Downtown parking permits hot commodity: San Mateo continues Downtown Parking Management Plan, increases rates

Staff and the council spent years devising a plan to better manage limited parking in San Mateo’s busy business district and has now turned their attention to permitting.

The changes include increasing the number of available permits from 850 to about 1,000, having the permits be tied to a specific parking lot and increasing rates.

Some raised concerns about the impact to low-wage workers — particularly as downtown is known for its restaurant scene — as well as nonprofit employees. Still, the council opted to proceed with hopes the changes may give commuters pause.

Deputy Mayor David Lim said the fact that permits sold out within an hour of becoming available this last quarter emphasizes the need to better manage demand.

“Part of the reason our quarterly permit program as is currently structured was filling up was because we were offering just an incredibly good deal,” Lim said. “You want to find that sweet spot where the rate is such that it’s affordable to people, but also gives people a reason to pause and think, ‘hey, is there another way for me to get downtown or carpool?’ Get people to think, ‘do I really need to drive? Do I really need to get this permit?’ And if not, are there alternatives ways? ‘Can I take my bike? Can I take Caltrain? Can I walk?’”

The new rules may be adopted later in April as the council updates the city’s fee schedule, according to a staff report.

Instead of the current $126 per quarter permit, which amounts to about $42 per month and was good for a variety of parking lots, the council decided to charge more for lots closest to the heart of downtown and begin charging at lots that were previously free, according to the report.

Each permit is good for a 10-hour space at a designated lot and the city plans to begin selling them online. The Central Parking Garage between Third and Fourth avenues will be the priciest at $80 per month. It will cost $50 per month for the lot at Second Avenue and El Camino Real, the Main Street Garage, the Transit Center Garage and the lot underneath the tennis courts at Central Park off Fifth Avenue. Lots further from the center of downtown will be $30 a month and include the Kinko’s and Worker Resource Center lots, both off Fifth Avenue and purchased with former redevelopment agency funds, as well as the parking strip on Railroad Avenue between Fifth and Ninth avenues, according to the report.

Mayor Joe Goethals said the fees are reasonable as compared to other cities in the Bay Area and having the permits attached to specific garages could improve traffic flow.

“Hopefully this is a big step toward getting people to drive around less looking for parking. When you have a monthly parking permit, you know exactly which lot you’re going to,” Goethals said. “And we have a relatively small downtown, so it’s not a long walk from whichever lot you chose.”

The proposed changes are anticipated to increase annual revenue from $380,000 to $600,000 and could go toward operational and capital improvements related to downtown parking, maintenance and creation of additional spaces. Consultants have predicted the city will need at least 400 new parking spaces in downtown to keep up with demand over the next 10 years.

“My hope is that in the short term, that revenue can be used to maintain a clean, safe downtown,” Goethals said, adding funds could support new technologies like a parking app or real-time signs. “In the long term, some of the revenue will be set aside to go towards [creating new] parking. And this year, we’re going to go through the planning process for the redevelopment agency sites. So the Kinko’s lot may not be there much longer.”

Goethals said some are considering workforce housing projects at the now surface parking lot where Kinko’s used to be, as well as at the site directly across the street used for parking and the nonprofit Samaritan House’s Worker Resource Center.

Parking in these two lots was previously free and the council mulled over whether to begin charging drivers. After conducting two user surveys late last year, staff found about one-third of those using the lots were low-wage workers such as dishwashers or baristas. Others self-identified as higher-wage earners such as lawyers, business owners or store managers. About two-thirds of those approached indicated they would be willing to pay $30 a month, according to the report.

Lim and Councilwoman Maureen Freschet raised concerns about low-income workers and particularly those employed by nonprofits. The council directed staff to look into options for making parking affordable for nonprofit workers in downtown, Lim said.

These permit system adjustments is another step in implementing the well-thought-out Downtown Parking Management Plan, Lim said.

“There was a lot of community input, there was a lot of community meetings. I think this will be a model for a lot of small cities who have downtowns and parking issues,” Lim said. “It’s not just ‘hey, let’s charge people X amount and see how it works.’ [Staff] really put a lot of time and effort into making sure it’s something that’s fair and works for everyone.”

Visit cityofsanmateo.org for more information.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106