AgdaPkt 2020-12-21 Amended Joint SA PFA

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6.E. - Page 2 of 272 identify where they will find parking at a given time. The Redwood City Improvement Association (RCIA) and the City recognized this difficulty and partnered to develop a solution. To reduce the difficulty in finding parking, the project's goal is to give Downtown patrons real-time parking information to guide them to available parking via signage at key locations and through mobile applications. The signage will alert drivers, before entering a facility, to the amount of available parking. In partnership with the City, RCIA funded a design consultant to conduct the analysis and design of an automated parking guidance system for Downtown Redwood City. City staff worked with this consultant to develop the project's specifications and details. The design and development of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the system cost approximately $110,000, which was fully funded by RCIA. The RFP was advertised on the City's website in February 2020. Staff designed and put the project out for bid prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the selection process was extended due to COVID-related complications. The pandemic has had a major impact on parking demand in Redwood City due to its effect on the business community. The parking occupancy rate hit a low in April 2020 at approximately 8-10% of normal parking volume. Since that time, there has been a steady increase in parking occupancy across the Downtown area. Current occupancy rates are a little more than 50% of normal. Redwood City, pre-COVID-19, experienced around 100,000 parking transactions per month for on -street parking. In April, the transactions were just below 10,000 and today they are around 52,000 per month. This is consistent with other jurisdictions, but is highly subject to changing, often more stringent, COVID-19-related restrictions. In discussions with industry professionals, it is expected that parking occupancy rates will continue increasing each month in 2021, though the occupancy rates will be impacted by the timing and nature of the health orders in the first half of 2021. It is also anticipated that parking demand may exceed pre- COVID-19 levels by 10-20% in the second half of 2021, due to public reluctance to using mass transit and shuttles at their pre -pandemic levels. Parking professionals expect that small-scale carpools and single occupancy car trips will increase as offices and other businesses slowly reopen. This is also may increase congestion on major roads in the City, especially to active downtown areas. Due to this anticipated increase in parking demand, the potential for increased congestion and the continued strong support of the Downtown business community, staff recommends that this project move forward even though current parking demand is depressed. The project will take several months to complete (likely a mid -2021 installation pending approval) and the reduced parking occupancy will allow the City to build and fine tune the system while minimizing impacts on downtown patrons. ANALYSIS The proposed parking guidance system is part of ongoing efforts to improve the convenience and effectiveness of the City's downtown parking program and to integrate all City parking facilities and shared parking facilities into a single system. Downtown business groups, such as RCIA and the Chamber of Commerce, strongly support the project and the system will support businesses recovering from the pandemic. Page 2 of 7 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 156