Paid Parking Business Plan PDF
Paid Parking Business Plan PDF
BUSINESS PLAN
for
PAID PARKING
at various locations within the
CITY OF STIRLING
Parking
Spot
MARCH 2012
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City has developed the Stirling Public Parking Proposed Implementation Strategy
(Proposed Implementation Strategy) following the collection of parking facility usage details and
statistics, at several high parking demand locations in the City. The details were obtained
through surveys conducted by a consultant in June 2011. The Consultant provided a
comprehensive report of findings and recommendations which was provided to the City in
October 2011. The report findings and recommendations plus identified increases in parking
demand at several of the surveyed locations and information from the City’s Public Parking
Management Strategy have been used to prepare the Proposed Implementation Strategy.
The Proposed Implementation Strategy includes the preparation of parking schemes for the
areas surveyed. At this time parking schemes have been prepared for most of the high parking
demand locations with the remainder requiring additional work. Several parking schemes have
identified paid parking as needed to assist with the control and management of parking facilities
in the area and to fund additional parking facilities. There are considerable costs involved with
construction of additional parking facilities.
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Funding for Parking
Having identified the need to provide additional parking facilities and better manage the existing
facilities and the costs of doing so, how these costs will be funded was an important
consideration. Parking surveys identified that the majority of parking facility users at the highest
parking demand locations, live outside the City. As the City needs to meet its costs associated
with provision of additional parking and management of all parking facilities, it is reasonable that
users contribute to those costs. Paid parking has been identified as the preferred funding
source for construction of additional parking facilities and for making considerable improvement
to existing parking.
The application of parking fees has the potential to produce an estimated annual income of
$2,222,300 (GST inclusive) from Herdsman and Glendalough. This calculation has been based
on completion and full operation of all proposed works in Herdsman at 100% occupancy and the
existing Glendalough street parking facilities at 50% occupancy.
Paid parking has been identified as an effective management tool and will provide a source of
funding to meet the additional parking facilities at this stage in the Herdsman Business Park and
other high demand locations. The preparation of this Business Plan will provide opportunity for
the public and in particular users of the City’s public parking facilities to comment on the
proposal and meet the City’s legislative obligations.
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
The City of Stirling Public Parking Management Strategy prepared by ARRB Consulting Group
and delivered to the City in December 2008 included ten Key Findings and some eighteen
Recommendations aimed at developing and providing an efficient and effective parking control
and management service to the community. The Key Findings and Recommendations covered
a wide cross section of what was considered needed to address identified shortfalls in parking
service provision, additional parking bays and control and management of Stirling Parking. The
City has been progressively working through the recommendations that were provided while
also taking into consideration the key findings.
The City cannot provide more and more parking spaces simply to appease growing
demand, however where parking is provided, the City should utilise the opportunity to at
least recover the cost of development of the parking and charge a fee for its use.
The current parking system in Stirling encourages car use. Planning ratios are generous,
parking supply is plentiful except in certain pockets and enforcement could be improved
with additional resources.
• Free on-street parking encourages drivers to hunt for bays, and does not encourage
the use of off-street car parks.
• Parking in Stirling is cheaper (no charge) and is perceived as more convenient than
public transport, providing little incentive to use alternative modes of travel.
• The lack of effective enforcement resources does not discourage long term stays,
thereby reducing bays available for short term visitors to centres. Compliance with
parking regulations could be substantially improved.
• Drivers will continue to expect to find a space close to their destination.
• Drivers and developers are demanding more and more parking bays, and expecting
the City to provide these.
2.0 BACKGROUND
The City has in the past taken the approach that developers would provide sufficient parking to
meet the parking demand generated by the activities of their particular development. Such
parking requirements were in keeping with the City’s Planning Scheme and development
approval processes. The opportunity has also been available for Council to provide parking
concessions and approve reduced parking requirements with developments which meet agreed
criteria.
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More recently, the City has reviewed Planning Scheme Parking requirements downwards where
developments are in close proximity to public transport routes and where the development
includes support facilities for alternative transport modes such as cycling, shower and change
facilities for staff. This approach demonstrates strong support for use of alternative transport
modes rather than reliance on private motor vehicles.
One long term consequence of relying on developers to provide for their parking needs on-site
is that the City has a limited number of public parking facilities within its recognized Business
and Commercial precincts. The majority of public parking facilities under the City’s care control
and management are located within the road reserve as parallel and angle parking. Some
parking stations are located within wide road reserves.
At its meeting on 23 November 2010, Council approved the carrying out of parking surveys
of high demand parking locations, to gain a better understanding of how public parking
facilities were being used. Consultants were appointed and carried out the parking surveys
in June 2011 with the final report being delivered to the City in November 2011.
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2.4 Highest Use of Parking Facilities were:
Park 5+ times per week: Herdsman 71% Railway Pde 60%, Innaloo Nth 47%
Park 6 – 10 hrs per day: Herdsman 65% Railway Pde 50%, Innaloo Nth 77%
59% of Glendalough users did not answer the question on frequency of use and
length of stay. From observation it is expected that Glendalough has a high demand
for long term parking.
Mainly City Residents: Glendalough 85%, Innaloo Nth 80%, Main Street 52%,
Inglewood 51%
Live Outside the City: Mt Lawley 77%, Bradford Street 70%, Railway Pde, 70%,
Herdsman 67%, Inglewood 49%, Main Street 48%
An average of 52% of all parking users live outside the City. Several high parking
demand locations average 63.5%.
2.6 Trip was local: Bradford Street 100%, Herdsman 99%, Mt Lawley 98%,
Main Street 94%,Railway Pde 90%, Inglewood 90%
The City considers that it is important that the public parking provided within Stirling
boundaries be used to support Stirling business, commercial, retail and general
community activities. With this in mind, the City will move to increase regulation with
increased parking time restrictions and impose parking fees
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As with most other high parking demand areas, a parking scheme has been
developed for the Herdsman Business Park. The parking scheme includes the
application of paid parking. Parking Schemes for other areas of high parking demand
have been prepared for the streets around Glendalough Rail Station, Mt Lawley Rail
Station and Bradford Street adjacent the Edith Cowan University. Herdsman
Business Park and Glendalough will be progressed as stage 1. Stage 2 is expected
to include Mt Lawley Rail Station and Bradford Street adjacent the Edith Cowan
University, Mt Lawley Business Precinct and Main Street Business Precinct. It should
also be expected that there will be a requirement to increase the areas where paid
parking applies in the future.
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The following points are made in support of paid parking:
• The City has limited public parking facilities in most areas of current high parking
demand;
• The City has the aim to be a major provider of public parking facilities within its
boundaries;
• The City recognizes there is a need to substantially increase the number of
parking bays in some current high demand public parking locations;
• There are limited opportunities to increase public parking facilities without
incurring considerable costs of purchasing land and constructing parking
facilities;
• The majority of current high demand public parking facility users live outside the
City;
• The majority of Stirling ratepayers do not use public parking facilities in the
current high demand locations;
• Stirling ratepayers should not have to pay to provide and maintain “free” public
parking for the majority of public parking users who make no contribution to its
cost;
• The City will provide a limited number of public parking bays;
• The City recognises that continually increasing the number of public parking bays
encourages increased use of private motor vehicles with resultant increases in
traffic volumes, traffic jams, trip times and more.
The revenue from paid parking is expected to meet the cost of providing the City’s parking
service, support improvement to existing parking facilities and meet the construction costs of
additional parking facilities where paid parking applies. Consequently, there will be no negative
impact on the other services or facilities that the City provides as a result of commencing the
application of paid parking. Instead, the money generated is expected to have the positive
effect of easing parking congestion and enhancement of the areas subject to paid parking.
More specifically, by introducing paid parking to the City several prominent effects on the
provision of facilities and services are anticipated to follow:
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There will be minimal reliance on ratepayer funding with the “user pays” principle
applying with only those using the paid parking, making a contribution to its provision
and upkeep.
The tendency of motorists to park in non-fee paying areas to avoid parking fees means that free
parking providers (such as Shopping Centres and uncontrolled ground level parking) may bear
the burden of non-patron motorists parking at their facilities.
To alleviate this burden, the City has made available individual Private Property Parking
Enforcement Agreements to enable major parking facility providers to effectively control and
manage their parking facilities. This can be achieved through the enforcement of time
restrictions and allocation of “Authorised Parking” in free parking areas, aimed at non-facility
users. Private Property Enforcement Agreements have proved successful in limiting the
provided parking bays for their intended use where such agreements apply.
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The introduction of paid parking in high parking demand locations may encourage motorists to
park in areas where there are currently no fees or parking restrictions. This may well include
residential areas. It will therefore be necessary to keep these areas under observation and may
require the introduction of relevant time restrictions, parking prohibitions or limiting parking for
residents only. The City will apply appropriate controls to enable effective management of the
areas that are adversely affected.
Various Streets
Angle bays 250 bays @ $6,000 1,500,000
Totals 610 Bays $3,765,000
Note: Possible locations were identified for two new parking stations (approximately
70 bays) in close proximity to the Glendalough Station and to formalise the verge
angle verge parking and provide additional verge parking should this be necessary.
No provision has been made for construction of these facilities in the 2012/13 Budget.
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These costs may vary, depending on the outcome of the tender process for the
supply of the capital equipment.
The two tables below show the proposed fees under the paid parking proposal and
the number of bays to which they will apply. These fees will be reviewed each year
when the City prepares its annual budget.
Note: Some short term parking bays up to a maximum of two hours are provided for.
The applicable hourly rate is $1.50.
Parking Scheme Maps identifying the proposed locations where the paid parking will
be imposed are provided as Attachments.
The proposed fees vary little as the majority of parking is required for long term (all
day) to meet employee and commuter parking requirements. Parking demand is
evenly distributed across the areas and there are few parking stations at this time.
Some allowance has been made for short term parking where the demand is evident.
However, there is a large amount of onsite parking which is available for customer
use. As additional parking is constructed and available for use, it is expected that the
parking schemes will be amended to suit. The highest parking fee will apply to on
street parking facilities which are highly visible and desirable for customer parking.
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An estimation of revenue from infringements has not been calculated, as the main
objective of the parking schemes is to achieve compliance and not revenue from
enforcement. However, it is anticipated that revenue from infringements may be
considerably higher during the first few months of implementation as patrons become
aware that the City will be enforcing the new paid parking system.
Revenue generated from the introduction of parking fees will be applied in the first
instance to meeting the operating and capital costs of paid parking. As parking
revenue grows, surplus monies for parking operations will be allocated to parking
facility upgrades and expansion and further development of parking facilities
throughout the City where a need is identified.
The City has long term plans for the future development of Stirling City Centre and
other business centres like Herdsman. This development will need to be supported
with amongst other things an effective parking system that is effectively managed.
The City will need to acquire land on which to build multi-level parking stations. Multi-
level parking stations are a high cost item and will only be made financially feasible
with paid parking. Given the size of the City and number of centres and business
locations that are in it, it must be expected that the City will have many parking
facilities under its controls to support business and the wider community.
Paid parking will eventually grow into a sustainable City business with strategies to
effectively support parking needs for viable City business precincts.
The City’s current “Plan for the Future”, as required under section 5.56 of the Local Government
Act 1995, is the City of Stirling Strategic Plan 2009/2012.
The issue of parking is currently addressed in Goals and Objectives under Natural and Built
Environment at Goal 2: To plan, develop, enhance and maintain a quality built and natural
environment based on sustainability principles. Objective 2.3: Promote an integrated and
efficient transport and land use strategy designed to meet the current and future requirements of
the community: SI 2.3.2 Develop and Implement a Public Parking Management Strategy.
In compliance with this obligation, the City has developed and adopted a Parking Strategy that
identifies paid parking as an appropriate means of regulating the demand for parking in the
future.
Introducing paid parking will therefore be in full compliance with the obligations set in the City’s
current Strategic Plan and Parking Strategy.
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8 THE ABILITY OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO MANAGE THE UNDERTAKING OR
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRANSACTION
The City of Stirling ordinarily administers large-scale financial undertakings in its day to day
business as a Local Government entity.
Introducing paid parking, as an additional source of revenue for the City to support the
management and provision of additional parking facilities, and development of City centres and
business locations, will be easily integrated into current parking management, provision and
enforcement services, as many of the systems already in place are relevant to this new financial
undertaking.
9 CONCLUSION
Paid parking was identified in the City of Stirling Public Parking Management Strategy which
was adopted by Council as a working document in February 2009. Following considerable
investigation and gathering of relevant facts and information, the City has prepared the Stirling
Public Parking Proposed Implementation Strategy which includes revised parking schemes at
high parking demand locations, construction of additional parking facilities where needed and
the application of paid parking. The Stirling Public Parking Proposed Implementation Strategy is
to be considered by Council. Once approved, it will include the application of paid parking at the
locations identified in that strategy.
This business plan fulfils the City’s legislative requirement in advance of Council’s final decision
on the actual implementation of paid parking.
ATTACHMENTS
Proposed Parking Schemes have been prepared and are attached for the following locations:
Herdsman Business Park; Paid parking stage 1
Glendalough street parking; Paid parking stage 1
Bradford Street near Edith Cowan University; Paid parking stage 2
Railway Parade Mt Lawley; and Paid parking stage 2
Mt Lawley Business Precinct. Paid parking stage 2
Herdsman Business Park: A map of locations for proposed new car parks and angled parking
on verges as well as an illustration of parallel and angle parking bay layouts.
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