Final Report...IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT DOWNTOWN PARKING STUDY Prepared for City of St. Catharines...

Final Report

Downtown Parking Study

Prepared for City of St. Catharines

by IBI Group

December 5, 2017

IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT DOWNTOWN PARKING STUDY Prepared for City of St. Catharines

Document Control Page

December 5, 2017

CLIENT: City of St. Catharines

PROJECT NAME: Downtown Parking Study Consultant

REPORT TITLE: Downtown Parking Study

IBI REFERENCE: 39728

VERSION: 9.0

DIGITAL MASTER: J:\39728_SC_DwntwPark\10.0 Reports\Final Report\Submitted November 28, 2017\TTR_Downtown Parking Study-FINAL_2017-11-28.docx\2017-12-05\AH

ORIGINATOR: Attila Hertel, Alex Mereu, Trevor Jenkins, Andrae Griffith

REVIEWER: Peter Richards

AUTHORIZATION: Brian Hollingworth

CIRCULATION LIST: City of St. Catharines

HISTORY:

1.0 Draft Parking Master Plan Report (submitted November 22, 2016) 2.0 Final Parking Master Plan Report (submitted December 28, 2016) 3.0 Final Parking Master Plan Report (submitted February 2, 2017) 4.0 Revised Final (submitted May 31, 2017) 5.0 Updated Final (submitted June 6, 2017) 6.0 Final Report (submitted June 13, 2017) 7.0 Final Report (submitted October 11, 2017) 8.0 Final Report (submitted November 28, 2017) 9.0 Final Report (submitted December 5, 2017)


Table of Contents

December 5, 2017 i

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1

Public and Stakeholder Consultation .................................................................................... 1

Parking Supply and Demand ................................................................................................ 1

Existing and Future Parking Demand ...................................................................... 1

Transportation Demand Management ..................................................................... 2

Parking Technology ................................................................................................. 2

Dedicated Loading Zones ........................................................................................ 3

Accessible Parking Requirements ........................................................................... 3

Parking Facility Design Guidelines .......................................................................... 4

Financial Model ..................................................................................................................... 4

Historical Parking Operating Fund ........................................................................... 4

Parking Rate Structure ............................................................................................. 4

Enforcement ............................................................................................................. 4

Reduced Maximum Parking Time Limit ................................................................... 4

Extended Pay Parking Operations ........................................................................... 5

Increased Permit Sales ............................................................................................ 5

On-Street Permit Parking Conversion ..................................................................... 5

Special Event Parking Policy ................................................................................................ 6

Special Event Price Structure .................................................................................. 6

High Level Costing and Implementation Timetable .............................................................. 6

1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 8

1.1 Study Background and Objectives ........................................................................... 8

1.2 Vision Statement .................................................................................................... 10

1.3 Report Structure / Format ...................................................................................... 10

2 Project Scope .................................................................................................................... 11

2.1 Project Initiation and Parking Advisory Committee Meetings ................................ 11

2.2 Background Document Review ............................................................................. 11

3 Public and Stakeholder Consultation ............................................................................. 12


Table of Contents (continued)

December 5, 2017 ii

4 Data Collection .................................................................................................................. 13

4.1 Background Data Collection .................................................................................. 13

4.2 Parking Inventory and Utilization Survey ............................................................... 13

5 Parking Supply and Demand ........................................................................................... 15

5.1 Existing Supply and Demand ................................................................................. 15

5.2 Future Parking Needs ............................................................................................ 20

5.2.1 Growth Projections .................................................................................... 20

5.2.2 Recommendations .................................................................................... 22

5.3 Transportation Demand Management ................................................................... 23

5.3.1 Carpooling ................................................................................................. 23

5.3.2 Cycling ...................................................................................................... 26

5.3.3 Public and Private Transit ......................................................................... 28

5.3.4 Electric Vehicles ........................................................................................ 29

5.3.5 Carshare ................................................................................................... 30

5.3.6 TDM in New Developments ...................................................................... 31

5.4 Improved Technology ............................................................................................ 32

5.4.1 Existing Parking Technologies .................................................................. 32

5.4.2 Wayfinding Improvements ........................................................................ 33

5.4.3 On-Street Payment Technology ................................................................ 38

5.4.4 Pay by Phone ............................................................................................ 39

5.4.5 Pay on Exit / Foot ...................................................................................... 40

5.5 Dedicated Loading Zones ...................................................................................... 41

5.6 Parking Standards and Zoning By-Laws ............................................................... 45

5.6.1 Parking Space Dimensions ....................................................................... 45

5.6.2 Accessible Parking Requirements ............................................................ 46

5.6.3 Peer-to-peer Shared Parking .................................................................... 46

5.7 Best Practice Design Considerations .................................................................... 47

5.7.1 Snow Removal .......................................................................................... 47

5.7.2 Acceptable Walking Distance ................................................................... 47

5.7.3 Lighting ...................................................................................................... 51



December 5, 2017 iii

5.7.4 Pedestrian Friendly Links to Parking ........................................................ 51

5.7.5 Signage ..................................................................................................... 52

5.7.6 Landscaping Design.................................................................................. 53

6 Financial Model ................................................................................................................. 54

6.1 Parking Operating Fund ......................................................................................... 54

6.2 Parking Rate Structure ........................................................................................... 55

6.3 Cash-in-Lieu of Parking ......................................................................................... 60

6.4 Parking Enforcement Review................................................................................. 60

6.4.1 Enforcement Financials ............................................................................ 60

6.4.2 Public and Stakeholder Consultation Feedback ....................................... 61

6.5 Parking Management Model .................................................................................. 62

6.5.1 On-Street Parking Management ............................................................... 62

6.5.2 Potential Pay Parking Alternatives ............................................................ 66

6.5.3 Off-Street Parking Management ............................................................... 67

6.5.4 Ad-Hoc Downtown Parking Committee Report (2014) ............................. 69

7 Special Events Parking Policy ........................................................................................ 70

7.1 Special Event Parking Rates ................................................................................. 70

7.2 Special Event Transportation Demand Management ............................................ 74

7.2.1 Low Effort Strategies ................................................................................. 74

7.2.2 Mid-Effort Strategies ................................................................................. 75

7.2.3 High-Effort Strategies ................................................................................ 76

7.3 Special Event Enforcement.................................................................................... 77

8 Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................. 78

8.1 Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 78

8.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 79

8.3 High Level Costing and Implementation Timetable ............................................... 80



December 5, 2017 iv

List of Exhibits

Executive Summary Exhibit 1: Implementation Timetable .................................................. 7

Exhibit 1-1: Downtown Study Area ...................................................................................... 9

Exhibit 3-1: Public Information Centre ............................................................................... 12

Exhibit 4-1: Special Events Survey Area ........................................................................... 14

Exhibit 5-1: Map of Weekday Maximum Parking Utilization (11:00 AM to 12:00 PM) ....... 17

Exhibit 5-2: Map of Weekend Maximum Parking Utilization (8:00 PM to 9:00 PM) ........... 18

Exhibit 5-3: Map of Special Event Maximum Parking Utilization (8:00 PM to 9:00 PM) .... 19

Exhibit 5-4: Projected Peak Parking Situation (Average Growth Scenario) ...................... 21

Exhibit 5-5: Projected Peak Parking Situation (High Growth Scenario) ............................ 22

Exhibit 5-6: Sample Carpool Parking and Signage ............................................................ 24

Exhibit 5-7: Carpool Parking Promotional Materials .......................................................... 25

Exhibit 5-8: Planned and Existing Cycling Infrastructure (Niagara Bikeway Master Plan) 26

Exhibit 5-9: Short-term Bike Parking .................................................................................. 27

Exhibit 5-10: Long-term Bike Parking Facilities ................................................................. 28

Exhibit 5-11: St. Catharines Transit Fares ......................................................................... 29

Exhibit 5-12: Carlisle Street Garage Community CarShare spaces .................................. 31

Exhibit 5-13: New Pedestrian Wayfinding Sign ................................................................. 33

Exhibit 5-14: Sample Directional Signage ......................................................................... 35

Exhibit 5-15: Static Wayfinding Sign - Identification .......................................................... 35

Exhibit 5-16: Suggested Dynamic Wayfinding Sign Locations .......................................... 36

Exhibit 5-17: Screenshot from Seattle Municipal Parking Website .................................... 37

Exhibit 5-18: Screenshot of Parker App ............................................................................. 38

Exhibit 5-19: Current Parking Meter................................................................................... 38

Exhibit 5-20: Non-Permit Parking Review .......................................................................... 39

Exhibit 5-21: Proposed Pay by Phone Parking Rate ......................................................... 40

Exhibit 5-22: Pay on Foot Payment Machine ..................................................................... 41

Exhibit 5-23: Existing Loading Zone Sign .......................................................................... 42

Exhibit 5-24: Downtown Loading Zones ............................................................................ 42



December 5, 2017 v

Exhibit 5-25: Loading Zone Conversion Map ..................................................................... 44

Exhibit 5-26: Parking Space Dimension Summary ............................................................ 45

Exhibit 5-27: Parallel Parking Space Dimensions .............................................................. 45

Exhibit 5-28: Maximum Walking Distance ......................................................................... 47

Exhibit 5-29: Walking Distance Targets ............................................................................. 48

Exhibit 5-30: Carlisle Street Garage Coverage .................................................................. 49

Exhibit 5-31: Ontario Street Garage Coverage .................................................................. 50

Exhibit 5-32: Landscape Buffer Provisions ........................................................................ 53

Exhibit 6-1: Parking Operating Fund Revenues and Expenditures ................................... 54

Exhibit 6-2: Current Parking Rate Structure ...................................................................... 55

Exhibit 6-3: Net Parking Surplus / Revenue Projections ................................................... 57

Exhibit 6-4: Monthly Parking Rates at Comparable Cities ................................................. 58

Exhibit 6-5: Hourly Parking Rates at Comparable Cities ................................................... 59

Exhibit 6-6: Free Parking Operations Comparison ............................................................ 59

Exhibit 6-7: Current Parking Enforcement Operations....................................................... 60

Exhibit 6-8: Overnight Parking Exceptions and Observed Demand .................................. 63

Exhibit 6-9: Parking Pay Structure Alternatives ................................................................. 67

Exhibit 6-10: On-street Permit Parking Conversion Map ................................................... 69

Exhibit 7-1: Existing Special Event Sign ............................................................................ 71

Exhibit 7-2: Proposed Special Events Zone ...................................................................... 72

Exhibit 7-3: Potential Special Event Price Structures ........................................................ 73

Exhibit 7-4: Special Events Impact Area ............................................................................ 77

Exhibit 8-1: Implementation Timetable .............................................................................. 82

List of Appendices

Appendix A: Project Initiation Meeting Minutes Appendix B: Initial Data Request Appendix C: Existing Conditions Memorandum (Final Version) Appendix D: Original Growth Methodology

IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT

DOWNTOWN PARKING STUDY


December 5, 2017 1

Executive Summary

The City of St. Catharines initiated the Downtown Parking Study with the objective of developing

a set of parking policies and strategies that supports the Garden City Plan, and builds upon the

existing parking system while:

Ensuring adequate future parking supply (parking utilization remains below 85% of

the maximum capacity);

Addressing stakeholder concerns;

Ensuring parking operations are financially sustainable;

Achieving the City’s reserve fund goals; and

Addressing special event needs.

Future parking operations are envisioned to be self-sufficient and sustainable. In other words,

the collected parking revenues are sufficient to fund all parking related operations, maintenance,

and capital costs while meeting the City’s reserve fund goals.

This report summarizes the study findings, issues and opportunities related to today’s parking

operations, and strategies and options for improving parking operations. Conclusions and

recommendations are proposed based on study findings, high level cost estimates are provided

for each recommendation, and a suggested implementation timetable is proposed.

Public and Stakeholder Consultation

The initial public and stakeholder consultation consisted of a Parking Advisory Committee

meeting and a public information centre (PIC). The intent was to provide the public and relevant

stakeholders with an opportunity to contribute their ideas, issues, and desired study outcomes.

A second meeting with the Parking Advisory Committee was held on December 6, 2016 to

present the study’s preliminary findings and recommendations. The committee was given an

opportunity to provide feedback regarding the recommendations which was used to adjust and

finalize the recommendations. Additionally, a second PIC was held on December 13, 2016 for a

similar purpose.

Parking Supply and Demand

Existing and Future Parking Demand

In general, there is sufficient available on- and off-street parking opportunities to meet the

existing parking demand. Considering the study area’s parking system, the maximum weekday,

weekend, and special event utilization was 60%, 32%, and 76%, respectively. Several on-street

segments and off-street lots may operate at or near capacity during various periods, however

there is sufficient parking supply within close proximity (240m – 360m) to accommodate the

excess demand. Considering these conclusions, efforts are recommended to be targeted

towards improving upon current parking operations instead of expanding the parking supply.

While the existing parking supply is sufficient to meet the current parking demand, the

Downtown core is anticipated to experience significant growth within the next 20 years. The City

of St. Catharines provided population and employment growth projections for two scenarios –

high growth and average growth. The data is divided between growth inside and outside of the

parking exemption zone. According to the City’s by-laws, new developments outside of the




December 5, 2017 2

exemption zone are required to provide on-site parking to accommodate the parking demand

generated by the development. However, new developments within the exemption zone are not

required to provide parking. In other words, depending on the development, the City’s parking

system may be relied on to accommodate all, or a portion of, the parking demand generated by

a new development within the exemption zone.

Based on the parking utilization surveys, there are currently 486 off-street and 202 on-street

parking spaces available within the exemption zone before the 85% effective capacity threshold

is exceeded. In the event the Average or High scenario population and employment growth is

realized, the current public parking supply in Zone 2 will not solely be able to accommodate the

projected growth.

St. Catharines is recommended to monitor the Downtown’s ongoing population and employment

changes and the resulting parking patterns. In the event the parking utilization is observed to

approach the 85% effective capacity threshold, St. Catharines is recommended to consider:

Implementing Transportation demand management (TDM) measures

(recommended regardless of the observed demand);

Adopting a shared parking policy; and

Constructing additional parking supply, such as adding two additional floors on the

Carlisle Street / Garden Park parking garage.

Transportation Demand Management

In order to promote the reduction of single-occupant vehicles (by promoting alternative modes of

transportation) and to help control the Downtown parking demand, various Transportation

Demand Management (TDM) measures are available to St. Catharines. These measures

include carpooling, cycling improvements, public and private transit improvements, carshare,

and requiring TDM plans for future large scale office, institutional, and residential developments.

Parking Technology

The existing on-street parking meters are dated and targeted for upgrade. Available

technologies include smart parking meters and pay and display machines. The chosen system is

recommended to have dynamic pricing capabilities and be compatible with the pay by phone

technology.

The Ontario Street garage payment system was also determined to be dated and in need of an

upgrade.

Parking wayfinding technologies have the potential to guide users to parking facilities that are

underutilized, which will help better distribute the overall parking demand. The Ontario Street

and Carlisle Street garages were observed to operate with the largest available capacity,

therefore it’s recommended that the wayfinding technology be used to promote the two garages.

The implementation of five dynamic wayfinding signs is recommended; these signs should be

located at the following major arterial entry points into the Downtown core:

Church Street and Ontario Street intersection;

Church Street and Geneva Street intersection;

St. Paul Street and Carlisle Street intersection;

St. Paul Street and Ontario Street intersection; and

St. Paul Street and Geneva Street intersection.




December 5, 2017 3

These dynamic wayfinding signs would provide directional information, real time parking

availability for the two garages, and parking price information.

Dedicated Loading Zones

Loading zones provide business owners with dedicated curbside space that’s reserved for

loading and unloading activities. Considering that loading zones are primarily used during

weekday business hours, there is an opportunity to better allocate the curbside space during

weekday evenings and weekends as on-street parking spaces. The loading zones targeted for

conversion and the number of on-street parking spaces gained are:

20 King Street (6m) = 1 space (accessible);

80 King Street (18m) = 3 spaces;

204 St Paul Street (25m) = 4 spaces;

209 St Paul Street (8m) = 1 space;

239 St Paul Street (6m) = 1 space (accessible);

6 James Street (8m) = 1 space (accessible);

9 James Street (10m) = 1 space;

Side of James Street (32m) = 5 spaces;

10 Summer Street (54m) = 9 spaces;

61 James Street (17m) = 2 spaces;

35 Queen Street (17m) = 2 spaces;

12 Queen Street (7m) = 1 space (accessible); and

43 Church Street (9m) = 1 space (accessible).

The City’s evening and weekend on-street parking supply could potentially be increased by 32

spaces through the loading zone conversion (including 5 accessible parking spaces).

It’s recommended that parking within loading zones be permitted during free parking operations

(weekday evenings and weekends). Note that if pay parking operations are implemented on

Saturdays, additional pay parking technology would be required.

With the objective of avoiding unforeseen negative impacts, consideration is recommended to

implementing time-of-day loading zone operations in a phased manner.

Accessible Parking Requirements

The City of St. Catharines By-laws do not require parking to be provided at developments

located within the Downtown core. Therefore, there is no minimum number of accessible parking

spaces required. To accommodate users with accessible needs, a valid accessible permit allows

the user to park in any pay parking space within the downtown parking system free of charge,

with the exception of the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street garages. Note that these users must

still adhere to other parking by-laws such as the maximum on-street time limit and the no

overnight parking between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM.

A proposed recommendation is the reduction of the on-street maximum parking limit from three

hours to two hours. The intent of this recommendation is to promote off-street parking facilities

for users who wish to park for longer periods of time, which will in turn increase the availability of

on-street parking spaces for short term users. However, in many cases, off-street parking

facilities (especially the parking garages), are not accessible friendly. Therefore, to




December 5, 2017 4

accommodate the needs of accessible parking users, it’s recommended that the existing three

hour on-street parking limit be maintained for parking users with accessible needs.

Parking Facility Design Guidelines

St. Catharines is recommended to include design considerations for lighting, pedestrian friendly

links, signage, and landscaping for parking facilities within the Downtown Urban Design

Guidelines. Improved lighting and security is recommended within and surrounding the Ontario

Street and Carlisle Street garages, based on public feedback and best practices.

Financial Model

Historical Parking Operating Fund

Over the past 10 years, the revenue / expense ratio has ranged between 0.95 (2014) and 1.20

(2010), with deficits in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. Overall, the parking operating fund

has experienced a net surplus of approximately $1,000,000 and an overall revenue / expense

ratio of 1.04. Excluding the Carlisle Street garage deficit, the City’s reserve fund is currently at

$675,402 (December 2017).

Parking Rate Structure

Based on a financial sustainability assessment of St. Catharines’ historical and future parking

operations, it is recommended that both hourly fees be increased by $0.25 and monthly permit

rates be increased by 10% every 5 years starting in 2018. These parking rate increases are

essentially in line with inflation. Additionally, the daily flat rate is recommended to be set

according to the hourly fee. Note that due to timing constraints, the parking rate structure

adjustments are anticipated to be implemented starting in 2019. The recommended parking rate

increases are considered in present day dollars.

By the 2036 horizon year, an annual net surplus of approximately $1,050,000 is anticipated to be

collected. This surplus could serve as a reserve fund for any unanticipated parking related costs

such as the structural rehabilitation of the Ontario Street garage or parking lot resurfacing.

Enforcement

In 2015, the parking enforcement operated at a deficit of approximately $90,000. While the intent

of enforcement should not be to generate additional revenue, recovering the cost of enforcement

through tickets issued is desirable.

In response to the overwhelming number of parking violations issued in recent years, St.

Catharines increased the fines associated with many violations in 2016. Based on preliminary

data, it’s anticipated that the revenues generated from parking violations will approximately be

equal to enforcement costs. Therefore, no changes to the current enforcement practices are

recommended.

Note that several recommendations proposed by this study, such as extending weekday pay

parking operations from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and the special event parking price structure, would

require increased enforcement.

Reduced Maximum Parking Time Limit

On-street parking is considered premium parking given its relatively small supply and its

proximity to trip destinations. On-street parking is therefore intended on serving short term

visitors of the Downtown core (less than 2 hours). With the objective of increasing turn over and

therefore the availability of premium parking spaces, St. Catharines is recommended to consider




December 5, 2017 5

reducing the maximum parking time limit from three hours to two hours for on-street pay parking.

The increased turn over would help dispel the public opinion that there is no available parking

within the Downtown core.

Pay parking users who wish to park for periods in excess of two hours are recommended to be

directed to the off-street parking facilities. The wayfinding technologies would aid in directing

drivers to the garages.

Extended Pay Parking Operations

Through the parking utilization surveys, it was observed that the Downtown parking system

experiences a second period of peak demand during the evening (when parking is free of

charge) which was comparable in magnitude to the daytime peak. Therefore consideration is

recommended for extending pay parking operations 9:00 PM.

The additional revenues associated with extending pay parking operations to 9:00 PM is

estimated to be $340,000 per year. Evening parking enforcement efforts are recommended to be

increased to 9:00 PM as well. A third parking officer is also recommended with enforcement

efforts concentrated on the commercial core. The additional enforcement costs are anticipated to

be exceeded by the potential revenue generated from three additional hours of pay parking

operations and from additional violations.

In addition to extending pay parking operations during weekday evenings, St. Catharines could

consider implementing pay parking operations on Saturdays. On-street parking demand within

the commercial core was observed to be higher than the weekday peak period. Based on the

observed parking demand, consideration is recommended for implementing pay parking

operations on Saturdays between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Saturday pay parking operations are

anticipated to generate approximately $200,000 additional revenues annually.

Increased Permit Sales

As observed during the parking utilization surveys, there is an opportunity to expand upon the

number of permits sold at several off-street permit lots. Considering the target utilization of 85%

and the observed peak weekday demand, the following number of additional vehicles can be

accommodated at the specified permit lots:

Race Street lot (Lot 2) = 2 vehicles (until 85% utilization is reached);

William Street lot (Lot 4) = 3 vehicles;

Riordon Street lot (Lot 7) = 50 vehicles;

Ontario Street garage (Lot 9) = 78 vehicles;

Carlisle Street garage above ground (Lot 10A) = 77 vehicles; and

Carlisle Street garage below ground (Lot 10B) = 20 vehicles.

It’s estimated that up to 300 additional permits can be sold and distributed accordingly between

the specified permit lots. To err on the side of caution, the sale of permits is recommended to be

increased in a phased manner (i.e.: only 25-50 permits to start at the Ontario Street garage), to

ensure that permits are not oversold.

On-Street Permit Parking Conversion

With the objective of further increasing the number of permits available, the conversion of

underutilized on-street pay parking spaces to permit parking spaces was assessed. The

assessment concluded that the following on-street parking spaces are underutilized and can be

converted into permit parking spaces:




December 5, 2017 6

William Street from St. Paul Street to Lake Street: The conversion would result in

17 additional permit spaces. Consider maintaining the four parking spaces closest

to St. Paul Street as pay parking spaces.

Queen Street from King Street to Lake Street: The conversion would result in 17

additional permit spaces. Consider maintaining the four parking spaces closest to

King Street and the space closest to Lake Street as pay parking spaces.

Court Street from Geneva Street to Centre Street: The conversion would result in

18 additional permit spaces.

Centre Street from Academy Street to Geneva Street: The conversion would result

in 13 additional permit spaces.

A total of 65 additional permit parking spaces could be generated.

Special Event Parking Policy

Special Event Price Structure

Considering the recent construction of the Meridian Centre and the FirstOntario Performing Arts

Centre, parking patterns within the Downtown core have drastically changed during scheduled

events. In response, St. Catharines has identified the need for a special events parking policy,

including a special event parking price structure, TDM measures, and increased enforcement.

Based on a review of several potential price structures, the following policies are recommended:

Designate a special events zone bound by Ontario Street to the west, King Street to

the north, Court Street to the east, and Highway 406 to the South;

Extend pay parking operations until 9:00 PM;

Implement a two hour maximum on-street time limit;

Charge $2.50 an hour on-street and a flat $5.00 fee off-street within the special

event zone; and

Maintain regular pay parking prices outside of the special event zone ($1.50 an

hour both on- and off-street).

Consideration is recommended for implementing special event TDM measures to help manage

the parking demand. Additionally, a fourth parking officer during special event periods is

recommended with enforcement efforts focused within the special event impact area.

High Level Costing and Implementation Timetable

High level cost estimates and a proposed implementation timetable for the recommendations is

presented in Executive Summary Exhibit 1. Considering the low costs and the potential for

quick implementation, the following recommendations are identified as “Quick Wins”:

Convert select loading zones to parking spaces on a time-of-day and day-of-week basis;

Reduce on-street maximum time limit from three hours to two (maintain the three hour on-

street limit for parking users with accessible needs);

Develop lighting, pedestrian friendly links, signage, and landscaping design guidelines for

parking facilities;

Sell additional off-street permits at underutilized parking lots; and

Convert underutilized pay parking spaces to permit spaces.




December 5, 2017 7

Executive Summary Exhibit 1: Implementation Timetable

Revenues 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2036 Comments

Annual Parking Revenues $2,844,622 $3,046,330 $3,077,940 $3,110,047 $3,142,654 $3,175,769 $3,384,641 $3,420,188 $3,456,270 $3,492,895 $3,530,067 $3,747,472 $3,787,200 $3,827,508 $4,317,736 According to the recommended parking price structure

Extended Weekday Pay Parking $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 Extend pay parking operations to 9:00 PM

Saturday Pay Parking $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 Implement pay parking operations between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM

Increased Permit Sales $125,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 Increase permit sales (50% in 2017 and remaining 50% in 2018)

On-street Permit Parking Conversion $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 Convert 65 on-street pay parking spaces to permit parking

Total Revenues $2,844,622 $3,296,330 $3,327,940 $3,360,047 $3,392,654 $3,425,769 $3,634,641 $3,670,188 $3,706,270 $3,742,895 $3,780,067 $3,997,472 $4,037,200 $4,077,508 $4,567,736

Expenses 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2036 Comments

Existing Expenses $2,846,452 $2,866,377 $2,886,441 $2,906,646 $2,926,993 $2,947,482 $2,968,114 $2,988,891 $3,009,813 $3,030,882 $3,052,098 $3,073,463 $3,094,977 $3,116,642 $3,272,602 0.7% Annual Increase

Improved TDM $25,000 Carpool system promotion, improved transit and additional carshare spaces

Improved Wayfinding $150,000 Five dynamic wayfinding signs

On-Street Pay and Display System $200,000 15 pay and display machines

Upgraded Ontario Street Garage System $600,000 8 pay on foot machines, 3 gates, feasibility study and operating software

Increased Weekday Enforcement $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 Additional officer and increase enforcement to 9:00 PM

Increased Saturday Enforcement $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 Two additional officers between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM

Parking Facility Design Guidelines $10,000 Lighting, pedestrian friendly links, signage, and landscaping

Expanded Pay by Phone System

Reduced On-Street Maximum Limit

Time-of-day Loading Zone Conversion

Total Expenses $2,846,452 $2,866,377 $3,271,441 $3,806,646 $3,076,993 $3,097,482 $3,118,114 $3,138,891 $3,159,813 $3,180,882 $3,202,098 $3,223,463 $3,244,977 $3,266,642 $3,422,602

SUMMARY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2036 TOTAL

Revenues $2,844,622 $3,296,330 $3,327,940 $3,360,047 $3,392,654 $3,425,769 $3,634,641 $3,670,188 $3,706,270 $3,742,895 $3,780,067 $3,997,472 $4,037,200 $4,077,508 $4,567,736

Total Expenses $2,846,452 $2,866,377 $3,271,441 $3,806,646 $3,076,993 $3,097,482 $3,118,114 $3,138,891 $3,159,813 $3,180,882 $3,202,098 $3,223,463 $3,244,977 $3,266,642 $3,422,602

Revenues - Expenses -$1,829 $429,953 $56,499 -$446,600 $315,661 $328,287 $516,527 $531,297 $546,457 $562,013 $577,969 $774,009 $792,223 $810,866 $1,145,134

Minimal costs associated with these recommendations




December 5, 2017 8

1 Introduction

St. Catharines is one of the twelve local area municipalities within the Regional Municipality of

Niagara, and is largest of these municipalities. As of 2011, the City had a population of

approximately 130,000 residents. St. Catharines is located is Southern Ontario along the

Niagara River, and is situated approximately 19 km from the Canada / United States of America

border.

The Provincial Growth Plan designates the majority of Downtown St. Catharines as an Urban

Growth Centre. The intent of this designation is to promote a vibrant and active public realm by

serving as a catalyst for investment from local and other upper tier government public services.

Given the designation, the City of St. Catharines has undergone significant growth in the past

several years and is projected to continue to grow into the foreseeable future. By 2031, the

Downtown core is anticipated to experience a combined population and employment growth of

approximately 76%. To meet new challenges and a changing commercial core, new approaches

to parking, transportation, and site design are needed. These new approaches must reflect the

changing dynamics with respect to automobile ownership, use and costs, and structural changes

in the delivery of parking services.

To help facilitate the commercial core’s anticipated growth, appropriate parking solutions are

required. To this end, the City of St. Catharines retained IBI Group to undertake the Downtown

Parking Study. This report summarizes the study findings, issues and opportunities related to

today’s parking operations, and strategies and options for improving parking operations.

1.1 Study Background and Objectives

The City of St. Catharines provides a mixture of short term (hourly and daily), and long term

parking (monthly permits). In addition to the municipally provided parking opportunities, there are

numerous privately owned parking lots available to the public. Parking opportunities are

available in the form of parking garages, off-street parking lots, and on-street parking. There are

29 off-street parking lots located within the Downtown study area: 15 are municipally owned

(including two parking garages) and 14 are privately owned. Note that the City of St. Catharines

recently procured the Raymond Street lot, which is operating as a municipally lot as of 2017. The

on-street parking capacity is composed of free and paid parking opportunities. In general, paid

parking spaces are located within or near the commercial core, while free on-street parking is

located within the surrounding residential areas. The Downtown core parking supply is

composed of an estimated 1,034 on-street parking spaces (564 paid and approximately 470

free), and approximately 2,877 off-street parking spaces (1,870 municipally owned, and 1,007

privately owned), for a total of approximately 3,911 parking spaces within the study area.

Generally, paid parking operations are in effect Monday to Friday between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM

(variable for some specific lots). Free parking is in effect after 6:00 PM on weekdays, and at all

times during Saturdays and Sundays. On-street parking is limited to a maximum of three hours

per visit, while users are able to purchase hourly parking or up to a daily maximum in the two

garages.










December 5, 2017 9




The study area is bound by Highway 406 to the south and west, Welland Avenue to the north,

and Tasker Street to the east. Exhibit 1-1 illustrates the Downtown study area as well as the

location of all off-street parking facilities, the designated on-street parking zones, bike racks, and

loading zones.

Exhibit 1-1: Downtown Study Area1

For the purposes of examining parking supply and demand, on-street parking spaces are

grouped into the following four zones:

Low density residential zone (Zone 1): bounded by Ontario Street to the east, and

the study area boundaries to the south, west, and north;

Commercial Core (Zone 2): bounded by Geneva Street to the east, the study area

boundary to the south, Ontario Street to the west, and Church Street to the north;

* Raymond Street Lot was procured by the City of St. Catharines is 2017 and is not displayed in Exhibit 1-1.




December 5, 2017 10

Northern mixed density residential (Zone 3): bounded by Geneva Street to the east,

Church Street to the south, Ontario Street to the west, and the study area boundary

to the north; and

Eastern mixed density residential (Zone 4): bounded by Geneva Street to the west,

and the study area boundaries to the north, east, and south.

1.2 Vision Statement

The goal of St. Catharines’ downtown parking system is to achieve a self-sufficient and

sustainable parking operation that meets the parking needs of a rapidly growing Downtown core,

while promoting alternative modes of transportation. A self-sufficient and sustainable parking

system is defined as an operation where revenues are sufficient to fund all parking related

operations, maintenance, and capital costs, and meet the City’s reserve fund goals. The

operational goal is not to maximize revenue, but rather to price parking rates at a point that

manages parking demand and meets the parking needs of all Downtown core users. In order to

preserve the “Garden City” image, minimizing large expanses of asphalt surface lots is an

important consideration.

This vision is achieved by taking stock of the existing parking operations, both utilization and

financial, and to estimate the future trends and usage.

1.3 Report Structure / Format

The Downtown Parking Study summarizes the findings of the existing conditions report,

identifies issues and opportunities related to existing parking operations, and recommends

strategies and options aimed at improving parking operations. The report is sub-divided into the

project’s seven primary tasks.

Project Scope: The intent of this task was to shape the project work plan.

Public and Stakeholder Consultation: This task was designed to provide the public and

relevant stakeholders an opportunity to provide their input and direction into the study.

Data Collection: All relevant data required for the successful completion of the Downtown

Parking Study was collected. This includes background documents, parking related data, and

parking utilization surveys.

Parking Supply and Demand: This task examined all parking operation aspects related to

supply and demand. The assessment included the existing supply and demand, future parking

needs, potential parking supply expansions (as needed), transportation demand measures,

parking technologies, parking standards and zoning by-laws, and design considerations for

lighting, signage, landscaping, and pedestrian friendly links to parking.

Financial Model: This task evaluates the current financial situation of the downtown parking

system, and provides recommendations aimed at achieving financially sustainable operations.

Consideration is given to the parking rates structure, cash-in-lieu of parking, enforcement, and

the parking management model.

Special Events Parking: This task focuses on the development of a special events parking

policy that can be employed during special event periods. The policy evaluates special event

parking rates, potential TDM measures aimed at mitigating the special event parking demand,

and increased enforcement during special event periods.

Conclusions and Recommendations: This section summarizes the conclusions and

recommendations developed during the previous tasks. High level cost estimates, and an

implementation timetable is generated for the various recommendations. Parties are identified to

champion the recommendations and “Quick Win” projects are identified.




December 5, 2017 11

2 Project Scope

2.1 Project Initiation and Parking Advisory Committee Meetings

The project initiation meeting was held on March 9, 2016 with the intent of introducing the City of

St. Catharines and IBI Group project teams and confirming the project’s scope and schedule.

Following the meeting, an initial data request was submitted for all relevant background

documents and any data necessary for the study’s successful completion. The project initiation

meeting minutes are provided in Appendix A.

The Parking Advisory Committee meeting was held on April 5, 2016 with the intent of introducing

the Committee to the project scope and objectives, and to provide the Committee with an

opportunity to contribute ideas, issues, and desired study outcomes.

2.2 Background Document Review

The background document review’s intent was to help establish the groundwork for the

Downtown Parking Study by examining the Downtown core’s parking history, and reviewing the

policies and guiding principles that the study’s recommendations must adhere to. All background

documents relevant to the Downtown Parking Study including the Garden City Plan (2014), and

City of St. Catharines Zoning Bylaws were reviewed. Based on the review, the following

conclusions were drawn:

The City of St. Catharines has a strong policy planning framework to help guide

parking related decisions.

The City of St. Catharines is dedicated to supporting alternatives modes of

transportation by balancing the development of cycling and walking infrastructure

with the infrastructure and needs of vehicles. This is aided by balancing the supply

to encourage active transportation.

Considering the recent construction of the Meridian Centre, and the Performing Arts

Centre, the evening parking patterns within the Downtown core have undergone

significant changes. A special events parking policy is needed to aid in the

appropriate management of special event parking.

Based on the Paradigm Downtown Parking Study (2006), and the Ad-Hoc

Downtown Parking Committee Analysis and Review Report (2014), adjustments to

the parking price structure are potentially required for the City of St. Catharines to

maintain sustainable parking operations while achieving their desired reserve fund

goals.

Many previous documents point to a shortage of long term (i.e. employee) parking.

However, since 2006, the Carlisle Street parking garage has been reconstructed

resulting in an additional 111 parking spaces largely for long term parking. The

Lower Level parking lot has been replaced with the Meridian Centre which resulted

in over 100 lost parking spaces.

Since the 2006 Paradigm Downtown Parking Study, there has been a number of

additional studies and ad hoc reports. However, these focus largely on specific

issues.

The current Downtown Parking Study represents an opportunity to tie together and

build upon the recommendations of previous plans and set out a forward looking

vision and action plan for downtown parking over the next 10-20 years.




December 5, 2017 12

3 Public and Stakeholder Consultation

The Downtown Parking Study seeks to balance the needs and objectives of the various

stakeholder groups, the general public, and the needs identified through the review of existing

parking operations. The Parking Advisory Committee was consulted during the Project Start-up

and Scoping task. Additionally, a public information centre (PIC) was held on June 9, 2016 to

provide the general public and relevant stakeholder groups an opportunity to contribute their

ideas, issues, and desired study outcomes. As illustrated in Exhibit 3-1, poster boards were

prepared illustrating the PIC topic were prepared.

Exhibit 3-1: Public Information Centre

Some of the common discussion points from the PIC were:

There is a need for additional long term parking (permits). St. Catharines could

consider converting select on-street parking locations to monthly permit parking;

Existing parking meters have been observed to fail on a regular basis. St.

Catharines staff have confirmed the existing parking meters are dated and targeted

for upgrades in the near future;

Parking is perceived to be over enforced and punitive;

General public opinion is that the existing parking supply is not sufficient to meet

the current demand; and

Rescinding the overnight parking prohibitions is a desired study outcome for

residents living within the Downtown study area.




December 5, 2017 13

A second meeting with the Parking Advisory Committee was held on December 6, 2016 with the

intent of presenting the preliminary findings and recommendations. The committee was given an

opportunity to provide feedback regarding the study recommendations which was used to adjust

and finalize the recommendations. Additionally, a second PIC was held on December 13, 2016

for a similar purpose. The general public and relevant stakeholders were presented with the

study findings and recommendations, and were provided with an opportunity to provide

feedback.

Some common discussion points and feedback provided were:

Maintain or increase the existing three hour maximum parking limit for users with

accessible needs;

Business owners supported the maximum on-street parking time limit reduction;

There is concern that the Downtown parking supply is not sufficient to

accommodate the existing parking demand;

Concern raised regarding the following two recommendations:

Periodically increase parking prices; and

Extend weekday pay parking operations and implement pay parking on

Saturdays.

Safety and security concern expressed regarding the Ontario Street and Carlisle

Street garages; and

Consideration should be given to designating a large parking lot outside of the

Downtown core to special event goers and providing shuttle bus services between

the lot and the Downtown Core.

4 Data Collection

The data collection effort was composed of two primary tasks, background data collection and

the parking utilization surveys. Data was collected with the intent of answering key study

questions and providing a sound base for providing recommendations.

4.1 Background Data Collection

An initial data request was submitted to the City of St. Catharines for all relevant background

documents and any necessary data. The data request was sub-divided into the primary project

tasks described in Section 1.2, and is located in Appendix B.

4.2 Parking Inventory and Utilization Survey

A complete review of the study area’s existing parking utilization was undertaken for the

weekday, weekend, and special event periods. The parking counts captured hourly parking

demand and utilization for the entire Downtown study area, these counts were collected on the

following days:

March 24, 2016: special event at the Meridian Centre (surveyed by IBI Group);

April 13, 2016: special events at both the Meridian Centre and Performing Arts

Centre (surveyed by City of St. Catharines);

May 17, 2016: weekday market day (surveyed by City of St. Catharines);




December 5, 2017 14

May 19, 2016: weekday market day (surveyed by City of St. Catharines);

June 1, 2016: weekday non-market day (surveyed by City of St. Catharines); and

June 4, 2016: weekend day (surveyed by IBI Group).

Special event parking utilization surveys were limited to a smaller subsection of the overall study

area, specifically the area within close proximity to the Meridian Centre and Performing Arts

Centre. The generally accepted distance people are willing to walk to their destination after

finding available parking is approximately 300-500m, which supports the special event survey

area. Exhibit 4-1 illustrates the special event survey area.

Exhibit 4-1: Special Events Survey Area

Additionally, to determine the St. Catharines Farmers Market’s effect on parking demand, the

City of St. Catharines collected parking utilization data for the on- and off-street parking supply

within close proximity of the market on both a market day and a non-market day. The results

were discussed in detail in the Existing Conditions Memorandum, which is provided as

Appendix C.

Parking patterns are known to vary throughout the calendar year. For example, parking demand

may be slightly lower during the winter months due to heavy snow fall keeping people from

visiting the Downtown core. To determine the seasonal adjustment factor, the City of St.

Catharines provided weekly parking revenue data for 2015. The parking revenue collected

during the weeks the parking utilization surveys were compared to the 90th percentile parking

revenue. This is because parking systems are generally designed to accommodate the 85-90th




December 5, 2017 15

percentile peak annual parking demand. To estimate the seasonally adjusted parking demand,

the collected parking demand data was multiplied by the appropriate factor. Note that the special

event parking demand data was not adjusted seasonally since the Meridian Centre and

Performing Arts Centre were hosting near capacity events.

5 Parking Supply and Demand

This task is intended to examine all parking operation aspects related to supply and demand.

The assessment includes the existing supply and demand, future parking needs, potential

parking supply expansions (as needed), transportation demand measures, parking technologies,

parking standards and zoning by-laws, and a best practices review.

5.1 Existing Supply and Demand

Existing parking patterns were evaluated using the collected parking inventory and utilization

data. Note that the recently procured Raymond Street lot was not included in the parking supply

and demand surveys or analysis. Parking systems are considered “effectively full” at an

occupancy of approximately 85%, depending on lot size and characteristics. This represents the

point where finding a space is challenging for drivers, resulting in an increased likelihood of a

driver having to search for an available parking space. Using the collected utilization data and

the 85% effective capacity threshold, IBI Group identified the locations where parking operates

near capacity, and where excess capacity is available. The review concluded the following:

Parking Inventory

The Downtown study area parking supply is comprised of 1,034 on-street parking

spaces, 1,870 off-street parking spaces (excluding Raymond Street Lot), and 1,007

privately owned off-street parking spaces, for a total of 3911 spaces.

The parking supply within the Downtown study area primarily consists of general

and accessible parking spaces. Additionally, several preferential carpool, CarShare,

and hybrid vehicle parking spaces are available in select locations. The City

provides bicycle parking at 10 locations (64 spaces), and 21 loading zones.

On-Street Parking

As a whole, the four designated on-street parking zones operated below effective

capacity (<85% utilization) during the weekday and weekend periods of peak

parking demand. Weekend parking demand was generally observed to be higher

than weekday demand.

Parking demand was observed to swiftly increase during the morning, reach a

plateau during the midday, and steadily decrease during the evening.

While specific on-street segments do operate near or at capacity, there was

sufficient available parking nearby to accommodate the excess demand.

Off-Street Parking

Similar to the on-street parking trends, off-street parking lots were observed to

increase during the morning, plateau during the midday, and decrease during the

evening. The weekday parking demand was observed to be higher than the

weekend during business hours, and were approximately equal during evenings.




December 5, 2017 16

Several lots throughout the study area were observed to operate above the

effective capacity threshold. However, there was sufficient available parking nearby

to accommodate the excess demand.

During the weekend, the lots in close proximity to Market Square were observed to

operate at capacity during the Farmers Market operating hours. There was

sufficient available parking capacity in the Carlisle Street garage (Lot 10A) to

accommodate the excess demand at all times. Considering the distance between

Market Square and the Carlisle Street garage (200m), the Carlisle Street garage is

considered within an acceptable walking distance of Market Square. Further details

on acceptable walking distances are provided in Section 5.7.2.

Special Events

The on-street parking system was observed to operate above the effective capacity

threshold (88%). Note that on-street parking demand outside of the special event

survey area is expected to be much lower.

On-street parking utilization steadily decreased as distance from the Meridian

Centre and Performing Art Centre increased.

The majority of off-street parking lots were observed to operate above the effective

capacity threshold. The notable exception was the Carlisle Street garage which

remained below 74% utilization at all times.

Parking System

Considering the study area’s parking system as a whole, the maximum weekday,

weekend, and special event utilization was 60%, 32%, and 76%, respectively. This

observation indicates that sufficient parking opportunities are available at all times.

The maximum weekday, weekend and special event parking utilizations are displayed

geographically in Exhibit 5-1, Exhibit 5-2, and Exhibit 5-3, respectively. On-street segments

that were observed to consistently operate above the 85% effective capacity threshold are

highlighted red. More detailed parking supply and demand results are presented in the Existing

Conditions Memorandum, which is located in Appendix C.




December 5, 2017 17

Exhibit 5-1: Map of Weekday Maximum Parking Utilization (11:00 AM to 12:00 PM)




December 5, 2017 18

Exhibit 5-2: Map of Weekend Maximum Parking Utilization (8:00 PM to 9:00 PM)




December 5, 2017 19

Exhibit 5-3: Map of Special Event Maximum Parking Utilization (8:00 PM to 9:00 PM)




December 5, 2017 20

5.2 Future Parking Needs


Downtown Core is forecasted to experience significant growth over the next 20 years (2016 to

2036). As previously discussed, the Downtown Core is designated as an Urban Growth Centre

by the Provincial Growth Plan (Places to Grow).

The adequacy of the parking supply was based on a targeted parking utilization of 85%.

During the initial submission of the Downtown Parking Study final report, the future parking

demand was projected using the population and employment growth projections obtained from

the Garden City Plan (0.6% per annum for a total of 12.7% growth within the 20 year horizon).

Refer to Appendix D for the original future demand assessment memorandum.

Through discussions with City staff, it was determined that the Garden City Plan growth

projections are under review and will be revised under the Region of Niagara’s Municipal

Comprehensive Review. The new growth projections have already been used in the Region’s

Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and will be used in the City’s TMP moving forward. To remain

consistent with other Niagara Region and St. Catharines studies, these new growth rates were

adopted for this study as well.

When assessing the future parking situation, the study area was divided into the four zones used

to assess the existing on-street parking demand (displayed in Exhibit 1-1).

5.2.1 Growth Projections

5.2.1.1 Provided Growth Projections

The City of St. Catharines provided updated population and employment growth projections for

two scenarios – high growth and average growth. The data is divided between growth inside and

outside of the parking exemption zone. According to the City’s by-laws, new developments

outside of the exemption zone are required to provide on-site parking to accommodate the

parking demand generated by the development. However, new developments within the

exemption zone are not required to provide parking. In other words, depending on the

development, the City’s parking system may be relied on to accommodate all, or a portion of, the

parking demand generated by a new development within the exemption zone. The new growth

projections were used to develop the long term study recommendations.

Note that population and employment projections were provided for two scenarios: Average

growth and High growth. Parking demand growth is projected under both scenarios.

5.2.1.2 Shared Parking

It should be noted that residential and employment land uses generate peak parking demand at

different times. Employment land uses traditionally experience peak parking demand during

weekday business hours while residential land uses peak weekday evenings and weekends. In

other words, peak parking demand is not anticipated to grow proportionally to population and

employment growth.

Based on the collected parking utilization data, St. Catharines experiences a peak parking

demand between 12:00 (noon) and 1:00 PM. Based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers

(ITE) Parking Management Report (August 2003), parking demand during the weekday daytime

period is typically 100% for office/commercial, and 60% for residential land uses.




December 5, 2017 21

5.2.1.3 Projected Parking Demand for Public Parking Facilities

Considering the provided population and employment growth projections, future modal split

changes (5% personal vehicle mode share reduction by 2036), and anticipated parking supply

changes, the following future parking demand is projected:

Average Growth Scenario:

Zone 1: 0% growth due to area being subject to Zoning By-law parking

requirements;

Zone 2: 33% growth;

Zone 3: 33% growth; and


requirements.

High Growth Scenario:


requirements;

Zone 2: 38% growth;

Zone 3: 38% growth; and


requirements.

The future parking situation on a Zone-by-Zone basis under the Average and High growth

scenarios is presented in Exhibit 5-4 and Exhibit 5-5, respectively.

Exhibit 5-4: Projected Peak Parking Situation (Average Growth Scenario)

Zone Type Supply Effective Supply

Projected Demand

Cumulative Surplus

1 Off-Street 154 131 63 68 On-Street 108 92 42 50

Total 262 223 105 118

2 Off-Street 2265 1925 2327 -128 On-Street 399 339 396 -9

Total 2664 2264 2723 -137


Total 823 700 427 317


Total 395 335 160 175 Total 4144 3522 3415 473




December 5, 2017 22

Exhibit 5-5: Projected Peak Parking Situation (High Growth Scenario)

Zone Type Supply Effective Supply

Projected Demand

Cumulative Surplus


Total 262 223 105 118

2 Off-Street 2265 1925 2327 -206 On-Street 399 339 396 -23

Total 2664 2264 2723 -229


Total 823 700 427 304


Total 395 335 160 175 Total 4144 3522 3415 368

It can be seen that, in both the Average and High growth scenarios, the current public parking

supply in Zone 2 will not solely be able to accommodate the projected growth.

5.2.2 Recommendations

This section explores high level strategies aimed at maintaining acceptable long term parking

operations within the Downtown Core.

St. Catharines is recommended to monitor the ongoing population and employment changes

within the Downtown Core to determine whether the projected growth is being achieved. The

resultant parking patterns are also recommended to be monitored to determine when the

Downtown parking system or a specific zone’s parking utilization (typically in larger lots) is

observed to approach the 85% effective capacity threshold. Yearly parking utilization surveys

should be conducted for the paid parking system (both public and private) to monitor the ongoing

parking situation.

As noted in the assessment of the potential demand for parking resulting from the growth

projections, the existing parking supply would not be sufficient to solely accommodate the

projected growth in Zone 2. In order to accommodate the projected growth in Zone 2, a

combination of traffic demand management (i.e. increased transit, cycling, walking, carpooling,

etc.), increasing the parking supply, and the provision of parking by private developments will

need to occur.

5.2.2.1 Transportation Demand Management

St. Catharines is recommended to implement TDM strategies regardless of observed parking

utilization. These strategies will help manage parking demand and achieve the alternative mode

of transportation goals set by the Garden City Plan.

TDM strategies can be used to reduce the single occupancy vehicle modal split, which is

anticipated to reduce parking demand. Potential TDM strategies include increased carpooling,

cycling infrastructure, improved transit service, and carshare. These strategies among others are

further investigated in Section 5.3. Based on the Niagara Region Transportation Master Plan

(pending approval), the single occupancy vehicle modal split is anticipated to reduce by

approximately 5% by 2036.

To provide an incentive for mixed use developments, the City could consider adopting a shared

parking policy.




December 5, 2017 23

5.2.2.2 Parking Supply Expansion

Currently the City has no plans to expand the existing municipal parking supply. However, there

is a possibility to add two additional floors to the Carlisle Street / Garden Park parking garage,

which would help alleviate the projected Zone 2 parking deficiency.

5.2.2.3 Growth Related Parking Expansion

The projected parking deficiencies in Zone 2 are based on the assumption that all the parking

generated by future growth will be accommodated by the current parking supply. While this is

possible, as the Zoning By-law exempts development in this area from having to provide

parking, it is unlikely. It is anticipated that additional private parking will be added that will reduce

the demand on the public parking system. However, given the variable nature of this, it’s not

prudent to try and estimate the lessening of the impact this may have on the public parking

system.

5.3 Transportation Demand Management

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) initiatives are used by municipalities to influence

travel behaviour. This improves transportation system efficiency and helps manage parking

demand by decreasing the volume of single-occupancy vehicles on the roads. These initiatives

can take many forms, including policies, programs, services and products to influence why,

when, where and how people travel.

In St. Catharines, TDM measures can be used to manage parking demand over the long-term,

while supporting mobility to, from, and within the Downtown core. The following sections outline

different approaches and opportunities that the City could consider implementing.

5.3.1 Carpooling

A carpool program is an effective way of meeting the needs of regular commuters when transit

and active modes are not a practical option, especially for commuters coming from rural areas or

other municipalities.

5.3.1.1 Context

The City currently operates four carpool spaces out of the Carlisle Street Garage. The spots are

available on a first-come-first-served basis for vehicles that are meeting the minimum number of

occupants. The spots are included on the City’s online downtown parking map. Note that the

City does not offer a carpool program and there is currently no method to determine whether a

vehicle parked in the designated carpool space meets the vehicle occupancy requirements.

Therefore, these carpool spaces are not enforceable.

The Carpool Incentive Programs Manual (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2005),

recommends four core components of an effective carpool program for employers and

municipalities. These include:

1. An Online carpool matching service

The Bridges Community Health Centre and the Town of Fort Erie operate the Niagara Ride

Share tool, an online ride share matching service. Prospective carpoolers enter their origin,

destination, departure and arrival time, and whether they prefer to be a driver or passenger. The

tool connects them others making a same or similar trip.

The tool is available to the public, employers can sign-up as well. Major worksites that have

signed up for the tool to-date include Brock University, Sitel, Fallsview Casino, Casino Niagara,




December 5, 2017 24

and the Region of Niagara. The two-year free pilot is supported by funding from the Region’s

Niagara Prosperity Initiative and Town of Fort Erie.

The City should consider formally joining the program, and promoting this tool to its employees

and other large workplaces in the downtown. Alternatively, the City could promote the Metrolinx

Smart Commute Tool.

2. Preferred carpool parking in parking lots

Many municipalities have begun to offer carpool parking in major facilities to entice carpooling to

work, including Calgary, Hamilton and Ajax (sample signage shown in Exhibit 5-6). These

reserved spaces are located in popular locations like near major entrances / exits and require

groups to register to receive a special decal or permit. They are most effective near office

employment uses which generate a large percentage of daytime peak trips.

Exhibit 5-6: Sample Carpool Parking and Signage

CITY OF HAMILTON (REBECCA ST LOT) SMART COMMUTE

HAMILTON

MOHAWK COLLEGE

As noted above, the Carlisle Street Garage currently includes four carpool spaces. Opportunities

exist to expand upon these spots to other large lots in the downtown area that are at or reaching

capacity during weekday times, such as the Market Square Lot or the Ontario Street garage.

These spaces could operate as reserved carpool spaces during specific times (e.g. 9:00 AM to

6:00 PM) and then reverting to general use spots outside of these times.

3. Marketing and promotion

Promoting the program to commuters will be importation to informing them of the existence of a

carpool program. Sample materials are shown in Exhibit 5-7. Effective approaches include:

Posters and information signs posted at or near the spots;

A dedicated webpage that is search-engine optimized for users;

A postcard or handout that can be shared with major employers and businesses in

the area; and

Internal communications with City staff who work in close proximity.




December 5, 2017 25

Exhibit 5-7: Carpool Parking Promotional Materials

CITY OF HAMILTON CARPOOL LAUNCH CALGARY PARKING AUTHORITY POSTER

4. Incentives and rewards

Direct or indirect financial incentives are a strong force to encouraging carpooling, especially in

areas where parking is not plentiful, free or low-cost. Possible incentives can include:

Reduced permit parking rates for carpoolers. Carpoolers must apply for a carpool

permit and only vehicles displaying this permit are permitted to park in the

designated carpool spaces. Operators typically require carpoolers to sign a

declaration outlining their agreement to carpool a certain number of days per week

(e.g. 3+ days in Hamilton). Many also set out program terms and conditions

disincentives that enable the operator to cancel permits, issue fines for misuse, or

lose all parking privileges if misuse is found (e.g. GO Transit Carpool to GO). If

regular monitoring is not practical, other operators have used a “submit misuse”

emails or online form where others can report vehicles they witness not meeting

program requirements. After a certain number of complaints, operators can review

a specific carpooler to determine if there is misuse;

Emergency parking day passes (e.g. 2 per month) for when carpoolers have to

travel separately;

An Emergency Ride Home program that reimburses registered carpoolers in case

of unexpected events that require a vehicle to deal with;

Monthly or quarterly giveaways (e.g. travel mugs, t-shirts, gift cards);

Special events like Carpool Week that promote the program and offer prizes for

new users. The Metrolinx-led Smart Commute initiative hosts an annual Carpool

Week in February that includes posters, postcards, announcements on GO trains

and eNews, and postings on MTO variable message signs; and

Coupon book for local restaurants and entertainment.

5.3.1.2 Opportunities

The City could consider:




December 5, 2017 26

Expanding the existing carpool parking program around the four core components

discussed above; and

Expanding the program to other municipal lots that are at or near capacity during

daytime hours.

5.3.2 Cycling

5.3.2.1 Existing and Planned Bikeways

A trip that is 5 kilometres or less in distance is considered to be “cycle-friendly” and can be made

in approximately 30 minutes. As shown in Exhibit 5-8, the Niagara Region’s Bikeways Master

Plan sets out a plan for a comprehensive cycling network within this distance from downtown2.

Currently, only some segments of this network have been implemented3. This can make it

challenging for interested cyclists who aren’t entirely comfortable riding in mixed traffic to travel

downtown.

The Downtown Creative Cluster Master Plan (2008) recommends developing a ‘Pedestrian and

Trails Master Plan’ to develop a hierarchy of routes, pedestrian connections, and on-road cycling

lanes to create safe connections to existing and routes. It would be recommended to develop a

formal plan, possibly as part of the City’s upcoming Transportation Master Plan study.

Exhibit 5-8: Planned and Existing Cycling Infrastructure (Niagara Bikeway Master Plan)

With a large number of residents, institutions, and jobs within a 5km distance of downtown,

providing a safe, connected, and year-round cycling network can help reduce vehicle and

parking travel demand to the Downtown core.

5.3.2.2 Bike Parking and Supporting Facilities

The provision of adequate, safe, and convenient bike parking and supporting facilities are

important to encourage cycling as a regular mode of transportation for residents, commuters,

2 The City of St. Catharines does not have a Cycling Master Plan. Bike lanes on local roadways, which are not included in the Region’s plan, have been included in Exhibit 5-8. 3 The preferred cycling network is being reviewed as part of the ongoing Niagara Region Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan.




December 5, 2017 27

and visitors. Like automobile parking, there is a need for both short-term bike parking for visitors

and long-term bike parking for residents and commuters.

Short-term bicycle parking, also known as Type 2, is used for a few minutes to a few hours.

They are available for public use and typically located in an easily accessible location, such as

the entrance of the building. Some are sheltered, either by a building overhang or separate

shelter, to provide some protection from the weather. Exhibit 5-9 illustrates examples of short-

term bicycle parking.

Exhibit 5-9: Short-term Bike Parking

SHELTERED SHORT-TERM PARKING (AJAX) UNSHELTERED SHORT-TERM PARKING

(HAMILTON)

Within the study area, there are 10 short-term bicycle parking locations with a total capacity of

64 bikes, mostly located along King Street and St Paul Street. Zoning By-Law S. 3.15 (2013)

requires short-term bike parking be included in new developments for employment, institutional,

major transit station, and apartments buildings; a progressive move for a city this size. Note that

the majority of downtown developments are exempt from these requirements. However, to

support the Garden City Plan objective of supporting alternative modes of transportation, it’s

recommended that sufficient bicycle parking opportunities be provided downtown.

The City should also examine expanding short-term bike parking in downtown, particularly in the

core along King Street and St Paul Street east of James Street. This should include installing

covered and / or weather protected racks.

Long-term bike parking, also known as Type 1, provides an enhanced level of security for bikes

that are parked for longer periods of time. This type of parking includes controlled-access bike

cages, bike rooms, and bike lockers. Accessing this type of parking requires an individual to

“sign-up” for access with a key fob or access card. Some examples are shown in Exhibit 5-10.




December 5, 2017 28

Exhibit 5-10: Long-term Bike Parking Facilities

OUTDOOR BIKE CAGE

(HAMILTON)

INDOOR BIKE ROOM

(MINNEAPOLIS)

BIKE LOCKER (WINNIPEG)

It would be beneficial to examine incorporating a requirement for land uses such as Offices,

Apartment Buildings, Hospitals, and Major Transit Stations, where workers and residents will be

parking their bikes for long periods of time. Similarly, the City could show leadership by installing

a secure bike facility downtown for its employees and nearby commuters. A number of

municipalities have taken this approach, including the cities of Hamilton, Mississauga, Kitchener,

and Toronto.

Similarly, providing dedicated showers and changing facilities enables cyclist commuters to rinse

off and change out of their commuting gear before starting their day. The City should consider

requiring cyclist showers and change facilities in large office employment developments, and

could install them at all major City worksites.



Developing an expanded cycling network plan within and to downtown as part of

the upcoming Transportation Master Plan study;

Consider updating the Zoning By-Law to require long-term bicycle parking, cyclist

showers, and change facilities for large developments; and

Providing additional short-term public bike parking across downtown.

5.3.3 Public and Private Transit

5.3.3.1 Existing Service

The Downtown Bus Terminal is the central transit hub in St. Catharines and is served by a

combination of local and regional buses. The terminal is served by:

18 daytime routes operated by St. Catharines Transit. These routes primarily

operate from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays, roughly every 30 minutes.

11 evening and weekend routes operated by St. Catharines Transit. These routes

primarily operate every 30-60 minutes;

Six Niagara Region Transit routes that provide connections to Niagara Falls,

Thorold, and Welland. These routes operated Monday to Saturday on an hourly

schedule;

Coach Canada bus service to Toronto and Niagara Falls, operating every 60 – 90

minutes on weekdays and weekends; and




December 5, 2017 29

Greyhound bus service to Toronto, via Grimsby and Mississauga. There are three

inbound and two outbound trips each day.

Intra-regional GO Transit bus service is also provided to Fairview Mall, between the Burlington

GO Station and Niagara Falls. It takes approximately 15 minutes to travel to Fairview Mall by

bus from downtown.

Current St. Catharines Transit fares for adults, students and seniors are shown in Exhibit 5-11.

An adult monthly pass costs $92.00 while a monthly parking pass to a downtown lot ranges from

$50.00 to $95.00 (depending on the location) with an average cost of $72.50. To make transit a

financially competitive option against driving, it would be advisable to tie the monthly cost for a

parking pass to be equivalent to at least the cost of a monthly adult transit pass.

Exhibit 5-11: St. Catharines Transit Fares

Fare Medium Cost

Cash Fare $3.00

Adults

Prepaid Ride Card (10 trips) $26.00 - $2.60 / trip

Monthly Pass $92.00 / month

Seniors (65+)

Prepaid Ride Card (10 trips) $20.00 - $2.00 / trip

Adult Pass $57.00 / month

Students

Cash Fare - age 6 to grade 8 $2.50

Secondary & Elementary Prepaid Card (10 trips) $22.50 - $2.25 / trip

Secondary & Elementary Student Monthly Pass $62.00 / month

Post-Secondary Summer Semester Pass (May – August) $290.00 / 4 months - $72.50 / month


There are a number of opportunities related to transit that can be explored further:

To increase the number of permits available in the Ontario Street garage, the City

could consider providing City staff with free transit passes in lieu of free parking

passes;

Examine the feasibility of keeping monthly parking pass rates equal or greater than

a St. Catharines monthly adult transit pass; and

Work with Metrolinx to determine the feasibility of bringing a branch of the GO

Transit bus that connects Burlington Niagara Falls to the downtown bus terminal.

5.3.4 Electric Vehicles

While not directly reducing travel or parking demand, electric vehicles (EVs) have no emissions

compared to typical motorized vehicles. The lack of emissions can help support broader

sustainability and environmental goals by improving air quality in downtown and across the City.

They can also help attract short-term visitors who need to recharge and can enjoy local

amenities at the same time.

5.3.4.1 Existing Conditions

There are currently no public or private EV charging stations available in the study area. The

Carlisle Garage is equipped with the necessary infrastructure to support up to two EV charging

stations. The closest EV stations are currently located in three hotels near the Lake Street /

QEW area.




December 5, 2017 30

The City does provide preferential parking for Hybrid vehicles in the Carlisle Street Parking

Garage.



Installing one or more EV charging stations in the Carlisle Street Garage;

Promote the charging station on the primary resources for EV drivers such as the

CAA EV Charging Station Locator and Sun Country Highway EV Station online

maps (the go-to resources for EV owners in Canada); and

Promote the stations on public facing materials such as the parking website and

online parking lot map.

5.3.5 Carshare

Carsharing is a system which enables members to borrow vehicles for short periods of time (i.e.

hours rather than days). They fill a gap within the transportation network by helping individuals

meet their daily needs when other transportation options (e.g. transit, walking, cycling) are not

practical options for their trip. From a municipality’s perspective, carshare can enable residents

and local business owners to commute by sustainable modes while still having access to a

vehicle for quick personal or business trips during the day, especially in downtown areas.

5.3.5.1 Existing Conditions

There are currently two carshare providers operating in the St. Catharines area - Community

CarShare and ZipCar. ZipCar currently operates one vehicle at Brock University, while

Community CarShare has three vehicles around the city.

As illustrated in Exhibit 5-12, there are three carshare spots reserved in the Carlisle Street

Garage with another one reserved in the Market Square lot. Community CarShare has operated

one vehicle in both of these the lots since fall 2013. Based on media reports from the same time,

each vehicle supports approximately 30 members. The City of St. Catharines is a business

member of Community CarShare, which allows city staff to access the vehicles for corporate

use.




December 5, 2017 31

Exhibit 5-12: Carlisle Street Garage Community CarShare spaces



Including carshare vehicle locations on the city’s parking lot map;

Providing additional parking spaces for carshare vehicles as demand warrants; and

Continue promoting the Corporate CarShare program to staff in the downtown area.

5.3.6 TDM in New Developments

The way in which the City’s environment grows today will have a profound impact on how

residents, workers, and visitors will get around in the future. It is reasonable to assume that

much of the redevelopment will take place on many of the private and public lots that make up

today’s supply. While some parking may be replaced, it will be important for these new projects

to be constructed to support all modes of transportation including walking, cycling, and transit.

Many municipalities are beginning to require large developments to demonstrate how they will

help minimize vehicle travel and parking demand, particularly in downtown areas. This can

include hard infrastructure (e.g. secure bike parking, cyclist facilities, and carpool parking

spaces) and soft infrastructure and services (e.g. carshare vehicle one site, discounted transit

passes, and membership in a transportation management association like Smart Commute).

Municipalities that now have these types of requirements include the City of Kitchener, City of

Hamilton, Region of Waterloo, and Region of Halton.

Requirements for these plans are typically integrated into the development approvals process for

a municipality and their implementation is a condition of site approval. In Kitchener and

Waterloo, the requirement forms part of the transportation impact assessment while in Hamilton




December 5, 2017 32

it is a standalone memo. Hard infrastructure requirements are typically required to be shown on

site plan, thereby allowing the municipality to ensure they are included in the final development

prior to the issuing Certificate of Occupancy. Any soft infrastructure and services typically require

the proponent to submit signed contracts or agreements indicating that they will be provided by a

third party (e.g. carshare vehicle on site and bulk purchase of transit passes agreement from

local agency).

Typically, monitoring of the long-term effectiveness of TDM in new development requirements is

based on sampling sites where this was done and comparable control sites. No significant large

scale studies are known to have been done by an Ontario municipality to date as most

municipalities have only begun requiring this within the past 3 to 5 years.

The City of St. Catharines is recommended to consider requiring large scale office, institutional,

and residential developments to prepare TDM plans that demonstrate how they will support

reductions in single-occupant vehicle travel.

5.4 Improved Technology

Parking technology plays an important role in the parking experience of users. This section

provides a summary of existing on- and off-street parking technologies, identified issues, and

explores potential technologies aimed at mitigating the identified issues and providing a positive

user experience.

5.4.1 Existing Parking Technologies

In an attempt to optimize parking operations within the Downtown core through improved

technologies, the existing parking technologies need to be reviewed and the existing issues

identified. Currently, St. Catharines employs a variety of parking technologies within the

Downtown core including on-street parking meters, pay and display at off-street lots, and parking

management systems (parking gates, credit card / parking permit readers, and pay on foot

machines) at the Carlisle and Ontario Street garages. Further details regarding existing parking

technologies can be found in the Existing Conditions Memorandum located in Appendix C.

Through the review of existing technologies, discussions with the City of St. Catharines staff,

and the stakeholder and public consultation process, the following parking technology issues

and needs were identified:

Existing on-street parking meters are dated and in need of upgrade;

Existing meters only accept coins and tokens;

Drivers must return to their vehicles and purchase additional parking time if they

wish to extend their stay;

The existing Ontario Street garage parking management system is dated and

targeted for upgrade;

Current parking operations require labour intensive enforcement to maintain

compliance;

Minimal wayfinding technologies are deployed within the Downtown core to aid

drivers in finding available parking; and

The public perceives that there is a lack of available parking within the Downtown

core.

The following subsections explore various parking technologies available to the City of St.

Catharines aimed at addressing these identified issues and needs. Potential technologies




December 5, 2017 33

include dynamic wayfinding signs, parking website / phone app, pay on foot / exit, pay by phone,

and / or dynamic on-street parking meters.

5.4.2 Wayfinding Improvements

The parking utilization surveys concluded that the overall parking supply is sufficient to

accommodate the peak weekday and weekend parking demand. Additionally, the future needs

assessment concluded that the current parking supply is also sufficient to accommodate the

projected parking demand increases. While the overall parking supply is sufficient, the parking

demand analysis determined that several on-street and off-street parking facilities are operating

at or near capacity while other nearby parking facilities have excess supply. Therefore, it’s

recommended that instead of increasing the parking supply, efforts be directed towards

improving the efficiency of the current system and better distributing the parking demand.

Parking wayfinding technologies have the potential to guide users to parking facilities that are

underutilized, which will help better distribute the overall parking demand. Potential parking

strategies and technologies that could aid users in navigating the Downtown core’s parking

system include:

Improved wayfinding through static signage;

Variable message signs with wayfinding directions; and

Phone application / website displaying real time parking availability data.

There is little in the way of advanced parking guidance when approaching or within the

Downtown core. Recognizing this gap, the City has recently installed 28 pedestrian wayfinding

signs within the core, and vehicle wayfinding signs at key points along the Highways and

Regional Roads in close proximity to the Downtown core. Exhibit 5-13 illustrates the new

pedestrian wayfinding signs.

Exhibit 5-13: New Pedestrian Wayfinding Sign

To expand upon the City’s efforts, a wayfinding strategy could be implemented through either

static signage, or dynamic variable signage, or a combination of both. For the static signage

strategy, there are five fundamental parking sign types that increase drivers’ and pedestrians’

wayfinding experience, as described below:




December 5, 2017 34

Introduction: The first level of parking signage alerts drivers approaching the locations of the

parking lots. The signage should be distinct in both colour and size, and it can be characterized

by unique logos. The signs should display the names of the lots and perhaps who the intended

users are (permit holders or pay parking users). These signs are located on the street, and are

mounted on poles of standard heights.

Directional: Directional parking signage is distinct in colour, size and logo and directs drivers to

the parking areas. The signs are mounted on poles at standard heights, on the streets. A sample

directional sign with parking availability data shown is displayed in Exhibit 5-14.

Location: Parking location signage complements the directional parking signage. The signs

have arrows pointing to the parking lots. The signs are mounted on poles at standard heights

and located on-street.

Identification: Identification signage is placed at the entry of each parking lot. The name of the

parking area is identified and the type of parking available at the parking area is listed on the

signage. The identification signage is distinctive in colour and size, and it is located on a pole at

a lower height. An example is shown in Exhibit 5-15.

Pedestrian Wayfinding: Wayfinding signs are placed at the points of pedestrian entry / exit to

parking lots and structures. These types of signs are placed at locations easily found by a

pedestrian and are intended to help that person orient themselves to the Downtown core.

The qualities of good signage include the following aspects:

The appearance of all signage is consistent;

Use of common logos and colours;

Placement at or near eye level;

Use of reflective and durable material;

All five types used to guide motorist and pedestrian activity;

All primary entrances to the Downtown need to have introduction signage;

All parking areas need to have identification signage;

All major routes through the Downtown need to have directional and location

signage;

All pedestrian routes to and from major parking areas need to have wayfinding

signs;

The identification signs located at parking areas need to convey parking rates,

hours of operation, maximum durations, and validation availability; and

Usually have a lettering height of about 10 centimeters for urban streets (varies

according to traffic speed).




December 5, 2017 35

Exhibit 5-14: Sample Directional Signage

Exhibit 5-15: Static Wayfinding Sign - Identification

While improved static signage to parking facilities helps reduce parking related traffic

congestion, more powerful tools are available through smart parking management systems, or

dynamic wayfinding systems. The variable message signs are optimally located at entrances to

the Downtown core. These signs provide users with real time parking occupancy data allowing

them to target the underutilized lots, and with directional information to assist in wayfinding.

There are four main components in an advance parking information system:

Data Collection System for recording the number of cars entering and leaving

parking facilities;

Distribution System, including Variable Message Signs (VMS) capable of

displaying a set of static and variable messages, other traveller information

dissemination technologies, and information links to the parking facilities and

external systems;

Central System, typically located at a Control Centre, that processes data on

parking facility occupancy, controls the display of information on variable message

signs, and controls the other types of information distribution; and




December 5, 2017 36

Communications System to enable the transfer of information between the

parking facilities, the central system, and the distribution technologies.

These wayfinding and occupancy variable message signs are ideally followed up with additional

static directional signage at critical junctions within the Downtown to provide users with further

directional information.

Specific to St. Catharines, the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street garages were observed to

operate with the largest available capacity. Given that the focus of this wayfinding technology is

to increase the efficiency of existing parking operations, it’s recommended the wayfinding

technology be used to promote the two garages. Exhibit 5-16 illustrates five suggested locations

for dynamic wayfinding signs.

Exhibit 5-16: Suggested Dynamic Wayfinding Sign Locations

These signs would provide directions to the garages, display the number of parking spaces

currently available, and provide information regarding the price of parking. Based on research

conducted by IBI Group, each dynamic wayfinding sign is estimated to cost approximately

$25,000 to $30,000. The five recommended signs is anticipated to cost between $125,000 and




December 5, 2017 37

$150,000. Consideration is also recommended for installing a variable message sign capable of

displaying real time parking availability data at the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street garage

entrances.

To facilitate the signs, parking utilization data is required to be automatically collected. The

Carlisle Street garage currently has this capability. The Ontario Street garage currently does not

have this capability, however the garage’s management system is dated and targeted for

upgrade. It’s recommended that the selected system have the capability to automatically

collected utilization data.

In addition to dynamic wayfinding, the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street garage parking

availability could be displayed via a smart phone app or a website in real time. The smart phone

app and website portals are intended to compliment the variable message signs by providing

parking occupancy data prior to arriving on Downtown. Exhibit 5-17 shows a screenshot of

Seattle’s EPark website; the site displays real-time parking occupancy data as well as maps for

each parking structure. Given the potential distances commuters may be travelling, a smart

phone app or a website may not be practical for St. Catharines.

Exhibit 5-17: Screenshot from Seattle Municipal Parking Website

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/epark/

Oregon State University uses a smart phone app called Parker. The Parker Map makes it easy

for customers to find available parking via an interactive map showing both on-street and off-

street parking options. A screen shot is shown in Exhibit 5-18.




December 5, 2017 38

Exhibit 5-18: Screenshot of Parker App

If users click on the blue “P” icon, they can obtain detailed information regarding the lot and

available spaces will appear on the screen.

5.4.3 On-Street Payment Technology

Currently, St. Catharines uses Mackay parking meters for each of their on-street paid parking

stalls. Paid parking is predominantly concentrated within the commercial core, while on-street

parking in the residential areas is generally free. Exhibit 5-19 illustrates the current pay parking

meters deployed within the Downtown core.

Exhibit 5-19: Current Parking Meter

Through discussions with City staff, and considering the existing meters can only accept coin

and token payments, it was determined that the existing parking meters are dated and in need of




December 5, 2017 39

upgrade, in order to improve efficiency, user satisfaction, and the potential for dynamic pricing as

needed. As part of this study, smart parking meters, pay and display, and pay by phone are

evaluated as potential upgrade alternatives; Exhibit 5-20 presents the evaluation results.

Exhibit 5-20: Non-Permit Parking Review

Technology

Minimize

Equipment

Cost

User

Convenience

Minimize

Enforcement

Requirements

Enable

Utilization

Tracking

Enable

Segregation

of Users

Smart Parking Meters Low Medium Medium Low Low

Pay and Display Medium Medium Medium Low Low

Pay by Phone High High Medium High Low

Degree of Criteria Achievement

Low

Medium

High

It is recommended that, as a next step in the replacement of the existing parking meters, the City

undertake a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. This RFP should include a requirement for the

potential vendors to determine, through their assessment of the existing parking lots and on-

street spaces, the most advantageous technology solution for the City. This may include Pay

and Display, Smart Parking Meters, or a combination thereof.

Considering the current pay by phone pilot project, the pay by phone system does not require

additional capital costs. Instead, parking users pay a user convenience fee to Honkmobile on a

per transaction basis, additional details are provided in Section 5.4.4. All three payment systems

provide dynamic pricing capabilities which is required to facilitate the proposed Special Event

Parking Policy. Depending on the machine, parking rates can be updated remotely without the

need to manually change each machine on-site. The current enforcement practices are sufficient

to accommodate all three payment systems.

An added benefit of the pay and display system is that it facilitates the time-of-day loading zone

conversion to on-street parking spaces discussed in Section 5.5. Installing parking meters into

the loading zones could lead to confusion about whether parking is permitted and a potential for

user dissatisfaction. Note that additional pay parking technologies are only required should

Saturday pay parking operations be implemented.

A fully pay by phone system is not considered appropriate at this time since many users may not

have access to smart phones, therefore a hybrid solution would be required.

5.4.4 Pay by Phone

The City of St. Catharines has recent undertaken a 12 month pilot project for a pay by phone

parking system. The extent of the pilot project will be limited to the Market Square Lot (Lot 6) and

the on-street pay parking spaces in close proximity. The intent is not to replace the current

system, but to augment the existing methods of payment within the City’s municipal parking

system. This online system will allow customers to purchase and extend time. It is believed that

this may reduce costs in areas such as machine maintenance, paper receipts, and cash

collection. This in turn may allow staff more time to investigate parking initiatives or complaints.

Exhibit 5-21 provides a detailed breakdown of hourly parking costs for users of the pay by

phone system.




December 5, 2017 40

Exhibit 5-21: Proposed Pay by Phone Parking Rate

Period Hourly

Rate

Convenience Fee to

Honkmobile

Convenience Fee

to City Total Cost

1 hour $1.50 $0.25 $0.10 $1.85

An additional benefit from this new technology will be the ability to limit the maximum time for

high use on street parking, and provide more turnover downtown. As part of this pilot project, the

financial repercussions will be monitored.

In terms of enforcement, no additional officers are anticipated to be required to enforce the pay

by phone parking system. However, since parking meters, hang tags, parking receipt, or any

other visible proof of payment is not required, enforcement officers will require an electronic

device capable of running the parking application to verify whether the vehicle in question has

purchased time via their mobile device. Aside from periodic maintenance of the devices, and the

initial training of officers in the technology’s use, no additional enforcement costs are associated

with the pay by phone parking system.

A successful pilot project could pave the way for a more widespread implementation of pay by

phone in Downtown St. Catharines. As discussed in Section 5.4.3, the existing parking meters

are dated and targeted for upgrade. St. Catharines is recommended to implement a pay and

display system that is compatible with the pay by phone technology.

5.4.5 Pay on Exit / Foot

The pay on foot system requires users to accept a parking receipt while entering the parking lot.

The user may then proceed to their desired destination for any duration of time. When the users

are ready to exit the parking lot, they are required to pay for parking at a parking machine, which

validates their parking receipt. The payment requirement is automatically calculated by the

machine based on length of stay and the parking rates defined by the City. Users must then

input the validated parking receipt into the parking gate, which raises if payment has been made.

The pay on exit system is identical to the pay on foot system, except that users are required to

pay for parking at the gates instead of a parking machine. When comparing the two systems, the

pay on exit system could potentially result with excessive queues if many users attempt to exit

within a short period of time. However, the pay on foot system could result in a situation where a

user pays for parking, and then is prohibited from leaving the system if the grace period following

payments has been exceeded. An example of a pay on foot machine is shown in Exhibit 5-22.




December 5, 2017 41

Exhibit 5-22: Pay on Foot Payment Machine

Generic benefits of the pay on exit / foot approach include:

No active labour requirements (parking attendants);

Machines can operate 24 hours / day;

There are no requirements for enforcement; and

Systems can be tied back to revenue and occupancy tracking systems.

Specific to the Downtown core, pay on exit / foot is not considered practical at any of the off-

street parking lots due to small capacities, and the price associated with these technologies

resulting in excessive cost recovery periods. Pay on exit / foot was considered at the Market

Square Lot (lot 6) due to its relatively large capacity and high utilization during all periods.

However, it was ruled out due to the potential loss of parking spaces and the high number of

entry and exit points. These technologies also require a high level of maintenance to avoid

breakdowns.

5.5 Dedicated Loading Zones

This section discusses current loading zones operations, issues and opportunities associated

with current operations, and recommendations for addressing the identified issues.

Currently, the City of St. Catharines Zoning By-laws state that a commercial vehicle can occupy

a dedicated loading zone space while performing loading and unloading activities for a maximum

of 30 minutes. Exhibit 5-23 displays the existing loading zone signs currently deployed within

the Downtown core. There are 21 loading zones of various lengths (6m to 54m) spread

throughout the commercial core, the locations of which are illustrated in Exhibit 5-24.

.




December 5, 2017 42

Exhibit 5-23: Existing Loading Zone Sign

Exhibit 5-24: Downtown Loading Zones

Considering that loading zones are primarily used during weekday business hours, there is an

opportunity to better allocate the curbside space during weekday evenings and weekends.




December 5, 2017 43

Based on the parking utilization surveys, loading zones located along streets with high evening

on-street parking demand were identified. The number of on-street parking spaces each

identified loading zone could be converted into was estimated using the standard on-street

parking space length of 6.0m.

Public feedback received during the second PIC indicated that there is a deficiency of accessible

on-street parking spaces. The conversion of loading zones to parking spaces during weekday

evenings and weekends presents an opportunity to provide additional accessible parking

spaces. Based on size and location, several loading zones are recommended to operate as

accessible parking spaces during weekday evenings and weekends.

The following loading zones are recommended for weekday evening and weekend conversion:

20 King Street (6m) = 1 space (accessible);

80 King Street (18m) = 3 spaces;

204 St Paul Street (25m) = 4 spaces;

209 St Paul Street (8m) = 1 space (accessible);

239 St Paul Street (6m) = 1 space;

6 James Street (8m) = 1 space;

9 James Street (10m) = 1 space (accessible);

Side of James Street (32m) = 5 spaces;

10 Summer Street (54m) = 9 spaces;

61 James Street (17m) = 2 spaces;

35 Queen Street (17m) = 2 spaces;

12 Queen Street (7m) = 1 space (accessible); and

43 Church Street (9m) = 1 space (accessible).

The City’s weekday evening and weekend on-street parking supply could potentially increase by

32 spaces through the loading zone conversion, including 5 accessible parking spaces. It’s

recommended that parking within loading zones be permitted during free parking operations,

and to have the weekday start time align with whatever time free parking begins (currently 6:00

PM). These accessible parking spaces are recommended to be free of charge and can therefore

be converted after 6:00 PM regardless when free parking operations begin (i.e. if it is extended

from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM). Note that if Saturday pay parking operations are implemented,

additional pay parking technology would be required.

The following eight loading zones are recommended to remain in effect at all times:

4 Garden Park (16m);

11 Head Street (15m);

10 Market Street (16m);

8 Ontario Street (8m);

62 St Paul Street (9m);

75 St Paul Street (17m);

120 St Paul Street (12m); and

152 St Paul Street (20m).




December 5, 2017 44

Exhibit 5-25 illustrates the location of the loading zones targeted for conversion.

Exhibit 5-25: Loading Zone Conversion Map

With the objective of avoiding unforeseen negative impacts, consideration is recommended to

implementing time-of-day loading zone operations in a phased manner. Following the

implementation at a portion of the loading zones, operations are recommended to be monitored

prior to implementing time-of-day operations at the remaining loading zones.

A significant portion of downtown commercial and retail establishments are small businesses

that conduct loading and unloading operations using vehicles other than large commercial

vehicles. A complaint received during the public and stakeholder consultation process identified

the issue that small business owners are getting ticketed in loading zones even though they are

performing loading activities. To accommodate the loading needs of these business owners, the

City has adopted the policy that grants non-commercial vehicles permission to use the loading

zones as well. If an enforcement officers spots a non-commercial vehicle occupying a loading

zone with no loading or unloading activity observed, a 5 minute grace period is to be provided for

the owner to return to the vehicle and continue loading and unloading prior to a ticket being

issued.

For the purposes of eliminating the need for a subjective 5 minute grace period, it is

recommended that business owners be able to apply for a non-commercial vehicle loading




December 5, 2017 45

permit. This permit could be displayed on the front windshield or by a hanging tag and would

signify the parking officer that this vehicle is being used for loading and unloading activities and

should therefore be treated in a manner similar to a commercial vehicle. These permits, and

loading zones they are valid in, should be associated with an address in close proximity to the

loading zone, to reduce potential abuse of the permits.

5.6 Parking Standards and Zoning By-Laws

This section assesses the existing St. Catharines parking standards and Zoning By-laws,

discusses the best practices, and provides recommendations for improving upon the current

standards.

5.6.1 Parking Space Dimensions

Off-Street Parking

The Zoning By-law requires parking space dimensions to have a minimum stall width of 2.6 m

and a minimum stall length of 5.2 m. There are no specifications within the existing By-law for

aisle width requirements. A review of the parking space dimensions in 28 peer jurisdictions was

conducted to determine if St. Catharines standards are within an appropriate range. Based on

comparisons to peer jurisdictions, St. Catharines provides the smallest stall size in terms of

length and width and should not be reduced. Exhibit 5-26 presents a summary of the collected

parking space dimension data.

Exhibit 5-26: Parking Space Dimension Summary

Measure St. Catharines Summary of 28 Ontario Jurisdictions

Minimum Maximum Median

Width (m) 2.60 2.60 2.90 2.70

Length (m) 5.20 5.20 6.00 5.73

Given that St. Catharines parking space dimensions are at the low end of the range,

considerations should be given to adding a minimum aisle width to the standards. The adequacy

of width is dependent on aisle width.

On-Street (Parallel) Parking

While the existing St. Catharines By-laws do not define a requirement for parallel parking stall

size, minimum dimensions are specified by the City’s design standards. A review of parallel

parking provisions in four other jurisdictions was conducted to compare St Catharines’ design

standards. Exhibit 5-27 presents the review results.

Exhibit 5-27: Parallel Parking Space Dimensions

Item St. Catharines Mississauga Oakville Hamilton Toronto

Parallel Parking Provisions

Width = 2.5m

Length = 5.5m

Hatched area =

1.8m

Width = 2.6m Length = 6.7m



Width = 2.6 m Length = 6.7 m

When implementing new on-street parking spaces in St. Catharines, the spaces are required to

have a width of 2.5m and length of 5.5m with a 1.8m hatched area between two adjacent

spaces. Based on the review, the parking space width in St. Catharines is approximately equal

to the average of comparable municipalities. The parking space length is significantly less than

other municipalities, however St. Catharines requires a 1.8m hatched area between adjacent




December 5, 2017 46

parking spaces. The hatched area is intended to provide space for vehicles to maneuver into

and out of the parking spaces which is inherently provided by the longer requirements of other

municipalities.

The St. Catharines standards are preferred since the hatched area guarantees sufficient

maneuvering space for adjacent vehicles, while the exact vehicle position within the longer

parking spaces is up to the driver’s discretion. Therefore, potential problems could occur where

one vehicle has little to no room to maneuver when the two adjacent vehicles park too close to

the boundary. No changes to the current design standards are recommended.

5.6.2 Accessible Parking Requirements

The downtown parking system currently provides 76 parking spaces reserved for users with

accessible needs, 14 of which are located on-street. The remaining 58 accessible parking

spaces are spread between the municipal off-street parking facilities.

The City of St. Catharines By-laws do not require parking to be provided at developments

located within the Downtown core. Therefore, there is no minimum number of accessible parking

spaces required. To accommodate users with accessible needs, a valid accessible permit allows

the user to park in any pay parking space within the downtown parking system free of charge,

with the exception of the Ontario Street or Carlisle Street garages. Note that these users must

still adhere to other parking by-laws such as the maximum on-street time limit and the no

overnight parking between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM.

A proposed recommendation in Section 6.5.1 calls for a reduction of the on-street maximum

parking limit from three hours to two hours. The intent of this recommendation is to promote off-

street parking facilities for users who wish to park for longer periods of time, which will in turn

increase the availability of on-street parking spaces for short term users. However, in many

cases, off-street parking facilities (especially the parking garages), are not ideally located for

users with accessible needs. Therefore, to accommodate the needs of accessible parking users,

it’s recommended that the existing three hour on-street parking limit be maintained for parking

users with accessible needs.

5.6.3 Peer-to-peer Shared Parking

Peer-to-peer shared parking refers to individuals sharing their private parking spaces and

driveways with other members of the public who are looking for available parking. Peer-to-peer

shared parking has become more prevalent through the emergence of the shared-economy and

through mobile payment and supply-demand search pairing applications.

Recent advancements in mobile technology have stipulated the development of new private

services that leverages private parking supplies that are underutilized to address parking

demand. This is called the peer-to-peer parking market and several applications have gained

user popularity recently, such as Rover (http://roverparking.com/) and JustPark

(https://www.justpark.com/). These applications are used extensively in more urban contexts, but

are starting to become more popular in suburban areas, where paid parking has been

implemented as well.

This service can be effective at opening up private parking supplies that are underutilized, to

address the demands of the parking market. Although there are several benefits of these types

of services from a user’s perspective, the outcomes of the mass and unregulated use of these

services could result in unwanted traffic in residential neighbourhoods and unwanted competition

for publicly owned parking supply.

As these services push harder into the market, they will need to be studied further to understand

their net effects on the community and to realize the potential to partner with these services to




December 5, 2017 47

ultimately leverage their strengths. It is recommended that St. Catharines pursue further

research as needed, since the parking supply is generally adequate in the study area.

5.7 Best Practice Design Considerations

This section reviews best practices in parking administration and design, and provides

recommendations to better manage parking operations in the Downtown core. Best practices in

terms of snow removal, acceptable walking distances, parking facility lighting, pedestrian friendly

links, signage, and landscaping are reviewed. These best practices have been compiled from

the practices of other cities in southern Ontario, across Canada, the United States, and around

the world. Where already in-place, and overview of existing policy in St. Catharines is provided

for comparison.

5.7.1 Snow Removal

During snow removal activities, vehicles parked on-street within the Downtown core between

3:00 AM and 6:00 AM may be towed to a nearby municipal lot at the owner’s expense.

Additionally, within 24 hours of a snow event, snow covered vehicles with no evidence of moving

may be towed at the owners expense.

Most municipalities have mechanisms to ensure that parked vehicles do not interfere with winter

maintenance. In Toronto, dedicated snow routes are signed and emergency restrictions can be

activated for 72 hours at the discretion of staff. In Ottawa, these restrictions are automatically

enacted when the potential for more than 7 cm of snow is forecast. Further, many municipalities

have the ability to prohibit parking on a street-by-street basis to facilitate snow removal.

Temporary 12-hour parking prohibitions signs can be strategically deployed on affected streets

to facilitate snow removal.

To provide residents with temporary parking, the City of Ottawa and City of Montreal provide

residents with free parking at off-street parking stalls while snow removal operations are

underway. Therefore, best practices suggest that a “carrot and stick” approach, where

alternative parking opportunities are paired with prohibitions is appropriate in locations where

residential driveways (such as Downtown St. Catharines) are less common.

Free overnight parking at the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street garages is recommended to be

further promoted, since the parking spaces are mainly covered and no snow removal is required.

5.7.2 Acceptable Walking Distance

While the fear that having no parking immediately in front of an establishment may cause

customers an initial minor concern, research indicates that the distance travellers are willing to

park from their final destination varies depending on other factors such as type of establishment

and the type of parking facility. Research by Mary S. Smith, Thomas A. Butcher, and the Victoria

Transport Policy Institute, suggest the maximum walking distances presented in Exhibit 5-28 for

the corresponding land uses presented in Exhibit 5-29.

Exhibit 5-28: Maximum Walking Distance

Walking Environment LOS A LOS B LOS C LOS D

Climate Controlled 300 m 730 m 1150 m 1580 m

Outdoor / Covered 150 m 300 m 450 m 600 m

Outdoor / Uncovered 120 m 240 m 360 m 480 m

Through Surface Lot 100 m 210 m 320 m 420 m

Inside Parking Facility 90 m 180 m 270 m 360 m




December 5, 2017 48

Exhibit 5-29: Walking Distance Targets

Adjacent Minimal (LOS A or B) Median (LOS B or C) Long (LOS C or D)

People with disabilities Grocery stores General retail Airport parking

Deliveries and loading Residents Restaurant Major sport / cultural

event

Emergency services Medical clinics Employees Overflow parking

Convenience store Professional services Entertainment center

Religious institution

Land uses within the Downtown core primarily consist of general retail, restaurant, employees,

and entertainment centres. Considering Exhibit 5-28 and Exhibit 5-29, outdoor / uncovered

parking opportunities within 240 – 360 metres are considered acceptable in terms of walking

distance for these land uses.

The Carlisle Street garage was observed to operate under effective capacity (85% utilization) at

all times and the Ontario Street garage was under effective capacity at all times except during

the special event period. Considering these observations, an assessment of the area within

acceptable walking distance for the two garages was completed, and is presented in Exhibit

5-30 and Exhibit 5-31.




December 5, 2017 49

Exhibit 5-30: Carlisle Street Garage Coverage




December 5, 2017 50

Exhibit 5-31: Ontario Street Garage Coverage

As displayed in Exhibit 5-30 and Exhibit 5-31, nearly all of Zone 2 (Commercial core) is within a

level of service (LOS) B or C walking distance from the Ontario Street or Carlisle Street garage.

This observation indicates that the two garages are ideally located to serve the parking needs of

all commercial core land uses. The dynamic wayfinding technologies described in Section 5.4.2

can be used to promote the garage’s parking availability for use. Additionally, phasing the

implementation of parking price increases can further promote the use of the two garage.

Further research was completed to validate the acceptable walking distances proposed by the

Victoria Transport Policy Institute study. A public survey was completed as part of the Parkville

(British Columbia) Downtown Core Parking Study, and the responses suggest that an

acceptable walking distance between an available parking space and the destination is two to

three blocks. In general, city blocks tend to be approximately 100 meters in length. Therefore,

according to the Parksville study, the publically accepted walking distance ranges between 200

and 300 metres, which supports the findings of the Victoria Transportation Policy Institute study.




December 5, 2017 51

5.7.3 Lighting

There are no specific lighting requirements currently in the St. Catharines Zoning By-laws. The

Downtown Urban Design Guidelines and the Design Guidelines for General Commercial Uses in

Commercial Corridors provides some guidance on lighting design, but do not specifically

address parking lot applications.

A review of municipal parking guidelines show that both the City of Toronto and the City of

Vaughan have published parking lot design guidelines which address lighting. To ensure the

safety and visibility of pedestrians and vehicles in parking design, lighting is a key consideration

for parking design guidelines. Without any requirements, parking facilities may be provided with

scarce lighting that can leave users feeling unsafe.

With proper lighting, the visibility of vehicles, pedestrians, and obstructions is increased and the

likelihood of a collision is reduced. In addition, the efficiency of wayfinding and advisory signage

is increased, and the potential for crime and other unwanted activity is reduced. In cases where

parking is provided off-site, the need for good lighting is significantly heightened. Energy efficient

lighting and off-grid power generation should be used, where practical.

Consideration is recommended for adding lighting guidelines specific to parking facilities to the

Downtown Urban Design Guidelines. The following design considerations can be included:

Lighting be designed to be aesthetically integrated with the architecture, landscape,

and streetscape; and be designed to ensure no blind sports or hiding place are

created;

Lighting be appropriately scaled to its purpose to avoid “over lighting”;

Lighting be directed downward and inward to avoid light overspill on adjacent

properties;

To support the sustainable development, energy-efficient lighting be used;

Opportunities for off-grid power generation (e.g. solar) be incorporated; and

Pedestrian-scaled lighting, such as bollards or smaller scale pole fixtures, be

provided along pedestrian routes.

Specific to the City of St. Catharines, a comment received during the second Public Information

Centre was the lightning and safety issue associated with the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street

garages. With respect to the Ontario Street garage, the on-street lighting along Queen Street’s

western side adjacent to the garage could be improved, given that the two closest street lights

were observed to be located on the opposite side of the street and to the north and south of the

garage. Lighting within the garage could be improved to meet the above design considerations,

and a paid duty officer could patrol the garage overnight to increase safety.

On-street lighting appears sufficient along Carlisle Street; however, lighting improvements could

be made along Garden Park. Sufficient lighting immediately adjacent to the Carlisle Street

garage was observed; however, increased lighting could potentially be provided along Garden

Park as the street approaches St. Paul Street and King Street. Similar to the Ontario Street

garage, a paid duty officer could patrol greater areas overnight to increase safety.

5.7.4 Pedestrian Friendly Links to Parking

No specific pedestrian pathway requirements are present in the St. Catharines Zoning By-laws.

The Design Guidelines for General Commercial Uses in Commercial Corridors provides

guidance on minimum pedestrian walkway width and pedestrian circulation, but this document

was not intended for applications in the Downtown core.




December 5, 2017 52

Both the City of Vaughan and the City of Toronto address pedestrian connections to parking in

parking design guidelines. As outlined in these documents, vehicular and pedestrian circulation

is an essential component to parking facilities, as the planning of these can maximize the safety

of both movements. Parking facilities should be designed so that pedestrians have dedicated

pathways which cross vehicle travel paths infrequently and only at safe, visible crossings. Where

possible, these crossings should be elevated to increase visibility and provide a traffic calming

benefit. Vehicular circulation should be direct and continuous, and turn around spaces should be

provided to avoid unsafe movements.

Consideration is recommended for adding pedestrian pathway guidelines to the Downtown

Urban Design Guidelines. The following design considerations can be included:

Provide a safe and interconnected pedestrian network within and adjacent to

parking facilities that connect building entrances, parking spaces, public sidewalks,

transit stops, and other pedestrian destinations;

Provide at least one direct pedestrian route between the public sidewalk and every

main building entrance that is uninterrupted by surface parking and driveways;

Pathways be distinctly paved and barrier-free, well-lit, and include benches, bike

rings, and trash receptacles at nodal points;

Width and configuration of pedestrian routes consider anticipated pedestrian traffic

flow and the spatial requirements for accessories such as shopping carts, strollers,

bicycles, and mobility aids;

Where pedestrian routes cross street access driveways and other major drive

aisles, crossings be distinctly marked and sight lines be unobstructed; and

Main internal pedestrian routes be enhanced with 3.0 meter wide landscape areas

on one or both sides, where feasible. Deciduous tree canopy could be

complimented with low understory plantings to ensure an eye-level window and

promote safety through natural surveillance.

5.7.5 Signage

On-street parking stalls feature signage and pavement markings which conform to established

standards. However, a wide variety of signage and pavement markings are used in off-street

parking lots and garages. This is especially evident in the Meridian Lot (Lot 13) where signage

has been stated to be extremely confusing. There are 20 parking spaces that function as pay

and display during non-special event periods. However, due to the confusing signage, these

spaces remain underutilized. This pattern was confirmed during the parking utilization surveys

where the weekday and weekend parking demand was observed to peak at 2 and 6 vehicles,

respectively.

Some signs, particularly where enforcement is necessary, must adhere to establish standards.

“Parked in Fire Route” and “Parking in a Designated Accessible Space - No Permit” are two

Parking By-law conventions which require complying signs to enforce. Signs which direct the

flow of traffic and those which provide information on parking regulations, should be clear,

concise, easily readable at a glance, and consistent. Within large parking facilities, sections and

exits should be identifiable to promote easy pedestrian navigation to and from their vehicles.

Consideration is recommended for adding parking facility signage guidelines to the Downtown

Urban Design Guidelines. The following design considerations can be included:

Regulatory signage and pavement markings in parking facilities be consistent and

adhere to standards for roadway applications, where practical;

Advisory signage be clear, concise, easily readable at a glance, and consistent; and




December 5, 2017 53

Signs with large amounts of text be located such that they do not constitute a

hazard to vehicle traffic in motion.

5.7.6 Landscaping Design

To maintain the Garden City image, the City of St. Catharines requires that 10% of the total

parking area be landscaped for all parking facilities larger than 100 stalls, and that a landscape

buffer separate the parking area from adjacent lots. The size of the required buffer varies based

on the number of parking stalls and the adjacent land use, as presented in Exhibit 5-32.

Exhibit 5-32: Landscape Buffer Provisions

Lot Line Location Parking Facility

(5 to 20 spaces)

Parking Facility

(21 to 100 spaces)

Parking Facility

(>101 spaces)

Abutting a public road 3 m 3 m 6 m

Not abutting a public road - 3 m 3 m

Abutting a residential or

institutional zone 3 m 3 m 4 m

Abutting a green space

zone boundary line 3 m 3 m 3 m

The Design Guidelines for General Commercial Uses in Commercial Corridors provides

guidance on landscaping design, buffers, and tree canopy. However, this document was not

intended for application in the Downtown core.

Zoning By-laws are generally vague in terms of landscaping requirements, typically consisting of

buffer requirements at lot lines. However, dedicated parking lot design guidelines, like those

published by the City of Vaughan and City of Toronto, provide extensive guidance on

recommended design treatments.

Landscaping can be used to create an enjoyable user experience by providing shade and

colourful vegetation near pedestrian walkways. Permeable pavement materials can help mitigate

flood risk, improve water quality, and lesson the burden on storm water infrastructure. The

landscaping of a parking facility should be designed so that it does not cause any sight line

obstructions for drivers and pedestrians and at accesses. When designing a parking area, the

existing vegetation should be incorporated into the landscaping plan where possible, and

landscaping treatments should be distributed across the site.

Consideration is recommended for adding parking facility landscaping guidelines to the

Downtown Urban Design Guidelines. The following design considerations can be included:

Maximize and distribute landscaping throughout the site to soften and screen

parking lot edges, reinforce circulation routes, create a pleasant pedestrian realm,

and maximize shade and storm water benefits;

Use landscaping to screen parking lots from surrounding property while maintaining

sightlines and coordination with streetscape treatments;

Existing trees, vegetation, natural slopes, and soils should be integrated into the

overall landscape plan;

Design parking facilities to manage storm water flow in environmentally sensitive

ways;

The use of retaining walls should be limited, where possible;

Avoid planting invasive species near ravines and other natural areas and avoid

monocultures which can be susceptible to disease. Incorporate a variety of




December 5, 2017 54

deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs for year-round interest, texture, shape,

and seasonal colour; and

Provide continuous landscaped medians every 3 (or fewer) banks of parking, and

landscaped islands at the end of each parking row. A “bank” of parking consists of 2

parking rows and a drive aisle. Medians should have a landscaped area at least 3m

in width.

6 Financial Model

This section examines the financial state of the City of St. Catharines downtown parking system

and explores pricing structures and policies aimed at achieving financial sustainability. The

section first reviews revenue and expenditure trends for the Parking operating fund. The existing

parking rate structure is reviewed, and a few future rate scenarios and their implications on the

operating fund are discussed. The section then explores and assesses policy options including

cash-in-lieu of parking, increased enforcement, and possible changes to the current parking

management practices.

All figures presented within Section 6 are in current dollars.

6.1 Parking Operating Fund

Exhibit 6-1 shows the total revenues and expenditures of the City of St. Catharines parking

operating fund between 2006 and 2015.

Exhibit 6-1: Parking Operating Fund Revenues and Expenditures

$0

$500,000

$1,000,000

$1,500,000

$2,000,000

$2,500,000

$3,000,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Total Revenue Total Expenditure




December 5, 2017 55

2006-2015 Financial Summary

Year Total Revenue Total Expenditure Surplus / Deficit Revenue /

Expense Ratio

2006 $2,616,167.44 $2,644,553.54 -$28,386.10 0.99

2007 $2,546,362.33 $2,351,918.76 $194,443.57 1.08

2008 $2,634,528.00 $2,245,169.00 $389,359.00 1.17

2009 $2,580,268.00 $2,432,349.00 $147,919.00 1.06

2010 $2,417,581.08 $2,019,099.00 $398,482.08 1.20

2011 $2,550,942.94 $2,556,113.00 -$5,170.06 1.00

2012 $2,497,401.28 $2,585,352.05 -$87,950.77 0.97

2013 $2,465,826.84 $2,300,582.67 $165,244.17 1.07

2014 $2,610,016.94 $2,742,737.56 -$132,720.62 0.95

2015 $2,822,619.25 $2,826,664.85 -$4,045.60 1.00

Total $25,741,714.10 $24,704,539.43 $1,037,174.67 1.04

The revenue / expense ratio has ranged between 0.95 (2014) and 1.20 (2010), with deficits in

2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. Overall, the parking operating fund has experienced a net

surplus of approximately $1,000,000 and an overall revenue / expense ratio of 1.04 over the 10

year period. Excluding the Carlisle Street garage deficit, the City’s reserve fund is currently at

$675,402 (as of December 2017).

The principal and interest payments for the Carlisle Street Garage debenture amount to

approximately $625,000 annually and has contributed to an increase in the level of expenditure

since 2011. On average, total parking expenditures have increased at an annual rate of 0.7%

between 2006 and 2015.

6.2 Parking Rate Structure

Paid parking revenues (permits and hourly payments) account for the majority of the operating

fund revenues. As of 2015, approximately 75% of total revenues came from paid parking

revenues. The remaining 25% were based on revenues from parking violations and

miscellaneous revenues, including income from rents, and other sources. The current parking

rate structure is displayed in Exhibit 6-2.

Exhibit 6-2: Current Parking Rate Structure

Item 2016 Parking Rate

Hourly $1.50

Daily $12.00

Monthly (Min) $50.00

Monthly (Max) $95.00

Monthly (Garage) $81.50

Special Event $5.00 / $10.00

Most of the current rates were implemented in 2012.4 Compared to the previous rates, the

existing rates represent a $0.25 increase for hourly fees and roughly a 10% increase for monthly

garage rates.

4 In 2014, there were a change in some of the monthly parking rates and an introduction of the special event rate.




December 5, 2017 56

In order to test the financial sustainability of the existing rate structure as well as explore other

possible rate structures, the following 5 scenarios were developed:

Scenario 1: no change in hourly fees or monthly rates;

Scenario 2: a $0.25 increase in hourly fees and a 10% increase in monthly rates –

once in 2018;


every ten years starting 2018;


every five years starting 2018; and


every five years starting 2018.

Note that all parking rate increases are considered in present day dollars. An increase in the

price of parking will result in a decrease in the demand for parking. According to Canadian

Parking Association, the price elasticity of parking demand is generally in the order of -0.37,

meaning a 1% increase in the price of parking would result in a 0.37% decrease in the demand

for parking. With the assumed price and estimated demand, estimated parking rate revenues

can be calculated for each scenario.

Other revenues and expenditures were assumed to follow current trends. Revenues from

Parking Violations has grown at a rate of 2.0% between 2006 and 2015. Miscellaneous

revenues, including income from rents, and other sources, has declined at a rate of 3.6%

between 2010 and 2015. Total parking expenditures have grown at a rate of 0.7% between 2006

and 2015.

Exhibit 6-3 displays the estimated net revenues considering the five parking rate increase

scenarios.




December 5, 2017 57

Exhibit 6-3: Net Parking Surplus / Revenue Projections

All of the five scenarios are anticipated to result in a net surplus and therefore sustainable

financial operations.

The estimated annual net surplus in 2036 are:

Scenario 1 (no change): approximately $270,000 surplus;

Scenario 2 ($0.25 hourly fee & 10% monthly rate increase in 2018): approximately

$470,000 surplus;

Scenario 3 ($0.25 hourly fee & 10% monthly rate increase in 2018 and every 10

years): approximately $660,000 surplus;


years): approximately $1,050,000 surplus; and


years): approximately $1,570,000 surplus.

While the rate increase will result in revenues increases in all scenarios, it is anticipated to

minimize parking demand. Considering the parking demand / rate elasticity (-0.37), as the price

of parking increases, parking demand is anticipated to decrease. However, given the significant

growth projected for the Downtown core in the GCP, significant parking rate increases are

believed to be required before the parking demand growth is offset to the point that overall

parking demand is predicted to decrease. Considering the projected parking demand growth and

the parking demand / price elasticity, the following overall parking demand changes are

estimated to occur between 2016 and 2036:

-$400,000

-$200,000

$0

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

$1,400,000

$1,600,000

$1,800,000

2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030 2032 2034 2036

Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 4 Scenario 5




December 5, 2017 58

Scenario 1: 17.3% increase in both permits and hourly parking;

Scenario 2: 12.9% increase in permits and 10.0% increase in hourly parking;

Scenario 3: 8.8% increase in permits and 4.2% increase in hourly parking;

Scenario 4: 0.9% increase in permits and 4.7% decrease in hourly parking; and

Scenario 5: 6.7% decrease in permits and 18.9% decrease in hourly parking.

St. Catharines is recommended to adopt Scenario 4 as the long term parking price structure.

Scenario 4 includes a $0.25 increase in hourly fees and a 10% increase in monthly rates every

five years starting in 2018. These parking rate increases are essentially in line with inflation. The

daily flat rate is recommended to be set according to the hourly fee. Note that due to timing

constraints, the parking rate structure adjustments are anticipated to be implemented starting in

2019. The recommended parking rate increases are considered in present day dollars.

For comparison purposes, current parking rates of comparable local municipalities in Ontario

were reviewed. Exhibit 6-4 and Exhibit 6-5 show the monthly and hourly parking rates of

comparable municipalities, respectively.

Exhibit 6-4: Monthly Parking Rates at Comparable Cities

$-

$20.00

$40.00

$60.00

$80.00

$100.00

$120.00

$140.00

$160.00

$180.00

Mo

nth

ly P

erm

it P

rice




December 5, 2017 59

Exhibit 6-5: Hourly Parking Rates at Comparable Cities

The reviewed monthly rates ranged between $39.55 and $159.30, and the reviewed hourly rates

ranged between $0.75 and $3.15. Note that the first two hours of on-street parking within the

City of Guelph Downtown core is free followed by a rate of $2.00 per hour as shown in Exhibit

6-5. Based on a parking rate comparison, it can be concluded that the City of St. Catharines

monthly, daily, and hourly rates are fairly consistent with the average of comparable cities.

Exhibit 6-6 presents a comparison of the time-of-day free parking operations within cities

comparable with St. Catharines.

Exhibit 6-6: Free Parking Operations Comparison

City Comments

City of St. Catharines Free parking weekdays after 6:00 PM and weekends.

City of Barrie Free parking weekdays after 5:00 PM and weekends.

City of Cambridge Free parking for first two hours.

City of Guelph Free parking after 6:00 PM Monday to Saturday and on Sundays. Additionally, on-street is free for the first two hours during pay parking operations.

City of Kingston Free parking after 5:00 or 5:30 PM depending on location Mondays to Saturdays, and on Sundays.

City of Kitchener Free parking weekdays after 5:00 PM and weekends. Additionally, 390 on-street spaces dedicated to providing 2 hour free parking during pay parking operations.

City of Niagara Falls Free parking weekdays after 6:00 PM and weekends, unless otherwise specified.

City of Oshawa Free parking weekdays after 6:00 PM and weekends.

City of Thunder Bay Free parking weekdays after 6:00 PM and weekends.

City of Waterloo Free on-street parking for 1, 2, or 3 hours depending on the location. Parking lots are free after 5:00 or 6:00 PM depending on location, and weekends.

City of Windsor Free parking weekdays after 6:00 PM and weekends.

In general, free parking operations are in effect during weekday evenings and weekends. Pay

parking operations are in effect during Saturdays within the City of Kingston. Additionally,

$-

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December 5, 2017 60

Cambridge and Guelph provide free on-parking for the first two hours. On-street parking is free

in the City of Waterloo for the first 1 to 3 hours depending on the location.

6.3 Cash-in-Lieu of Parking

Cash-in-lieu of parking is used by many Canadian municipalities as a mechanism to address

parking supply management. It is used for a variety of reasons:

To facilitate development where providing parking is either too costly or difficult due

to site configuration;

As a parking management strategy, encouraging shared parking, discouraging car

use, encouraging short-term parking strategies, and encouraging and sometimes

funding transit;

To help intensify and re-urbanize Downtown cores (especially former surface lots);

To protect heritage buildings; and

To create a policy which gives property owners assurance that parking will be

available.

Cash-in-lieu of parking policies generally focus on a specific geographic area, often a downtown

or area that the municipality has targeted for intensification or redevelopment. These policies

require developers to pay cash as an alternative to providing the minimum number of parking

spaces required in the zoning by-law. Payments are determined by the municipality and are

established to offset the initial capital cost of constructing a new municipal parking facility.

Developers pay the funds in lieu of providing a pre-determined number of spots; this varies by

project, by-law and municipality. These funds are placed in a reserve fund, and are normally

used for the acquisition, improvement, and construction of municipally owned parking facilities.

The construction of municipal parking through cash-in-lieu funds allows a municipality to own the

parking downtown, and therefore help control the parking supply and support desired land uses.

Cash-in-lieu is most commonly used for office developments, but is also seen in some

municipalities for retail and residential buildings. Municipalities may build additional parking in

order to encourage a mix of uses in the downtown and support economic development policies.

Given that the City of St. Catharines Zoning By-law does not include minimum parking

requirements for land uses within the Downtown core, a cash-in-lieu of parking program is not

considered appropriate.

6.4 Parking Enforcement Review

6.4.1 Enforcement Financials

Currently, parking by-laws are enforced in time-of-day and day-of-week method, as displayed in

Exhibit 6-7.

Exhibit 6-7: Current Parking Enforcement Operations

Days Times Officers

on Duty

Monday to Friday (Daytime) 8:45 AM to 5:15 PM 6

Monday to Friday (Evening) 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM 2

Saturday and Sunday (Daytime) 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM 1

Saturday and Sunday (Evening) 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM 1




December 5, 2017 61

In 2015, the City collected $720,391.52 in parking violations at a cost of $812,696.17 for

enforcement services. This indicates that current enforcement operations do not recover its

costs (-$92,304.65). While the intent of enforcement should not be to generate additional

revenue, recovering the cost of enforcement through tickets issued is desirable.

A recent review of parking violations and the associated fines determined that the fines may not

be sufficient enough to dissuade illegal parking. The most common parking violation issued was

the Over Time Limit and Expired Parking Meter violation. Over 32,000 (125 per weekday) of

these violations were issued in 2015, representing approximately 81% of all violations. It’s

believed that many people were risking parking violations instead of paying for parking since

daily flat rate ($12.00) was equivalent to the received fine.

Based on the review findings and in response to the excessive number of parking violations

issued, the City of St. Catharines increased parking fines associated with many violations in

2015, including the Over Time Limit and Expired Parking Meter violations. The fines associated

with these two violations was increased from $12.00 to $20.00. Preliminary 2016 data indicates

a significant reduction in the number of Over Time Limit and Expired Parking Meter parking

violations issued. Between January and June, approximately 11,500 violations were issued.

Assuming these trends continue, Over Time Limit and Expired Parking Meter violations will be

reduced from 32,000 to 23,000, representing a 28% reduction in 2016 from 2015.

Given that parking enforcement was operating at a deficit, it’s important to considering the

financial implications associated with the fine increase. Prior to the fine increase, $391,572.00 in

revenue was attributed to the Over Time Limit and Expired Parking Meter violations. Assuming

the current 2016 trends continue, it’s anticipated that Over Time Limit and Expired Parking Meter

violations will generate $462,960.00 representing an increase of $71,388.00.

Considering that the fines associated with other parking violations were increased in 2015 as

well, it’s anticipated that the revenues generated from parking violations will approximately be

equal to enforcement costs. Therefore, no changes to the current enforcement operations are

recommended. However, St. Catharines is encouraged to monitor enforcement revenues and

violation type, and act accordingly to ensure the cost of parking enforcement is recovered

through tickets. In the event further adjustments are necessary, potential alternatives include:

Decrease the number of on-duty parking officers;

Increase the fines; or

Decrease the number of on-duty parking officers and increase fines.

Note that several recommendations proposed by this study, such as increasing weekday pay

parking operations from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and the special event parking price structure, would

require increased enforcement. The enforcement impacts associated with each recommendation

is assessed in its respective section.

6.4.2 Public and Stakeholder Consultation Feedback

Based on the public and stakeholder consultation process, it was determined that the public

perception of parking enforcement operations is that it is punitive. Several members of the public

stated officers were observed to wait for parking meters to expire and issue a ticket immediately.

Through discussions with City staff, it was determined that a five minute grace period is provided

once a parking meter expires or the vehicle remains parked over the time limit prior to a ticket

being issued. This practice is consistent with other municipalities and no changes are

recommended. If public complaints continue, St. Catharines is recommended to follow-up with

the parking officers to ensure the five minute grace period City policy is granted.




December 5, 2017 62

The pay by phone technology discussed in Section 5.4.3 will help mitigate the issue as it

provides people with the opportunity to purchase additional time without the need to return to

their vehicles. Additionally, people should be encouraged to park off-street when parking for

periods longer than two to three hours. As noted earlier, the parking garages are located within a

reasonable walking distance of the vast majority of the uses in the commercial core. The

dynamic wayfinding technology discussed in Section 5.4.2 will help drivers find available off-

street parking.

An additional concern voiced during the public and stakeholder consultation process was the

excessive number of parking violations issued. As discussed in Section 6.4.1, the City has

recently increased the fines associated with many of the parking violations. Preliminary 2016

data suggests that the number of Over Time Limit and Expired Parking Meter violations issued

will be reduced by approximately 28% when compared to 2015. These two violations accounted

for 81% of total 2015 parking violations.

6.5 Parking Management Model

The current on- and off-street parking management practices of the City of St. Catharines are

reviewed in this section. Additionally, issues and opportunities are identified and potential

solutions are recommended.

6.5.1 On-Street Parking Management

On-street parking is considered premium parking given its relatively small supply and its close

proximity to trip destinations. On-street parking is therefore intended to serve short term visitors

of the Downtown core (less than 2 hours).

Through discussions with St. Catharines staff, and the public and stakeholder consultation

process, the following issues and opportunities were identified relating to the current

management of on-street parking operations:

Overnight parking restrictions;

Maximum on-street pay parking limit (three hours); and

Weekday evening free parking operations.

The following sections examine the identified issues and opportunities in detail and provide

recommendations.

Overnight Parking Restrictions

Currently, free overnight parking is permitted at all Downtown off-street parking lots. Additionally,

free overnight parking is allowed everywhere on-street excluding several strategically selected

streets between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM. Note that parking is prohibited on all regional roads

between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM. The intent of the overnight parking prohibitions are to prevent

overnight parking in spaces immediately adjacent to commercial establishments as this could

potentially prevent patrons of these establishments from using these premium spaces during the

morning peak period. Exhibit 6-8 displays the locations where on-street pay parking is

prohibited. The 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM parking utilization is shown to illustrate the overnight parking

availability in all off-street lots and on-street zones.




December 5, 2017 63

Exhibit 6-8: Overnight Parking Exceptions and Observed Demand

As shown in Exhibit 6-8, many free parking opportunities are available both on-street, and at the

municipally owned off-street parking lots located immediately adjacent to the road segments

where on-street parking is prohibited.

Based on feedback received during the first public information centre (PIC), the general public

would prefer that the overnight prohibitions be rescinded. To accommodate this request, the

existing prohibitions were investigated in an attempt to identify road segments where the

prohibitions may not be required. In general, all prohibitions were found to be justified given that

commercial land uses exist immediately adjacent to or in close proximity. Therefore, the existing

prohibitions are recommended to be maintained. Following the completion of the Downtown

Parking Study, a more focused study examining the current overnight parking operations /

prohibitions is recommended, which could examine specific complaints and targeted areas.

To assist residents living within the Downtown core, residential parking permits are available at a

cost of $40 for a 12 month term. Permit holders are exempt from maximum hourly restrictions

when parked in a legal parking space, but are not exempt from time-of-day restrictions. For




December 5, 2017 64

example, between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, on-street parking is permitted along Yates Street but

for a maximum of two hours. The residential parking permit allows permit holders to exceed this

two hour parking limit.

Reduced Maximum Parking Time Limit

On-street parking is intended to serve short term visitors to the Downtown core. When

considering pay parking operations, on-street parking experiences the highest demand given

that these spaces are generally located immediately adjacent to or in close proximity to the

user’s intended destination.

With the objective of increasing turn over and therefore the availability of premium parking

spaces, St. Catharines is recommended to consider reducing the maximum parking time limit

from three hours to two hours for on-street pay parking. Two hours is recommended since it is

still sufficient time to leisurely complete typical short term activities such as enjoying a meal,

managing finances in a bank, or shopping. Additionally, the reduced maximum time limit aids

with the recommended Special Event Policy price structure discussed in Section 7.1. The

reduction would support local establishments since the parking spaces in close proximity would

experience higher turn over resulting in more business. Additionally, the increased turn over

would help dispel the public opinion that there is no available parking within the Downtown core.

Pay parking users who wish to park for periods in excess of two hours are recommended to be

directed to the off-street parking facilities. Visitors can park for a maximum of three hours at the

majority of off-street parking lots, and can park without a maximum limit at the Ontario Street and

Carlisle Street garages. The wayfinding technologies described in Section 5.4.2 would aid in

directing drivers to the garages.

A potential drawback associated with the reduced on-street maximum time limit is the potential

for a slight reduction in revenue. Given the increased turn over, there will be more periods where

a parking space remains empty and therefore losing potential revenue. However, given the

observed demand, the time before a new vehicle occupies an available on-street parking space

is anticipated to be minimal. Additionally, vehicles might overpay for the duration of time they are

actually in the parking space.

Extended Pay Parking Operations

Through the parking utilization surveys, it was observed that the Downtown pay parking system

experiences a second period of peak demand in addition to the traditional business peak. This

second peak occurred during the evening (when parking is free of charge) and was comparable

in magnitude to the daytime peak. Considering this observation, St. Catharines is recommended

to extend pay parking operations past the current 6:00 PM limit. Based on the utilization survey

results and the practices of other municipalities, this review considered extending pay parking

operations to either 8:00 PM or 9:00 PM.

The Canadian Parking Association (CPA) was consulted when considering the effect pay

parking has on parking demand. The CPA stated that the price elasticity of parking demand is

low. In other words, increasing pay parking prices or introducing pay parking does not have a

significant impact on parking demand. While no elasticity was provided for the introduction of

pay parking, it was stated that increasing the price of parking by 1% is anticipated to result in a

demand drop of approximately 0.37%. To remain conservative, it was assumed that the overall

parking demand will decrease by 40% with the introduction of pay parking.

Using the observed parking demand, a parking demand decrease of 40%, and the current $1.50

per hour price of parking, the additional revenues associated with extending pay parking

operations to both 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM were estimated.




December 5, 2017 65

Extend pay parking operations from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM = $225,000; and

Extend pay parking operations from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM = $340,000.

Note that the pay parking operations extension is recommended for both on- and off-street

parking. For the purposes of remaining conservative, it was assumed that the minimal parking

demand observed in the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street garages after 6:00 PM are either

permit holders or individuals who purchased daily parking passes. Therefore, no additional

revenue would be generated from the two garages.

When considering the two alternatives, extending pay parking operations to 9:00 PM is

preferred, since significant parking demand was still observed between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Pay parking until 9:00 PM also helps facilitate the recommended special event parking rates,

which is further discussed in Section 7.1. Additionally, the extra parking revenue would be

beneficial for funding the parking system’s operation and maintenance, and future capital costs

associated with upgrades.

Given the extension of pay parking operations, evening enforcement efforts are recommended

to be increased. Currently, there are only two active parking officers after 5:15 PM who remain

on duty until 8:00 PM. A third parking officer is recommended with enforcement efforts

concentrated on the commercial core. In the event that pay parking operations are extended to

9:00 PM, it’s recommended that enforcement also be extended to 9:00 PM. Considering the

additional parking officer, and an on duty extension until 9:00 PM, a total of six additional hours

will be worked by the three officers. Currently, parking enforcement in St. Catharines is

contracted out to Canadian Corps of Commissionaires for a five year period. Given that the

annual cost is lump sum, it’s difficult to estimate the additional cost associated with increased

evening enforcement. Considering the six additional hours of work per weekday, the additional

enforcement costs are anticipated to be exceeded by the potential revenue generated from three

additional hours of pay parking operations and from additional violations.

In addition to extending pay parking operations during weekday evenings, St. Catharines could

consider implementing pay parking operations on Saturdays. On-street parking demand within

the commercial core was observed to be higher than the weekday peak period. Weekend

parking demand was also higher in off-street parking lots that normally operate as pay parking

lots during the week.

The weekend parking demand was observed to increase during the morning, plateau around

11:00 AM, and remain consistently high past 11:00 PM. Therefore, Saturday pay parking

operations could be considered between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. The start time of paid parking

will provide a disincentive for overnight parkers, who might take up parking spaces for

businesses with Saturday morning hours. Given the observed parking demand, an assumed

parking demand reduction of 40%, and an hourly rate of $1.50, implementing pay parking

operations between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM is estimated to increase annual revenues by

approximately $200,000.

Pay parking operations during the Saturday daytime period is a growing trend across Canadian

municipalities including: Kingston, Guelph (first two hours are free), Windsor, Stratford, Victoria,

Oakville, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Edmonton (reduced Saturday rates).

Local commercial establishment owners usually have the perception that the availability of free

parking dictates where customers will direct their business. While the notion that the availability

of free parking dictates where customers wish to shop is commonly heard, research suggests

that this is not the case. As stated on an article entitled “The Value of Parking” on the Canadian

Parking Authority website, free parking is usually detrimental to retail since it leads to a decrease

in parking opportunities to customers. The article also states that shopping destination decisions

are typically based on factors such as retail supply and the shopping experience quality.

Additionally, a 2008 study of 2000 customers in outer areas of London, England showed that




December 5, 2017 66

only 6% cited the accessibility of parking as an important factor when deciding shopping

location. The most important factors were found to be the range of shops and the overall amount

of traffic.

When free parking is available, users are incentivized to park for as long as possible. This is

clearly illustrated by a 2011 study of parking supply and demand of the ByWard Market district in

the City of Ottawa. The study showed that parking stall turnover was twice as frequent during

times paid parking was in effect in comparison to free parking periods. With higher turnover,

parking users will be able to find an available parking space faster than during free parking

operations, resulting in a more positive parking experience. Considering businesses, the number

of new customers who can enter the area increases with higher turnover.

In 2011, the City of Seattle extended the hours of paid parking at parking metres from 6:00 PM

to 8:00 PM. A review of gross restaurant receipts from before and after the change revealed a

revenue increase between 2.2% and 8.7%, attributable to increased turnover caused by the

removal of free parking. Further, several medium sized cities in Canada extend pay parking into

the evening, including Burnaby (8:00 PM), and New Westminster (8:00 PM) and White Rock,

British Columbia (midnight during the peak tourist season and 10:00 PM during the off-peak

season). This illustrates that evening paid parking can support the prosperity of local business

districts.

In an attempt to increase vehicle turn over and continue supporting a flourishing commercial

core, St. Catharines should consider extending pay parking operations from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

on weekdays for both on- and off-street parking. Free parking operations would be maintained

after 9:00 PM on weekdays. Considering the observed 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM parking demand at

pay parking lots and on-street spaces, it’s predicted that extending parking operations to 9:00

PM could result in approximately $340,000 additional parking revenue generated annually. If

paid parking was implemented on a Saturday, annual revenues would be estimated at $200,000

annually. If both programs were implemented, an additional $540,000 could potentially be

generated by paid parking.

6.5.2 Potential Pay Parking Alternatives

Considering the feedback obtain during the second round of public and stakeholder consultation,

several potential alternatives regarding the parking pay structure changes were developed. The

four considered alternatives are presented in Exhibit 6-9.




December 5, 2017 67

Exhibit 6-9: Parking Pay Structure Alternatives

ALTERNATIVE PARKING PAY STRUCTURE DETAILS

Alternative 1

Extend weekday pay parking operations to 9:00 PM

Implement Saturday pay parking operations between 10:00 AM

and 5:00 PM

This is the preferred alternative

Alternative 2


Implement Saturday pay parking operations between 10:00 AM

and 5:00 PM.

Maintain free parking within the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street

garages after 6:00 PM on weekdays and on Saturdays

Alternative 3 Extend weekday pay parking operations to 9:00 PM

Maintain free parking on weekends

Alternative 4


Maintain free parking operations within the Ontario Street and

Carlisle Street garages after 6:00 PM

Maintain free parking on weekends

Alternative 1 is the preferred alternative.

6.5.3 Off-Street Parking Management

Through discussions with the City of St. Catharines staff it was determined that there is currently

a significant wait list for Downtown parking permits. In an attempt to cater to this excess

demand, two potential solutions for increasing the number of permits available are

recommended for consideration:

Increase permit sales at underutilized permit lots; and

Convert underutilized on-street pay parking spaces to permit spaces.

Similar to on-street pay parking, extending off-street pay parking operations during weekdays

and potentially implementing pay parking on Saturdays is recommended for consideration.

Increase Permit Sales

As observed during the parking utilization surveys, there is an opportunity to expand upon the

number of permits sold at the several off-street permit lots. Considering the target utilization of

85% and the observed peak weekday demand, the following off-street lots can accommodate

additional vehicles:

Race Street lot (Lot 2) = 2 vehicles (until 85% utilization is reached);

William Street lot (Lot 4) = 3 vehicles;

Riordon Street lot (Lot 7) = 50 vehicles;

Ontario Street garage (Lot 9) = 78 vehicles;

Carlisle Street garage above ground (Lot 10A) = 77 vehicles; and

Carlisle Street garage below ground (Lot 10B) = 20 vehicles.

In total, 230 additional permit vehicles can be accommodated before meeting the 85% utilization

target. Note that one additional permit sold does not necessarily result in one additional vehicle

in the parking lot at all times. Therefore it’s estimated that up to 300 additional permits can be




December 5, 2017 68

sold and distributed accordingly between the identified lots. To err on the side of caution, the

sale of permits is recommended to be increased in a phased manner (i.e.: only 25-50 permits to

start at the Ontario Street garage), to ensure that permits are not oversold. Following an

increase, it’s recommended that parking demand in the lots in question be monitored prior to

further increasing permit sales.

With increased permit sales, the utilization of the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street garages will

increase which may adversely affect the experience of transient vehicles. Pay parking users may

be dissuaded from using the garages since the remaining parking spaces are anticipated to be

more difficult to find and near the top of the garage. With the objective of avoiding this potential

negative effect, St. Catharines is recommended to consider reserving the ground floor for pay

parking users.

On-street Permit Parking Conversion

With the objective of further increasing the number of permits available, potentially converting

underutilized on-street pay parking spaces to permit parking spaces was assessed. The

assessment first identified underutilized on-street pay parking spaces that are in close proximity

to permit lots operating near or at capacity. Next, the identified on-street segments were

investigated on a case by case basis to ensure that converting the pay parking spaces to permit

spaces wouldn’t adversely affect the adjacent land uses. The assessment identified the following

segments where the City could considering converting the existing on-street pay parking spaces

to permit spaces:

William Street from St. Paul Street to Lake Street: The conversion would result in

17 additional permit spaces. Consider maintaining the four parking spaces closest

to St. Paul Street as pay parking since these spaces are adjacent to restaurants.

Queen Street from King Street to Lake Street: The conversion would result in 17

additional permit spaces. Consider maintaining the four parking spaces closest to

King Street as pay parking spaces since these spaces are adjacent to CIBC and

BMO buildings. Additionally the parking space closest to Lake Street could be

maintained as it’s currently serving a used book store that doesn’t seem to provide

dedicated parking.

Court Street from Geneva Street to Centre Street: The conversion would result in

18 additional permit spaces.

Centre Street from Academy Street to Geneva Street: The conversion would result

in 13 additional permit spaces.

Considering these recommendations, 65 additional permit parking spaces could be generated. If

these spaces are implemented, additional parking utilization surveys are recommended to

determine the potential change in parking patterns in the area. Exhibit 6-10 illustrates the

location of each on-street segment targeted for permit parking conversion.




December 5, 2017 69

Exhibit 6-10: On-street Permit Parking Conversion Map

Pay Parking Extension

Off-street pay parking operations are recommended to be extended to a time that matches the

proposed on-street extension.

6.5.4 Ad-Hoc Downtown Parking Committee Report (2014)

The Ad-Hoc Downtown Parking Committee report suggested the following three management

strategies for the City of St. Catharines:

Scenario 1: Creation of a Parking Authority / Commission similar to the Transit

Commission, which would have defined policy limitations and allow for flexibility in

service delivery.

Scenario 2: Assign parking management as the responsibility of an existing City

Department.

Scenario 3: Create a new position parking spokesperson position. This person

would be the point person in terms of parking management who would understand

the issues and lead parking decisions.

The study identified Scenario 1 was identified as the preferred alternative.




December 5, 2017 70

Many Canadian municipalities use parking authorities to manage their planning and delivery of

parking. When comparing the parking management practices of the 10 comparator

municipalities, only the City of Thunder Bay was determined to operate under a parking

authority.

Parking authorities are generally an arms-length corporation owned by the municipality, who

build, operate, and manage the public parking portfolio. They work to consolidate parking

services, managing off-street parking, and also often on-street parking.

These Authorities are self-financing, using revenues from parking fees to fund their operations.

Most are under the control of a Board generally with City Council representatives as members.

The Authority pays the municipality a dividend from revenues, every municipality calculates this

differently. The Authority is also responsible for the capital expenses required for parking

infrastructure and holds a reserve to address these expenses. The municipality generally holds

title to all properties managed by the Authority, and the Authority must pay property taxes.

Parking Authorities are useful in centralizing and providing professional management of parking.

Some critics are concerned that Parking Authorities are too autonomous, but for some

municipalities they have been the source of considerable revenue. Parking authorities can also

help facilitate redevelopment of older municipally owned surface lots, while negotiating to

replace existing parking spots. Based on our observations and discussions, including the parking

utilization and current financial model, it is not recommended to create an independent parking

authority. It is recommended to assign parking management to an existing City department

(Scenario 2 above). They are the most familiar with the issues, can easily resolve issues or

determine answers in-house, and the City’s parking model is currently in good financial shape.

7 Special Events Parking Policy

Considering the recent construction of the Meridian Centre and the FirstOntario Performing Arts

Centre, parking patterns within the Downtown core have drastically changed during scheduled

events. Based on the parking utilization surveys, the highest system wide parking demand

occurred during the special event period when both the Meridian Centre and Performing Arts

Centre were hosting at capacity events.

In response to these changes, the City of St. Catharines has identified the need for a special

events parking policy. This section examines special event parking rates, additional

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures that can be employed during special

event periods to help control the parking demand, and increased enforcement needs.

7.1 Special Event Parking Rates

Currently, flat parking rates are in effect at select parking lots in close proximity to the two

venues. Special event parking is:

$10.00 at the IceDogs Way lot (Lot 26);

$5.00 at the Race Street lot (Lot 2);

$5.00 at the Garden Park lot (Lot 5);

$5.00 at the Ontario Street garage (Lot 9);

$5.00 at the Carlisle Street garage (Lot 10A); and

$5.00 at the Head Street lot (Lot 11).




December 5, 2017 71

Exhibit 7-1 illustrates the existing signs used to identify lots with special event pricing.

Additionally, all publicly available parking spaces in the Meridian lot (Lot 13) are reserved free of

charge for individuals with accessible needs.

Exhibit 7-1: Existing Special Event Sign

Similar to St. Catharines, a number of municipalities charge a flat special event parking rate in

the evenings when special events such as concerts or sporting events are scheduled in the

Downtown core. Typically, these rates are in place at times when parking would otherwise be

free. A $5.00 flat rate is used in Guelph, Oshawa and Sudbury. Alternatively Kingston special

event flat rates vary based on distance from the venue ($3.00 to $5.00). These rates serve as a

TDM measure and encourage event-goers to choose alternative travel options where available.

Potential special event TDM measures St. Catharines could consider are examined in Section

7.2.

The following special event price structures are examined:

Alternative 1: Do nothing – parking would remain free after 6:00 PM and select off-

street lots would charge a flat $5.00 fee with the IceDogs Way Lot (Lot 26) being

$10.00.

Alternative 2: Extend pay parking operations to 8:00 PM, increase the on-street

hourly cost to $2.50, and charge a flat $5.00 special event fee off-street.

Alternative 3: Extend pay parking operations to 9:00 PM, increase the on-street

hourly cost to $2.50, implement 2 hour maximum limit, and charge a flat $5.00

special event fee off-street.

Alternative 4: Designate a special events zone where Alternative 3 can be

implemented; parking would cost $1.50 per hour on- and off-street outside of the

zone. The Special Events Zone would be bound by Ontario Street to the west, King

Street to the north, Court Street to the east, and Highway 406 to the South.

Alternative 5: Extend pay parking operations to 9:00 PM, implement 2 hour

maximum limit, maintain existing parking price structure, and charge a flat $5.00

special event fee at the Ontario Street and Carlisle Street garages and off-street

lots with no pay parking machines.

The proposed special events zone overlain with the maximum parking utilization during a special

event period is displayed in Exhibit 7-2.




December 5, 2017 72

Exhibit 7-2: Proposed Special Events Zone

Exhibit 7-3 examines the pros and cons associated with each alternative. Note that event goers

are assumed to arrive Downtown at 6:00 PM.




December 5, 2017 73

Exhibit 7-3: Potential Special Event Price Structures

Alternative Pros Cons

Alternative

1

Residents and drivers are used to this existing plan

Residents in favour of free parking opportunities

Encourages special event goers to occupy the free

on-street spaces

Business’ unhappy event goers occupy the premium

free parking spaces adjacent to their establishments

for the evening

No revenue generated from on-street parking spaces

Alternative

2

Additional revenue generated from on- and off-street

special event demand

Free parking available outside of commercial core

Encourages special event goers to occupy the on-

street spaces since these spaces are closer to the

venues and cost the same as off-street parking

Business’ unhappy event goers occupy the premium

parking spaces adjacent to their establishments for

the evening

Additional enforcement requirements

Dynamic pay parking technology required

Alternative

3




Two hour on-street parking incentivizes event goers to

park off-street which is where they are preferred to be

(frees up on-street supply)

More on-street parking opportunities for non-event goers

since event goers now park off-street (or risk a ticket)

Business’ benefit since event goers are not occupying the

premium parking spaces adjacent to their establishments

Non-event goers must pay increased special event

prices ($2.50 an hour) or park far from intended

destinations



Alternative

4

Non-event goers may park outside of the Special Event

Zone at regular prices ($1.50 an hour)













Complex special event pricing structure may lead to

confusion among parking users

Alternative

5


special event demand. All parking users benefit since

parking prices are not increased during special events










Less revenue generated since special event parking

prices are not implemented

Alternative 4 is the preferred approach since most of the desired outcomes are achieved: event

goers will park off-street as preferred, the on-street parking will remain available for non-event




December 5, 2017 74

goers, and additional revenue will be generated from the premium on- and off-street parking

spaces. Note that Alternative 4 is complimented by the recommended pay parking operations

increase to 9:00 PM and the two hour maximum on-street limit. If these recommendations are

implemented, regular pay parking operations would be maintained outside of the Special Event

Zone and additional revenue would be generated from increased parking prices within the zone.

A potential drawback associated with Alternative 4 is the increase in enforcement costs, these

costs are further assessed in Section 7.3. To facilitate the Alternative 4 price structure, dynamic

parking technologies are required. The existing on-street parking meters will require an upgrade

to either smart parking meters or pay and display. These technologies are further explored in

Section 5.4.3. While the complexity of Alternative 4’s parking price structure is required to

achieve all special event related goals, it is anticipated to result in the largest parking user

confusion.

7.2 Special Event Transportation Demand Management

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is a range of policies, programs, services, and

products that influence how, why, when and where individuals travel. By focusing on reducing

parking demand, St. Catharines can help meet the need of spectators attending events in the

downtown without negatively impacting surrounding businesses or residents.

Many large special event locations, such as stadiums and convention centres, leverage TDM

measures to help travellers reach their location, and manage parking demand and localized

congestion. As seen during the parking demand surveys discussed earlier in this report, the

peak system-wide occupancy during special events in St. Catharines was 73%, indicating that

there is existing capacity within the parking system. However, it would be proactive for the City

to begin implementing some TDM measures to support sustainable travel.

Given the moderate size of the Meridian Centre and Performing Arts Centre, the low effort and

mid-effort strategies are considered appropriate. . However, if the City wants to significantly

reduce the number of vehicles parking downtown, they could implement the high-effort

measures. The strategies listed below build on the strategies outlined in Section 5.3. The

appropriateness of the measures will depend on the scale and timing of each event.

7.2.1 Low Effort Strategies

Provide multi-modal information for getting downtown – Materials need to promote the

multiple travel options available to get to downtown venues including walking, cycling, transit,

carpooling, and parking. This information should be included on the City’s webpages for the

Meridian Centre and FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. This should include information on

automobile parking locations, cycling routes / racks, transit stops, ride matching options, and

links to where to find additional information on each topic.

The City should encourage the operators of both centres and the Ice Dogs to add multi-modal

information alongside the existing parking information available on their websites.

Spectator Ticketing Traveller Information – All ticket purchasers should be sent traveller

information approximately 3 to 7 days before the event. The information should link individuals to

trip planning resources so that they are aware of all the options available to them. This should

provide adequate time for individuals to begin to consider how they will travel to the event,

particularly for events such as concerts which may draw individuals from a larger catchment

area or attract local residents who do not regularly attend events at these venue.

Event Day Deals - Work with the Downtown Association members to encourage “event day

deals” to encourage spectators to arrive earlier for major events or when simultaneous events

are taking place. This will help support local businesses and reduce the traveller demand profile




December 5, 2017 75

for individuals arriving at the venue. These types of deals should be actively promoted in order to

create an “event day experience.”

At least one existing restaurant promotes a “Dinner and a Movie” for ticketholders to The Film

House at the Performing Arts Centre through the Downtown Association’s website. There may

be an opportunity to host a workshop with downtown restaurants to promote this idea and

provide ideas to market it to event goers.

Ride Matching Tools – Enabling residents and out of towners to carpool can increase the

efficiency of the roadway network and increase the average vehicle occupancy to the site.

Promoting a single-use ridesharing tool can help maximize the carrying efficiency of vehicles

originating from areas where other modes are not practical options. These tools enable users to

post a listing indicating they have extra seats in their vehicle or that they are looking for a ride.

The City should investigate leveraging existing tools, such as the Niagara Ride Share website or

Metrolinx’s Smart Commute Tool for one-off ridesharing for events.

7.2.2 Mid-Effort Strategies

Transit Ticket Integration - Allow free access to St. Catharines Transit for ticket holders for a

period of time before and after events (e.g. 2 hour). By including transit within a ticket, it reduces

the financial barrier to using transit when compared to parking. For instance, a family of four

paying the regular cash fare of $3.00 per ride would pay $24.00 roundtrip as opposed to the

current $5.00 special event parking rate. This approach would make use of existing services

provided by St. Catharines Transit, which is assumed to have additional capacity during off peak

periods. Some jurisdictions that use this approach, such as Ottawa, apply a ticket surcharge to

offset the cost of providing this service. Additionally, large events such as the 2015 Pan /

Parapan Am Games and the London 2012 Summer Olympics offered free transit with an event

ticket for that day. The feasibility of this approach would require further study with stakeholders

including the City, St. Catharines Transit and the facility operators.

Signed Pedestrian Routes – Special events tend to attract high concentrations of people at key

locations, such as bus stops / stations, major intersections, and venue entrances. It is important

to maintain traffic operations near these areas and in the transportation network leading to them.

The City should consider building on its successful Downtown Wayfinding signage by identifying

preferred pedestrian routes that have large capacity, are fully accessible and have signalized

crossings that would be appropriate to direct spectators along. Best practice usually indicates to

start these routes from 2 to 3 km away from the venue or at major destinations (e.g. parking

garage, bus station, activity areas) with additional signage at turns and major decision points.

This can help reduce pedestrian congestion, limit the number of mid-block crossings and could

help move pedestrians to major retail areas to increase foot traffic by local businesses.

Supporting Cycling – Cycling is a practical option for individual living within a 5 km radius of

the venue. As discussed in Section 5.3.2, cycling network expansion should aim to provide safe

links to the downtown and in particular, to / near major destinations such as the Meridian Centre

and FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

For the Meridian Centre, short-term bicycle parking exists at the main entrance to the facility.

However, due to the grade differential between the centre and the rest of downtown, cycling to

the main entrance can be difficult. It is suggested that additional short-term bicycle parking be

provided near the Rankin Gateway and William St pedestrian bridges. These racks should be

highly visible and not impede the pedestrian flow. Providing racks at these locations would also

help reduce cyclist-automobile conflicts in the immediate area of the Centre.

Develop a formal marketing plan for special event transportation – Building on the multi-

modal traveller information for getting downtown suggested within the ‘low effort’ strategies, the

City should develop a formal marketing plan and brand related to transportation for special




December 5, 2017 76

events. This can identify specific communication channels and materials that can promote the

existing options and help increase recognition for these measures. Ottawa has its “Game Day

Plan for Lansdowne” which developed a brand that is closely tied to the venue but still promotes

sustainable transportation. Their marketing plan included a video promoting the travel options

triggered by a large event (over 15,000 attendees), last mile signage, and an interactive trip

planning / mapping tool. Additionally, Toronto FC sends out emails to their subscribers, alerting

them to transit options, transit route closures or service changes, as well as road closures.

7.2.3 High-Effort Strategies

Enhanced Transit Service for Large Events – In partnership with St. Catharines Transit,

provided enhanced transit during larger special events. Currently, weekday and Saturday

services runs hourly from approximately 6:00 pm to 12:00 am and Sunday service ends by

8:00pm. These schedules can make it difficult to use transit to attend an event due to large

headways. During large events, the City could examine partnering with St. Catharines Transit to

provide increased frequencies or additional bus runs that coincide with the start or and end of

events. These efforts would need to be widely marketed and promoted.

Park and Ride Shuttles – Providing free, conveniently located satellite parking with dedicated

venue shuttles can be effective at reducing the number of automobiles parking downtown. The

availability of satellite parking will need to be well marketed and communicated to event-goers

through measures such as:

On the event’s, venue’s, City’s and St. Catharines Transit’s website;

A mobile app to promote temporary parking locations;

City or MTO variable message signs;

Wrapped buses; and,

Regular promotion at the venues including posters, announcements, and, outreach

events.

Shuttles will need to be quick and convenient, and either run frequently or operate on a fixed

schedule that is advertised in advance. They could be provided either by St. Catharines Transit

or by a private operator and should be fully accessible. A strong brand, such as the Special

Events Express or Ice Dogs Flyer, tied with a strong marketing campaign, would help grow

usage of the system. To deliver this type of service, some jurisdiction absorb the cost of

providing it internally (e.g. Hamilton) or apply a ticket surcharge (e.g. Ottawa).

The City of Hamilton and Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) operate the TiCats Express from three

park and ride facilities set up at malls to Tim Hortons Field for home games. Three shuttles are

provided before each game (the last arriving 30 minutes before the start of a game) and are free

to ticket holders. The strong brand has helped associate the shuttle with team. Similarly,

Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park has shuttles operating to 15 Park and Shuttle lots for events over a

15,000 person threshold.

Transportation Coordinator – A key component to reducing parking demand for downtown

special events, is the continued development and refined for a TDM program, including the

coordination, marketing and monitoring of services, and mode splits. The City should investigate

the feasibility of having a part-time Transportation Coordinator for Special Events or incorporate

this into an existing role. This could be in conjunction with the recommended parking

management structure in Section 6.5.4.

The coordinator could initially work with stakeholders to develop “Game Day” plans based on the

expected attendance of special events in the Downtown core (e.g. Light, Moderate, and Heavy)

that would trigger various measure being implemented such as Park and Ride Shuttles or




December 5, 2017 77

enhanced transit service. This role would be responsible for working with stakeholders to

implementing TDM strategies for special events, with a strong focus on marketing,

communications, and service provision. It could potentially be coupled with a wider TDM

Coordinator position within the City

7.3 Special Event Enforcement

Considering the significant demand observed during special event periods, St. Catharines is

recommended to consider an increase to its’ usual enforcement efforts. This assessment

assumes that pay parking operations have been extended to 9:00 PM, the two hour maximum

parking limit has been implemented, and that enforcement has been increased accordingly to

uphold the new parking operations. The increased enforcement associated with these

assumptions are discussed in Section 6.5.1.

The area anticipated to be impacted by special events is displayed in Exhibit 7-4; enforcement

efforts are recommended to be focused within this area. Minimal additional parking demand is

anticipated outside of the special events area.

Exhibit 7-4: Special Events Impact Area

With the pay parking operations increase discussed in Section 6.5.1, a third parking officer and

an extension to the hours enforced (9:00 PM) was recommended for consideration. Given that

parking demand is anticipated to be significantly higher during special event periods than during

regular evenings, consideration is recommended for a fourth parking officer. Special attention is

recommended for enforcing the two hour maximum limit of on-street parking.




December 5, 2017 78

During special event periods, a known issue is the lack of available parking spaces in the Library

Lot (Lot 1) for visitors of the St. Catharines Central Library since special event goers fill the lot. A

potential solution is to prohibit special event goers from parking at the Library Lot.

The Library Lot has a capacity of 81 parking spaces. Even if the entire lot was filled with special

event goers, these vehicles could alternatively be accommodated within the Carlisle Street

garage, which is located across the street and is closer to the PAC and Meridian Centre. The

Carlisle Garage’s maximum occupancy during the special event period was 407 vehicles (74%

utilization). With the additional 81 vehicles transferred from the Library Lot, the maximum

occupancy is expected to increase to 488 (88%). In order to free up the Library Lot for the

visitors and not the special event patrons, drivers parking at the Library Lot could be required to

verify that they are visiting the Central Library and enforcement is recommended to pay special

attention to ensure event goers are not parking within the Library Lot.

8 Conclusions and Recommendations










Future parking operations are envisioned to be self-sufficient and sustainable. In other words,

the collected parking revenues are sufficient to fund all parking related operations, maintenance,

and capital costs while meeting the City’s reserve fund goals.

This report summarizes the study findings, issues and opportunities related to today’s parking

operations, and strategies and options for improving parking operations. This section

summarizes the conclusions and recommendations drawn from the study findings, presents high

level cost estimates associated with the recommendations, and proposes a recommended

implementation timetable with an identification of “Quick Wins” projects.

8.1 Conclusions

The following conclusions are drawn:

In general, there is sufficient available on- and off-street parking opportunities to meet the

existing parking demand. Several on-street segments and off-street lots may operate at or

near capacity during various periods, however there is sufficient parking supply within

close proximity (240m – 360m) to accommodate the excess demand. Considering these

conclusions, efforts should be targeted towards improving upon current parking operations

instead of expanding the parking supply.


Downtown core is anticipated to experience significant growth within the next 20 years. In

the event the Average or High scenario population and employment growth is realized, the




December 5, 2017 79

current public parking supply in Zone 2 will not solely be able to accommodate the

projected growth.

In order to promote alternative modes of transportation and to help control the Downtown

parking demand, various TDM measures are available to St. Catharines including:

carpooling, cycling improvements, public and private transit improvements, carshare, and

requiring TDM plans for future large scale office, institutional, and residential

developments.

Over the past 10 years, the revenue / expense ratio has ranged between 0.95 (2014) and

1.20 (2010), with deficits in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. Overall, the parking

operating fund has experienced a net surplus of approximately $1,000,000 and an overall

revenue / expense ratio of 1.04 over the 10 year period.

Considering the recent fine increase associated with many parking violations, enforcement

is predicted to be revenue neutral for the 2016 year.

8.2 Recommendations

Based on the study findings and conclusions, consideration is recommended for the following:

Monitor the ongoing population and employment changes and the resulting parking

patterns. In the event the parking utilization is observed to approach the 85%

effective capacity threshold, St. Catharines is recommended to consider:

Implementing Transportation demand management (TDM) measures

(recommended regardless of the observed demand);

Adopting a shared parking policy; and

Constructing additional parking supply, such as adding two additional floors

on the Carlisle Street / Garden Park parking garage.

Improve upon existing TDM measures to promote alternative modes of transportation.

TDM measures recommended include promotion of a carpool matching system, improving

public transit (service frequency and reliability), and increasing the number of dedicated

carshare spaces.

Implement a wayfinding strategy including five dynamic wayfinding signs located at

strategic entry points into the Downtown core to promote the underutilized parking

garages.

As a next step in the replacement of the existing parking meters, the City is recommended

to undertake a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. This RFP should include a

requirement for the potential vendors to determine, through their assessment of the

existing parking lots and on-street spaces, the most advantageous technology solution for

the City.

Upgrade the parking management system at the Ontario Street garage.

Expand upon the current area supporting pay by phone technologies (given a successful

pilot project).

Convert select loading zones to parking spaces during periods of weekday evenings and

weekends. The time-of-day and day-of-week conversion is recommended to be

implemented in a phased manner to ensure no unintended consequences arise. Following

a partial implementation, operations are recommended to be monitored prior to

implementing time-of-day operations at the remaining recommended locations. Note,




December 5, 2017 80

additional parking technology is required if pay parking operations are implemented during

Saturdays.

Include design considerations for lighting, pedestrian friendly links, signage, and

landscaping for parking facilities within the Downtown Urban Design Guidelines.

Implement a parking price structure where hourly fees are increased by $0.25 and monthly

permits are increased by 10% every 5 years starting in 2018. Note that due to timing

constraints, the parking rate structure adjustments are anticipated to be implemented

starting in 2019. The recommended parking rate increases are considered in present day

dollars.

Maintain the existing overnight parking prohibitions. However, following the completion of

the Downtown Parking Study, a follow-up feasibility study is recommended to investigate

potentially rescinding the current overnight prohibitions.

Reduce the maximum on-street pay parking limit from three hours to two hours.

Maintain the existing three hour on-street limit for parking users with accessible needs.

Extend pay parking operations to 9:00 PM on weekdays. Consideration is recommended

for an additional parking officer with focus given to the Downtown core.

Implement pay parking operations during Saturdays between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

Consideration is recommended for two additional parking officers with focus given to the

Downtown core.

Increase permit sales at underutilized off-street permit parking lots. Based on the

observed parking utilization, it’s estimated that an additional 300 permits can be sold prior

to exceeding the 85% effective capacity threshold. Permits sales are recommended to be

increased in a phased manner to ensure that permits are not oversold.

Convert underutilized on-street pay parking spaces to permit parking spaces. Considering

the existing parking utilization, it’s estimated that 65 pay parking spaces can be converted

to permit parking spaces.

Implement a special events parking price structure with the following policies:

Designate a special events zone bound by Ontario Street to the west, King Street to

the north, Court Street to the east, and Highway 406 to the South;

Extend pay parking operations until 9:00 PM;

Implement a two hour maximum on-street time limit;

Charge $2.50 an hour on-street and a flat $5.00 fee off-street within the special

event zone; and

Maintain regular pay parking prices outside of the special event zone ($1.50 an hour

both on- and off-street).

Consider implementing special event TDM measures to help manage the parking demand.

Add a fourth parking officer during special event periods with enforcement efforts focused

within the special event impact area.

8.3 High Level Costing and Implementation Timetable

This section presents high level cost estimates and a proposed implementation timetable for the

recommendations presented in Section 8.2. The following recommendations are identified as

“Quick Wins” in 2017 or 2018:




December 5, 2017 81

Convert loading zones to parking spaces on a time-of-day and day-of-week basis;

Reduce on-street maximum time limit from three hours to two (maintain the three hour on-

street limit for parking users with accessible needs);

Develop lighting, pedestrian friendly links, signage, and landscaping design guidelines for

parking facilities;

Sell additional off-street permits at underutilized parking lots; and

Convert underutilized pay parking spaces to permit spaces.

The proposed implementation timetable is presented in Exhibit 8-1. Based on the high level cost

analysis parking operations within the study area is anticipated to operate with a net surplus in

all years except for revenue neutral operations in 2016. By the 2036 horizon year, an annual net

surplus of approximately $1,150,000 is anticipated to be collected. This surplus could serve as a

reserve fund for any unanticipated parking related costs such as the structural rehabilitation of

the Ontario Street garage or parking lot resurfacing.




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Exhibit 8-1: Implementation Timetable

Revenues 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2036 Comments

Annual Parking Revenues $2,844,622 $3,046,330 $3,077,940 $3,110,047 $3,142,654 $3,175,769 $3,384,641 $3,420,188 $3,456,270 $3,492,895 $3,530,067 $3,747,472 $3,787,200 $3,827,508 $4,317,736 According to the recommended parking price structure

Extended Weekday Pay Parking $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 $340,000 Extend pay parking operations to 9:00 PM

Saturday Pay Parking $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 $200,000 Implement pay parking operations between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM

Increased Permit Sales $125,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 Increase permit sales (50% in 2017 and remaining 50% in 2018)

On-street Permit Parking Conversion $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 Convert 65 on-street pay parking spaces to permit parking

Total Revenues $2,844,622 $3,296,330 $3,327,940 $3,360,047 $3,392,654 $3,425,769 $3,634,641 $3,670,188 $3,706,270 $3,742,895 $3,780,067 $3,997,472 $4,037,200 $4,077,508 $4,567,736

Expenses 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2036 Comments

Existing Expenses $2,846,452 $2,866,377 $2,886,441 $2,906,646 $2,926,993 $2,947,482 $2,968,114 $2,988,891 $3,009,813 $3,030,882 $3,052,098 $3,073,463 $3,094,977 $3,116,642 $3,272,602 0.7% Annual Increase

Improved TDM $25,000 Carpool system promotion, improved transit and additional carshare spaces

Improved Wayfinding $150,000 Five dynamic wayfinding signs

On-Street Pay and Display System $200,000 15 pay and display machines

Upgraded Ontario Street Garage System $600,000 8 pay on foot machines, 3 gates, feasibility study and operating software

Increased Weekday Enforcement $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 Additional officer and increase enforcement to 9:00 PM

Increased Saturday Enforcement $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 Two additional officers between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM

Parking Facility Design Guidelines $10,000 Lighting, pedestrian friendly links, signage, and landscaping

Expanded Pay by Phone System

Reduced On-Street Maximum Limit

Time-of-day Loading Zone Conversion

Total Expenses $2,846,452 $2,866,377 $3,271,441 $3,806,646 $3,076,993 $3,097,482 $3,118,114 $3,138,891 $3,159,813 $3,180,882 $3,202,098 $3,223,463 $3,244,977 $3,266,642 $3,422,602

SUMMARY 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2036 TOTAL

Revenues $2,844,622 $3,296,330 $3,327,940 $3,360,047 $3,392,654 $3,425,769 $3,634,641 $3,670,188 $3,706,270 $3,742,895 $3,780,067 $3,997,472 $4,037,200 $4,077,508 $4,567,736

Total Expenses $2,846,452 $2,866,377 $3,271,441 $3,806,646 $3,076,993 $3,097,482 $3,118,114 $3,138,891 $3,159,813 $3,180,882 $3,202,098 $3,223,463 $3,244,977 $3,266,642 $3,422,602

Revenues - Expenses -$1,829 $429,953 $56,499 -$446,600 $315,661 $328,287 $516,527 $531,297 $546,457 $562,013 $577,969 $774,009 $792,223 $810,866 $1,145,134

Minimal costs associated with these recommendations

Final Report...IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT DOWNTOWN PARKING STUDY Prepared for City of St. Catharines...

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