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City of Whitefish, MT ana an October 21, 2019 Prepared by DIXON Resources Unlimited City of Whitefish I Parking Management Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Executive Summary 2 3 Background Studies 4 3.1 "Whitefish Downtown Business District Master Plan" 5 3.2 2008 "Parking Demand and Preliminary Financial Analysis" 6 3.3 2012 "Parking Structure Feasibility and Concept Design Study" 9 3.4 "Whitefish Downtown Parking Study - Summer 2018" 10 3. 5 Assessing Parking Supply 12 4 Stakeholder Engagement. 13 5 The Parking Perception 15 6 Enforcement 16 6.1 Current Staffing and Enforcement Operation 16 6.2 Compliance & Management 17 6.3 Citation Management 18 6.3.1 Citation Fees 20 6.4 Ambassador Approach 20 7 Parking Demand Management. 22 7.1 Time Limits & Signage 24 7.2 Wayfinding 28 7.3 Employee Options & Permits 29 7.3.1 All Day Employee Permit Model 31 7.3.2 All Day Employee Permit Pricing 33 7.4 Residential Parking Pilot 33 7.5 Striping 35 8 Technology 37 8.1 Garage Fixed LPR 37 8.2 Mobile LPR 39 8.3 Automated Parking Guidance System (APGS) .40 9 Muncipal Code Review 42 9.1 Authority, Passenger Loading & TN Cs (6-2-1) 42 9.2 Manner of Parking (6-2-3) 42 9.3 Restricted Parking & Alley Use (6-2-4) .42 9.4 No Reparking - New Section 43 9.5 Shared Mobiity Devices - New Section 43 9.6 Creation of Permit Areas - New Section 43 10 Alternate Modes 45 10.1 Shuttles & Public Transportation .46 10.2 Carpooling & Incentives .46 City of Whitefish I Parking Management Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- 11 -Special Event Mitigation 48 11 .1 Peak Period Shuttles .48 11 .2 Shuttle & Rideshare Queuing . .48 11.3 Shared Parking Agreements . 50 12 Future Implementation 51 12.1 Dynamic Pricing & Paid Parking . 51 12.2 Garage Construction & Financing 52 13 Engagement and Outreach 53 14 Conclusion (Implementation Guide Summary) 55 15 Appendix A - Municipal Code Recommendations 60 15.1 Authority, Passenger Loading & TN Cs 60 15.2 Manner of Parking 60 15.3 Restricted Parking & Alley Use 61 15.4 Suggested Additional Sections - Signs, Signals & Markings . 61 15.5 Suggested Additional Sections - Permits 62 15.6 No Reparking 63 15.7 Shared Mobiity Devices 63 15.8 Establishment of Parking Permit Zones 64 City of Whitefish I Parking Management Plan ii ---PAGE BREAK--- DIXON 1 Introduction Dixon Resources Unlimited (DIXON) was contracted by the City of Whitefish (City) to review existing parking conditions, analyze previous reports, and create actionable parking management recommendations for the downtown area. The following Parking Management Plan (Plan) is based on analysis and summary of past studies and outlines implementation recommendations that address concerns related to parking availability. Information has been gathered through on-site review, stakeholder engagement, and interviews with key City staff. Areas of evaluation include: • On-street and off-street parking availability • Enforcement practices, staffing, and strategies • Permit program and citation processing • Municipal codes • Event and seasonal considerations • Current technologies • Public transportation & alternative modes These recommendations are intended to serve as the foundation for developing short, medium, and long-term implementation steps for establishing a sustainable parking program in the City of Whitefish. Many of the suggested recommendations will have an immediate impact and require ongoing assessment. Implementation will require staffing to support initiatives, procurement, and community engagement. City of Whitefish I Parking Management Plan 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- DIXON 2 Executive Summary Operational assessment, review of previous studies, and stakeholder feedback supported the development of this Parking Management Plan (Plan). The purpose of this Executive Summary section is to highlight the high-level key strategies proposed. Detailed information may be found in the body of the report, including a comprehensive Implementation Grid, which includes additional phased action items. Municipal code recommendations may be found in the Appendix. Summary of Key Findings: • Past Reports & Studies - Previous parking studies, as related to parking demand in downtown Whitefish, demonstrate a pointed interest in construction of garage facilities. While tt,e foundation of past recommendations indicates potential need for additional parking supply, DIXON found that the root issues related to parking in downtown Whitefish are largely related to lack of parking management best practice. To build a garage without addressing parking management issues will potentially result in costly and underutilized parking assets. • Recommendation: Initiate the recommendations outlined in the Plan before moving toward construction of facilities. • Recommendation: Focus on parking management as opposed to adding parking space inventory. • Operational Performance An assessment of compliance, enforcement practice, and staffing indicates opportunity to focus on management strategies and facilitate strong patterns of community outreach. • Recommendation: Budget for one additional seasonal Parking Enforcement Officer for the summer months. Assign a central point of contact for parking-related initiatives who may focus on parking strategy implementation and outreach. Without an emphasis on community engagement and an infusion of staff resources, other recommendations in this Plan will be ineffective. • Technology - A review of parking technologies demonstrates a lack of appropriate parking tools, which contributes to an inefficient work environment. • Recommendation: Procure a parking-specific citation management software and parking enforcement vehicle to create efficiency and consistent compliance. • Alternative Modes - Stakeholder feedback indicates strong interest in reducing single occupancy vehicle miles traveled. As the City continues to grow and experience seasonal congestion, there is opportunity to initiate micro-shuttles in conjunction with park and ride lots located outside of the core of downtown. City of Whitefish I Parking Management Plan 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- • Recommendation: Focus on developing a targeted peak summer shuttle service pilot to include enhanced service levels during specific event periods, such as the 4th of July, Farmer's Markets and Huckleberry Days. • Permit Program - There is demonstrated demand for increased "all-day" employee parking options. Due to the lack of defined long-term parking spaces, "all-day" parkers must repark and shuffle their vehicles among short time-limit restricted spaces. This adversely affects those seeking short time-limit spaces, such as the retail patron. • Recommendation: Develop an "all-day" parking permit with focus on downtown employee needs. Sign appropriate areas for long term parking and ensure that parking enforcement officers are prepared to support and enforce the permit. The proposed parking coordinator should work closely with stakeholders to guarantee that feedback informs the permit program. The launch of an "all day" parking permit will support process for future residential permit programs. Section 7.3.1 describes possible locations for "all-day" permit spaces. Figure 1. Key Strategies Planning Key Strategies 2020 2021 Budget for parking staff Procure a parking citation software tool Provide a vehicle for parking staff Pilot a shuttle during summer and event periods Develop an "all-day" permit program City of Whitefish I Parking Management Plan 01 02 03 04 01 02 03 Q4 - - l l J 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- DIXON 3 Background Studies The City of Whitefish has a growing base of local year-round residents and a healthy increase in tourist visitation correlated to the proximate Glacier National Park, Whitefish Mountain Resort, Whitefish and Flathead Lakes. Since 2010, overnight transient visitation has increased by 39%, and the percentage of tourists driving through the City has increased by 46% (See Figure 1 1,400 ~ 1,200 ru ~ 1,000 0 ~ 800 ~ 600 400 > o 200 0 ~