The same process that is transitioning Pike/Pine into a more regulated and hopefully more efficient parking environment is also underway around other areas of Capitol Hill’s core. The Seattle Department of Transportation began studying the streets around Broadway back in March to gather information for how best to manage parking in the area. By October, SDOT hopes to have a plan in place. Two key strategies officials are talking about: introducing both-side-of-street parking on a set of streets just west of Broadway and piloting a test of paid parking on Broadway after 6 PM.
The moves would increase available on-street parking to relieve pressure on existing spaces in the area that were often at — or over — capacity during the March study. The data tables for the study illustrate just how chock full parking spots on Capitol Hill can be with utilization ranging from between 64% in the 1-hour time limit spaces to 95% over the course of the day in the unrestricted zones.
When looking at SDOT’s numbers, remember they are aiming for moderate utilization around 70% and high compliance (a sign that people aren’t so pressured for parking that they feel they ned to cheat). Given those parameters, you can see the need for SDOT to twiddle a few knobs.
Here is a map of the streets SDOT monitored for its March observations:
There are also some holes in SDOT’s study methods:
- The study happened in March so includes seasonal factors
- The study mostly covered daylight hours so didn’t capture the nighttime situation where pretty much everything in this area seems to go to 100%+ utilization
- The study was done by consultants manually counting cars. SDOT’s Ruth Harper said that her department’s methods might soon be improved, however, with the purchase of License Plate Recognition units that will allow a much more comprehensive, scalable collection of data. You may have read that the LPRs will also be used to give you tickets.
Even with those holes, however, SDOT is moving in the direction of increasing capacity. In the study write-up being distributed to Hill community groups, SDOT includes the following takeaways:
- 30-minute spaces have low utilization. Get rid of?
- 1-hour spaces have moderate utilization. Convert to 2-hour?
- Cal Anderson 3-hour parking is very full but compliance is high
- Unrestricted parking is very highly utilized but shows some turnover during day
- Low 1-hour utilization and poor compliance for 2-hour slots on 12th Ave suggest change needed
- Broadway 2-hour paystations create needed turnover when in effect
- Broadway’s 30-minute parking slots also show low utilization
- Broadway parking is 100%+ full after 6p. Pilot after 6 PM paid parking?
As for the introduction of both-side-of-street parking on a few stretches west of Broadway, here’s the roster SDOT is considering:
E Mercer between Bellevue and Harvard
E Republican between Bellevue and Harvard
E Harrison between Bellevue and Boylston
E Thomas between Bellevue and Belmont, Boylston and Harvard
E Olive between Bellevue and Boylston
SDOT is also considering adding angled parking on one side of Summit and Bellevue Avenues between Pine and Olive
If you have feedback or questions as SDOT works to put together a plan for Broadway parking, drop Ruth Harper a note at [email protected]
You can check out the SDOT Capitol Hill parking project site here.
Pay for parking after 6pm on Broadway? I can bet the businesses, especially the night clubs, will have a huge issue with that. That could seriously impact the number of people that come into the club. People will either not go out as much, or would have to leave to re-feed the meter, and get stuck out in line again on their busy nights…the list could go on and on.
Two words: BAD IDEA.
The residential streets are so narrow that streets with parking on both sides are not pleasant for cycling. Facing an oncoming car on one these blocks can be frightening and I don’t think this would be a positive change.
As far a night meters goes, I think it is a fine idea but only if the residential streets had additional enforcement too.
both sides parking could be easily accomodated if more of the side streets on the Hill were converted to 1-way streets (maybe safer for bikes, too). Has the added bonus of cutting down on cut-thru traffic if done right, too.
night meters make no sense anywhere
silly – the taxes collected at clubs far out ranks some parking fees – think about how much of those dollars end up in taxes
POOR idea period
That’s not a bad idea. I live on Mercer and regularly travel the stretch between Malden and 14th where there is a roundabout, immediately followed by parking on both sides of the street, finishing up with a drop down an almost blind hill. Traffic is light enough that it hasn’t been a problem, but it still makes me nervous.
I’m not a fan of the night meter idea either. Before I moved within walking distance, I often went and parked on B’way around 5:30 before it got crowded, paid the last half hour of parking, and left my car there for a few hours while I went to dinner and a movie. No hassle, and both the city and the businesses (and therefore the city) got money I would have otherwise spent someplace like Bellevue Square with its free parking.
Not only will people not want to leave the clubs, but who is going to run out of the middle of a movie or dinner to feed a meter?
If you don’t agree with having to pay for parking after 6pm then I urge you to email the SDOT. If no one objections, directly to the source, then it is going to happen.
Both side parking has the added benefit of acting as a traffic calmer, which would actually improve the cycling (and pedestrian) experience as cars would naturally go slow along these stretches. Facing an oncoming car going <10mph with little room is much better than an oncoming car going 25+ thinking they own the road.
-your capitol hill biker extraordinare
Similar to my comment above, 2-way roads with room for only one vehicle work wonders at calming traffic, which vastly improves biker and pedestrian safety. SDOT has guidelines for when these situations are doable, one of which is to make sure the stretch is short enough and/or has spaces for a waiting car to pull into while the oncoming car passes.
The number of restaurants far outnumbers the number of night clubs on Broadway. SDOT’s approach is to encourage turnover so that car-toting visitors are actually more inclined to visit if parking is more readily available, even if it’s only for a 2-hour max. If they do meters after 6pm it will be a city first (i.e. pilot program), so they will definitely have to experiment with what works and doesn’t work. I wouldnt toss out the idea immediately without at least giving it a shot at further investigation/study.
The night meter proposal has nothing to do with city greed. It was requested by members of the community after SDOT’s study revealed that it was impossible to find parking after 6:00 p.m. Paid parking is less of a deterrent than no parking. I would much rather pay $4 and be able to find a space than have to drive in circles for a half hour (which I have had to do before).
in case anybody is reading these months later, i’ve changed my mind on this subject. i’m back to agreeing with jonglix. i think accomodating more cars in the neighborhood will actually degrade the biking/pedestrian experience despite any traffic calming effects (which can be achieved in many other non-car-encouraging ways).