Submitted By
John Youkhana, Interim Parking and Mobility Services Director
Agenda Item Title
Title
Parking Discussion for North Avenue & Roosevelt Road, Including Adjacent Areas
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Overview
Overview
At the January 23, 2017 Village Board Special Meeting, the Board approved a format and a schedule to discuss parking issues. This is the fifth topic in the series. For this specific meeting, the parameters were set as Roosevelt Road to Harvard Street and North Avenue to Berkshire Street.
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Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
At the conclusion of all of the Special Meetings on Parking, staff will bring forward a summary sheet of all the recommendations provided during these sessions, unless otherwise directed by the Village Board during the meeting.
The following recommendations were reviewed with the Transportation Commission. This was prior to the amended work plan of the Transportation Commission which will now also include additional public outreach.
In advance of each Village Board Special Meeting, staff collects comments pertaining to the particular study area. These comments are attached.
(A)On-Street Daytime Parking Time Restrictions:
1. Staff recommends standardizing all daytime restrictions to ‘No Parking 8AM-10AM M-F.’
This recommendation is in keeping with the prior recommendations for other parking areas. This includes changing all ‘No Parking Anytime’ to be standardized to ‘No Parking 8AM-10AM M-F’, unless a street is too narrow or the restriction was implemented as part of a traffic safety plan (i.e. a safety plan example is Austin Blvd “No Parking 7am-9am”).
This recommendation is an effort to consolidate signage and improve understanding of parking restrictions. Standardization of daytime restrictions will simplify the process for residents, visitors, business operators and Village operations.
Other regulations that would change with this recommendation include, No Parking 7 am-9 am, No Parking 8 am-10am M-F, No Parking 8 am-10 am M-Sa, and No Parking 8 am- 10 am 7 days.
This also assists with easier enforcement and keeps most employees from parking on these blocks all day but allows residents and guests to park all day besides 8 am-10 am and always for shared parking on weekends.
(B) On-Street Daytime Parking Time Limits:
1. Staff recommends standardizing all time limits to ‘3 Hour Parking 10AM-5PM M-F.’
This recommendation is in keeping with the prior recommendations for other parking areas. Standardize all current time limits, such as 1 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour and 4 hour parking, and change them to 3 Hour Parking 10 am-5 pm M-F. This allows for more shared parking for consumers and residents, allows visitors and residents to park for short time in front of or near their house, and prevents employees from parking all day and allows for shared parking on the weekends.
(C) Multiple On-Street Daytime Parking Restrictions:
1. Staff recommends removing any 2nd restriction/time limit on a street, unless the restriction is due to rush hour restriction, traffic safety plans, or other major safety concerns.
With the goal of making restrictions easier and less complicated, staff recommends removing multiple restrictions on a street. In addition, some of restrictions were instituted long ago that documentation doesn’t exist as to why there is a need for the restriction. Staff recommends sending a letter to the block asking if they would, (1) remove the restriction or time limit completely, and if not, (2) select one restriction only to remain.
Streets should have no more than one daytime restriction. If the proper restriction is in place and it is simple to understand it will properly be followed and there will not be a need for a second restriction or for passes that override restrictions.
Below are examples of how a resident would be asked to choose between two current restrictions on a block:
ü Remove all time-limit restrictions and keep No Parking restrictions (which would be changed to No Parking 8 am-10 am M-F per the new standardization recommended by staff under (A)). Blocks would then only have No Parking 8 am-10 am M-F.
OR
ü Remove No Parking restrictions and keep current time-limit restriction (which would be changed to 3- Hour Parking 10 am-5 pm M-F per the new standardization recommended by staff under (B)). Blocks would then only have 3 Hour Parking 10 am-5 pm M-F.
(D) On-Street Daytime Parking Permits:
1. Staff recommends the Village to remove daytime permit zones A7 (1200 block of Fair Oaks), A8 (0 block of Greenfield), and C8 (1200 block of N. Marion) and implement a “sunset” provision for Daytime Permit areas not being sold moving forward.
In these areas, Resident Day Time Permit parking exists but has not been utilized. Staff recommends that any Resident Daytime Permit zones which have not sold any permits in 2016 should be considered for removal. In addition, staff recommends that all Resident Daytime Permits have a sunset clause as follows:
Current Resident Daytime Permit Parking with No or Very Low (<20%) Permit Sales will receive notice that they need to meet and maintain 75% sold (avg. over 3 years) to keep the Resident Daytime Permit Parking area (75% is the current percentage of residents which need to sign the petition to be eligible to get Resident Daytime Permit Parking). Blocks that do not maintain 75% sold will be removed.
Daytime Permit Parking is the most restrictive parking in the Village and has only been used after all other options have been exhausted. There may be many cases in which residents have petition for Resident Permit Parking not for the purpose of using the permits, but for the purpose of limiting cars on the streets on their block.
(E) On-Street Overnight Parking Permit Hours:
1. Staff recommends Zones Z7 be standardized to 11pm-6am overnight parking hours.
This recommendation is in keeping with the prior recommendations for other areas. As part of an effort to standardize the on-street overnight parking zone hours, staff has researched the existing posted hours as well as potential implementation of standardized hours similar to those recently agreed upon in the Y2, Y3, Y4 zones and previously in the Y1, Y9 and Z9.
Staff suggests to continue with the standard hour changes in Z7 (located near Roosevelt Road), 11 pm-6 am.
Under current ordinances regarding where on-street overnight parking can be added, there are no additional areas near Roosevelt or North Ave where on-street overnight permit parking can be added.
(F) Additional Parking Options:
1. Staff recommends the conversion of metered spaces on Harlem and Marion to an off-street permit parking lot for day, night, and/or 24 hour parking.
While the area does not currently have any Village owned or leased off-street vacancies, there is some potential for adding more spaces. Village staff looked at expanding parking lots to include more spaces, and there may be a possibility of added some diagonal parking on Kenilworth, just south of North Ave. There is an option to convert meter spaces to an off-street Day, Night, and/or 24 hour parking lot on Harlem and Marion.
There is a privately owned vacant lot for development on Harlem Ave. and there are some additional small business parking lots around both Harlem Ave. and Roosevelt Rd. Although demand is less in these areas, technology and direct landlord to parker options would benefit those in need of parking in these areas. This expands on staffs’ previous recommendation to encourage apps for private spaces renting.
2. Staff recommends considering the creation of metered parking spaces on Kenilworth at North Avenue, north of the alley.
Attached is an image of this location. This recommendation would require further research given the physical restrictions and removal of the green space currently in place.
(G) Pilot of Pay-By-Plate Technology:
Currently North Ave. has metered parking similar to the opposite side of the street in Chicago. A pilot program is planned to test pay-by-plate multi-space technology on street for sixty days. Staff will test 5 technology providers to evaluate the most efficient and user friendly technology.
As part of the Parking Technology Study, village staff is looking at parking technologies to increase efficiencies of the department as well as improve customer experience. This includes license plate based payments which would help the management of the overall parking system in Oak Park.
(H) Roosevelt Blvd. Parking:
Staff does not recommend adding any additional restrictions/limits on Roosevelt Blvd. at this time. Staff will continue to review and monitor this area as consumer needs grow and address any concerns/updates to parking management in the area as needed.
Roosevelt Blvd. does have some areas with parking time-limits similar to Berwyn and Cicero.
(I) Discussion on Schools:
A number of schools exist in the study area. The surrounding areas of these schools contain restrictions which were put in place as part of a Board approved traffic safety plan.
Unless needed sooner, staff will internally review the traffic plans every 5 years. During this recap, staff will make sure that the plan is still in practice and that the principals are still relevant. If necessary, staff will contact the school to assist.
Due to roadway geometrics, different school layouts, the equipment and needs that are unique to each school (including buses, walking routes, etc.), consideration of neighbors and other local users, feedback from stakeholders during each traffic safety plan review; staff does not recommend standardizing the parking restrictions adjacent to school property. Additionally, staff does not recommend making changes to the existing study recommendations unless at least 1 full year of the recommendations have been in place and in practice by the school. However staff will consider emergency situations.
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Report
The Village Board Goals for 2016-2017 include revisiting the overall parking systems within Oak Park in a holistic manner and with consideration for neighborhoods and business districts in order to understand the impact on residents, visitors and employees in the community. As a part of the study, staff will review the recommended goals for this review and a proposed schedule.
Recommended Guiding Principles that will be considered as each public parking system is reviewed and changes are proposed:
• Sustainability
• Public Safety
• Customer Service
Additionally, the following Goals are to be considered as each public parking system is reviewed and changes proposed:
• Parking Ordinances must be simple and user friendly (e.g. language is clear and concise)
• Parking Signage of all types must be standardized and more streamlined so that residents, visitors and employees in Oak Park are able to understand regulatory language that may be required and directional information is clear and concise.
• Parking Technology must support efficient parking administration and operation while also being customer service focused.
In order to facilitate a comprehensive review of the public parking system, a schedule of monthly study sessions was established. In general, each individual session would seek consensus of the Village Board related to the parking policy with final comprehensive ordinance approval scheduled at the conclusion of the study sessions. Similar to the review of the I-290 Reconstruction, the review of recommendations related to individual public parking policies will take multiple meetings and then comprehensive Board direction can be obtained.
While conducting the area reviews of each study session, all of the diverse parking needs would be considered. For example, parking needs of single/multi-family homes, business districts, service providers, schools, parks, hospitals and public transit.
Beginning with the March study session, online public input will be solicited in advance of the Study Sessions to provide feedback for customers who may not be able to attend a specific meeting.
The following is a Study Session Schedule with a brief review of completed sessions:
Session 1 - January 2017
Pleasant Business District/South and Harlem Redevelopment Project/Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School, including Recommendations from the Transportation Commission Related to On-Street Resident Parking
At the January 23, 2017 Special Board meeting, the Transportation Commission recommended parking restriction changes that would increase resident on-street overnight permit parking by adding 75 spaces. In addition, the recommendations include standardized on-street overnight permit parking hours in the Pleasant Business District and Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School area also referred to as the Y2, Y3, and Y4 Zone to 11:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. consistent with the “shared parking” concept used in other mixed use areas which has successfully allowed improved parking for business customers and residents during the evening hours.
Session 2 - February 2017
Parking Technology Best Practices.
At the February 27, 2017 Special Board meeting, Dixon Resources Unlimited (Dixon) was hired by the Village to review the Village’s parking services, permit, vehicle stickers and citation systems to determine requirements for a Unified system that would improve the customer experience. Over the last few months Dixon has be reviewing processes that are shared between the Adjudication, Finance, Information Technology, Police, Public Works and Parking & Mobility Services Departments in an effort to develop a request for proposal that encompasses best practices for a new system.
As part of this process, Dixon presented to the Village Board different parking technologies and parking industry best practices that are currently being used by municipalities throughout the country.
Session 3 - March 2017
Parking Signage Recommendations.
A parking sign was introduced which changes the traditional text-based design of parking regulation signage in a visual explanation that would answer two main questions: “Can I park here? And for how long?” This sign design consists of a parking schedule that shows all 24 hours for every day of the week. The times you can park are marked in green and the times you cannot park are marked in red. Oak Park (IL) joins Columbus (OH), Fargo (ND), Los Angeles (CA), New Haven (CT), Washington (DC), Brisbane, Sydney, Montreal, and Vancouver are also piloting the new parking signs.
It is important to note that in addition to the review of design of parking restriction signage, future Study Sessions will review regulations in order to consolidation/change restrictions in some areas of the Village to simply parking.
Session 4 - May 2017
On-Street Parking Austin Blvd & Harlem Avenue, Including Adjacent Areas.
At the May 8, 2017 Special Board meeting, staff presented recommendations on standardizing time limits, time restrictions, and overnight parking permit hours. Additionally, the utilization of parking space sales technology for landlord to tenant direct relationships such as SpotHero or Parkwhiz.
Session 5 - July 2017
On-Street Parking North Avenue and Roosevelt Road, Including Adjacent Areas
Session 6 - TBD
Parking Near and Adjacent to Public Transit/Residential/Mixed Use Areas - Metra, CTA Green Line, and CTA Blue Line
Session 7 - TBD
Parking Near and Adjacent to Residential/Mixed Use Areas - Madison Street and Washington Blvd
Session 8 - TBD
Parking Near and Adjacent to Residential or Mixed Use Areas - Chicago Avenue and Division Street
Session 9 -TBD
Summary Review of the Comprehensive Recommended Ordinance Amendments
Alternatives
N/A