Unrestricted Pike/Pine parking spaces, you are doomed

A Capitol Hill endangered species is about to go extinct. Watch out, Pike/Pine parking spaces without 2-hour limit signs or fancy-pants electronic kiosks -- the Seattle Department of Transportation is coming for you.

Here's the SDOT Pike/Pine parking study that makes the case for annihilation. Among lots of wonky-fun charts and graphs, is this stat -- after 10 p.m., the unrestricted spaces reach 101% of capacity. The people of Pike/Pine are creative parkers. You can see it where that blue dot jumps up onto the little pink line.

Not only does the study prove the creativity of your parking abilities but you can also see what kind of citizens you are. This table shows the "compliance rate" for the various types of restricted parking in the area. When it comes to the pay stations, most of the time, people paid -- but you were a little more sneaky when parking above Broadway. You also mostly followed the rules posted on signs in the non-pay areas -- except below Broadway in the 2-hour zones. Good job, citizens.

The result of all this is that SDOT is revising parking rules in the Pike/Pine corridor and the unrestricted spaces are likely dead meat. But unrestricted parking isn't the only thing that could change. One option discussed at last week's Capitol Hill Community Council meeting was the possible extension of hours when pay station parking would be in effect. Meanwhile, SDOT also has new recommendations for the Residential Parking Zones across the city.

What is certain is the city is ready to make changes and is meeting with groups to discuss what comes next. To help them make good sense of things like how extended pay kiosk hours might mesh with changes to your RPZ in a resident friendly way, you should send in your thoughts or plan to attend the next community meeting with the SDOT reps:

Wednesday, October 1 Pine-Olive-Way-Harvard-Avenue Triangle Association (POWHat) Meeting 7pm, Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 1729 Harvard Ave

For comments regarding changes to Pike/Pine parking, contact allison.schwartz@seattle.gov. For the RPZ program, contact marycatherine.snyder@seattle.gov.