Millbrae looking at parking meters — just not yet

Councilmembers emphasized that the decision to approve the parking management plan won’t immediately install parking meters. City staff and consultants will continue to analyze the specifics of such a plan, locations for metered parking and kiosks and to conduct further outreach with business owners and the community.

Parking turnover downtown will become increasingly important as the city continues to grow, inviting new residents and business — and traffic — within city limits, Councilmember Bob Ngyuen said.

“I think it’s important to start the process of understanding that we do need some kind of management of parking because we are a growing city, a rapidly growing one,” he said. “If we do nothing, we’re still growing and it’s just going to further exacerbate the problem.”

Studies of downtown showed that parking spaces are at or close to capacity in the core and some residential streets, with turnover of around seven cars per day, consultants said.

Solutions to Millbrae’s parking problems would likely include installation of metered parking — around 1,094 hourly parking spaces and 59 long-term parking spaces — in public lots and streets. Comparable rates to other neighboring cities sit at around $1.50 per hour for up to two hours for hourly parking.

Other solutions include the creation of a parking structure and moving the weekly farmers’ market to a different location to free up parking spaces downtown.

Some residents expressed concerns about such a program, however, with 61% or residents saying they wouldn’t support paying for parking in a survey conducted by the consulting firm.

Kathleen Guerin, chair of Millbrae’s Economic Development Advisory Committee, encouraged councilmembers to weigh whether the city truly needed paid parking or if it would just boost city revenue. The program would bring in around $1.1 million a year in revenue once it became profitable.

Guerin also pointed to nearby San Bruno, where a recently-implemented parking program has caused a bevy of issues downtown and created widespread community pushback.

“It has not worked well for them,” she said. “It is not considered a success, what it is they have done.”

Other Millbrae business owners, like Millbrae Square owner Vickie Imbimbo, noted worries that paid parking would push drivers into her free parking lots.

“We are adamantly opposed to this paid parking plan in our area,” she said. “When given the choice between paying for parking or choosing a free lot, people will choose free every time. That means customers, employees and visitors from up and down Broadway will start using our already-congested parking lots.”

Regardless, the city is moving forward with the plan at this time, albeit with promises to continue soliciting feedback from the community.

“I think this isn’t quite ready for prime time yet,” said Vice Mayor Reuben Holober, who voted for the plan with reservations. “Given some of the comments and concerns we’ve heard, I think there needs to be a little bit more outreach that is done, a little more analysis.”