City proposals: Broadway paid night parking, end of Cal Anderson free parking

Don't shoot the messenger. The Seattle Department of Transportation has released a draft plan for parking changes for the Broadway area of Capitol Hill. Some of the proposals will not be popular (with me!). Proposals include:

• Extended paid parking hours past 6 PM on Broadway between John and Roy
• Replacing free 3-hour parking along Cal Anderson Park with paid 4-hour parking
• A stick in your eye

Kidding. No sticks. Not all of the proposals will make you sad -- one proposal that could be cool is the addition of parking on both sides of the street on Mercer, Republican, Harrison and Thomas west of Broadway. More on that and the rest of the draft plan below. And, thinking of the greater good, better managed parking can be really healthy for local businesses and encourage better decisions for the environment by drivers. But, yeah, paying to park after 6 PM on Broadway is going to suck. And, don't even talk to me about the Cal Anderson change -- I consider that stretch official CHS motorpool parking when I'm chasing breaking news.

Here's the proposal map and details from SDOT:

Download PDF

SDOT Broadway parking proposals

• Increase residential parking availability by adding paid parking with restricted parking zone (RPZ) signs to
• mixed-use blocks just north of E Pine St (valid RPZ permit holders would be exempt from paid parking rates)
• Improve predictability for customers and visitors by converting 1-hour time limits to more standard 2-hour
• time limits
• Alleviate congested parking conditions at Cal Anderson Park and expand park access by changing 3-hour
• time limit spaces to 4-hour paid parking on 11th Ave directly adjacent to the park
• Create consistency and increased parking opportunities for residents east of Broadway by installing
• Zone 4 RPZ signs where there are currently gaps
• Increase parking availability and calm traffic by adding unrestricted parking on the north sides of streets
• where it can be done safely. All eligible blocks are shown in purple—which ones work best for you?
• Create more customer parking for restaurants and businesses by extending paid parking hours on Broadway after 6pm

SDOT is collecting feedback on the plan here through November 23. 

We wrote about the planning process and told you about some of this early planning here, by the way.