritized within curbside spaces.

Cross-cutting Themes

Strategically manage municipal assets to maximize utilization for a variety of users and uses to achieve The City Plan.

Ensure the mobility system is accessible, safe, efficient, and barrier-free for all Edmontonians.

Encourage modal shift by providing opportunities for transit or active transportation.

Action 2: Align the current public parking pricing framework to The City Plan policy directions.

Managing and maintaining public parking spaces, which includes curbside parking and other City-owned parking facilities, is an ongoing expense for the City. While hourly parking revenues are one way to help recoup costs, these revenues largely do not cover the total upkeep and maintenance required for all public parking spaces in the city. The City needs to explore additional opportunities for public parking revenue generation and subsidization in order to more strategically manage these spaces as a municipal asset.

This action will include reviewing:

Existing fees charged to builders, developers and businesses for permits to use curbside space, such as temporary parking permits, On Street Construction and Maintenance (OSCAM) Permits and vending permits, and exploring whether additional fees are required to ensure effective use of curbside spaces.
Where and when the City charges Edmontonians for public curbside parking and how much is charged. This will include looking at the impacts of COVID-19 and other factors on curbside parking demand, how changes in demand should inform parking rate increases and decreases, as well as a review of the relationship between parking and transit rates in support of mode shift.

Cross-cutting Themes

Strategically manage municipal assets to maximize utilization for a variety of users and uses to achieve The City Plan.

Develop a connected mobility system that supports various modes of transportation, with a focus on transit and active transportation infrastructure.

Encourage modal shift by providing opportunities for transit or active transportation.

Action 3: Explore opportunities to enhance active transportation amenities in public and private developments.

The City Plan identifies a clear need and direction to shift away from automobile use as a primary means of transportation and towards active transportation, such as bicycles, scooters and walking, and public transit options. The inclusion of ‘end-to-end’ amenities like safe and secure bicycle storage, personal lockers, showers and washrooms are key tools in encouraging greater use of active and public transportation networks. Providing these amenities may also reduce the need for on-site parking at businesses and residential developments, thereby encouraging more efficient use of that land which supports the move towards a more compact and walkable city.

This action will look at how the City can adjust its policies and regulations to enable more and better transportation amenities in the transportation network.

Cross-cutting Themes

Strategically manage municipal assets to maximize utilization for a variety of users and uses to achieve The City Plan.

Develop a connected mobility system that supports various modes of transportation, with a focus on transit and active transportation infrastructure.

Encourage modal shift by providing opportunities for transit or active transportation.

Action 4: Leverage technology to strategically manage parking assets and improve customer experiences.

This action will involve reviewing and improving the existing tools the City uses to educate and share information about parking in Edmonton and manage public parking spaces. An exploration of best practices in other cities and new, leading technologies will be key.

This may include improvements to the EPark paid parking system and automated enforcement, opportunities to better integrate parking, active transportation and transit management tools, and enhancing the City’s current wayfinding and educational materials.

Cross-cutting Themes

Strategically manage municipal assets to maximize utilization for a variety of users and uses to achieve The City Plan.

Develop a connected mobility system that supports various modes of transportation, with a focus on transit and active transportation infrastructure.

Encourage modal shift by providing opportunities for transit or active transportation.

Action 5: Explore opportunities to allocate parking revenues in support of community benefits, active transportation and public transit.

When parking is paid for at a City-owned parking meter, the fares help pay for the maintenance of public infrastructure. Implementing a community benefit model of paid parking presents opportunities to leverage increased parking fees in specific areas to support local and district improvements and/or other related city-building activities. Such improvements may include enhanced sidewalk amenities like benches and lighting, new bike lanes, park space activation, and public art.

Cross-cutting Themes

Strategically manage municipal assets to maximize utilization for a variety of users and uses to achieve The City Plan.

Encourage modal shift by providing opportunities for transit or active transportation.

Action 6: Implement actions as outlined in the Designated Curbside Accessible Project Implementation Plan in fulfillment of Council Policy C601: Accessibility for People with Disabilities.

The City Plan envisions a well-connected city that is welcoming to people of all ages and varying mobility capacities. While the use of active and public transportation is encouraged, this may not be practical for all Edmontonians, especially those who may have mobility needs that would be best supported by designated accessible curbside parking spaces.

To support these needs, designated accessible curbside parking spaces should be located and designed to best support those in need of these spaces. Council Policy C602: Accessibility for People with Disabilities and the Complete Streets Design and Construction Standards will be used to help improve accessible curbside parking spaces.

This may include the positioning of curbside parking spaces on the near and far sides of intersections where sidewalk ramps exist, or improving the demarcation and visibility of designated accessible parking spaces for easier acquisition. Universal design recommendations will also be made for new infrastructure and renewal projects.

Cross-cutting Themes

Strategically manage municipal assets to maximize utilization for a variety of users and uses to achieve The City Plan.

Ensure the mobility system is accessible, safe, efficient, and barrier-free for all Edmontonians.

Action 7: Replace the existing Residential Parking Permit program with a modernized program that balances congestion management and broader city-building goals identified in The City Plan.

The City currently uses several approaches to managing curbside spaces, including the Residential Parking Permit program. This program restricts parking in residential areas based on specific criteria, like the type of building (eg. residential or commercial). Given that this program was last updated in 1998, it’s time to modernize the program to align it with the new city-building goals established in The City Plan.

This action may include updating the eligibility criteria for the program, reviewing parking permit fees, and consideration of non-residential applications of the program.

Cross-cutting Themes

Strategically manage municipal assets to maximize utilization for a variety of users and uses to achieve The City Plan.

Encourage modal shift by providing opportunities for transit or active transportation.

Next Steps

The action plan is targeted to go to the Urban Planning Committee for review and feedback in the first quarter of 2021. Following review and feedback by the Urban Planning Committee, the City will outline a comprehensive implementation plan and execution timeline that will begin in the second quarter of 2021.

Public Engagement

An extensive review of previously-published public engagement reports containing feedback about parking preferences, priorities and their associated trade-offs, on-street parking, mobility needs and other relevant city-building considerations helped to inform the actions in the Public Parking Action Plan.

This approach aligns with the City’s direction to use The City Plan as a guiding document, leverage previous engagement data to inform decision-making, and be more efficient in our operations. Edmontonians can share their views on the action plan directly with members of Council by registering to speak when the action plan advances to the Urban Planning Committee in the first quarter of 2021 for review and feedback.

Opportunities for public participation and engagement on specific actions will be assessed as part of the forthcoming implementation plan.

Timeline

Spring 2021

Following review and feedback by the Urban Planning Committee, the City will outline a comprehensive implementation plan and execution timeline that will begin in the second quarter of 2021.

Winter 2021

Public Parking Action Plan targeted to go to the Urban Planning Committee for review and feedback in the first quarter of 2021.

Fall/Winter 2020

Background research was undertaken to inform the development of the Public Parking Action Plan. This included a review of current on-street parking policies and programs, on-street parking practices in other North American municipalities, and feedback shared about parking, mobility and transportation needs and related topics from prior public engagement. Four common themes emerged from the research that provided the foundation for each of the actions identified in the Public Parking Action Plan.

Summer 2020

City Council approved the removal of minimum on-site parking requirements for new homes and businesses from the Zoning Bylaw, known as Open Option Parking.

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Public Parking Action Plan

Background Research

Cross-cutting Themes

Cross-cutting Themes

Cross-cutting Themes

Cross-cutting Themes

Cross-cutting Themes

Cross-cutting Themes

Cross-cutting Themes

Next Steps

Public Engagement

Spring 2021

Winter 2021

Fall/Winter 2020

Summer 2020

Related Documents

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