Officials weigh Broadway parking

Representing the Broadway Business Improvement District, John Kevranian shared a petition featuring nearly 50 signatures from local business owners seeking to extend permitted parking meter time limits along Broadway to two hours.

Noting ample availability of spots on surrounding streets though, councilmembers said they preferred to try to direct shoppers to parking lots before taking on more comprehensive efforts.

Councilman Ricardo Ortiz said he was willing to consider the concerns held by merchants, but also questioned the severity of the district’s parking problems.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But in this case, I’m not sure it’s broken,” he said, according to video of the meeting.

Ortiz said he is always able to find spaces in lots just behind Broadway, and questioned whether allocating city resources to addressing the issue would be a wise investment. Many of the surrounding lots allow for longer parking terms than the one-hour limits for meters on Broadway.

The city’s Traffic, Safety and Parking Commission discussed the issue previously and suggested officials hire consultants to further study the matter, which could cost about $50,000.

Mayor Michael Brownrigg too questioned the need for a study.

“I don’t think we should spend the money,” he said. “At least, not right now.”

Vice Mayor Donna Colson said rather than pay for the study, she would support improving signs showing shoppers where they can find available spaces nearby and measure the effectiveness of that effort.

Furthermore, she proposed printing maps of the area indicating where lots are available and placing them in storefronts so shoppers are aware of all their options.

She also suggested city officials conduct an independent survey of local merchants to glean a fuller understanding of the perspectives held regarding the district’s parking problems.

“We need to do more wayfinding and maps and work with businesses and outreach and see how that goes and maybe do a more formal convening to get more direct feedback,” she said.

For his part, Kevranian said he supported such a proposal and agreed paying $50,000 for a professional study is unnecessary.

He did maintain though that many merchants along Broadway are hearing dissatisfaction from shoppers who feel the one-hour limit for meters is insufficient for their visit.

A source of the issue is the district’s transition from a retail center to a focus on services, said Kevranian, and those patronizing restaurants, fitness centers or salons in the area need more time to park their car than they would if only quickly visiting a shop.

“We have received many complaints from the public,” said Kevranian.

In deference to the concerns held by merchants, Brownrigg said he supported extending the parking meter limits.

“I’m in favor of changing it to two hours because the merchants are asking for it and I don’t see the downside to it,” he said, recognizing the time limit near Burlingame Avenue is two hours as well.

But acknowledging a majority of his colleagues wished to study the issue further following the establishment of the new signs, Brownrigg said he would follow their lead.

“See if it improves and if it doesn’t … we may have to step up and do the study,” he said.

For her part though, Councilwoman Ann Keighran suggested she favored the more comprehensive study and expected officials will need to invest in the initiative eventually.

“I can go along with this but I do think at some point we’ll have to do this parking study,” she said.

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