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1. How will my business benefit from managed parking?

Based on the experiences from communities that have implemented managed paid parking systems, impacted businesses have benefitted in a number of ways, including:

• More reliably available parking for customers – due to higher turnover in the most convenient and high-demand parking spots.
• More vibrant, attractive downtown shopping area for customers – due to increased walkability/bike-ability.
• More attractive downtown for additional investment in residential and commercial development – creating more businesses, jobs, residences downtown – and therefore more potential customers during both the daytime and evenings.  

2. Do we really have a parking problem in downtown Ogden?

During peak parking, about mid-day, the parking occupancy for all Downtown parking is about 50% currently. However, there are some facilities or blocks where parking reaches or exceeds the effective capacity threshold (more than 85% -- which negatively impacts accessibility). The City's upcoming Make Ogden developments, which will dramatically add residences/businesses/employees and enhance our overall economic vitality, will overwhelm existing parking capacity.

3. Why does the City need to change or increase parking capacity downtown?

While current downtown parking capacity is generally adequate, the redevelopment initiatives associated with the Make Ogden Plan will:

• Reduce existing surface parking,
• Increase business and residential activities,
• Increase the existing problem of limited prime retail spaces on 25th Street, and
• Increase the overall parking demand and need for related new parking structures. 

Therefore, the City is developing a parking management strategy that will support planned development downtown and enhance transportation access for visitors, residents and businesses. 

4. How did the City determine current and future parking needs?

The City's Community and Economic Development department hired a professional third-party municipal engineering firm (Kimley-Horn and Associates) to assess our parking situation and to recommend parking management options. The firm developed a parking study and report that included:

• Program assumptions, challenges and priorities
• What's worked in other communities
• Future demand estimates related to planned developments as outlined in the Make Ogden Plan
• Preliminary financial estimates

For more information, review the Ogden Parking Study Report.

5. What did the recent parking study recommend?

The parking study prepared by third-party municipal transportation firm recommended that Ogden City should seriously consider implementing a paid parking management system to address current and future parking challenges downtown. 

A brief explanation regarding the need for a managed paid parking system is at Why Paid Parking?

6. What are the advantages of paid parking systems?

1. Paid parking is critical to the health and vibrancy of a developing downtown as such allows for the equitable and efficient management of the limited parking resource.
2. By charging for parking, cities can help create turn-over within the most convenient and desirable public parking supplies -- generally on-street spaces -- while adding and managing off-street resources appropriately. 
3. Reduction in traffic congestion and increase in overall attractiveness to visitors. 
4. Pay parking systems are more efficient than free parking -- 
   • Allows for higher development density
   • Provides for more diversity of land uses
   • Provides more walkable, bike-able and vibrant city center
5. With the new technologies available for payment, wayfinding signage and reservations, pay parking is easier to use and less stressful for downtown visitors -- and cash payments can still be an option.

7. What have other communities experienced when implementing paid parking?

In most communities, some businesses initially felt that pay parking would be inconvenient, discourage potential customers and employees, and reduce competitiveness with suburban retail offing free parking (malls, etc.). 

HOWEVER:

• Of the most economically vibrant downtowns, almost all support pay/managed public parking as a way of enhancing business.
• Pay parking is almost universal in major cities (Salt Lake, Denver, Phoenix).
• Pay parking is frequently found in small cities and tourist-friendly destinations (Park City, Grand Junction, Fort Collins, Estes Park, Manitou Springs, Rapid City, Flagstaff).

8. What is the City's current plan for parking?

Contingent on City Council approval, the City's plan is to start pro-actively managing existing parking supplies and adding new parking facilities. 

Implementing a paid parking system is required as one of the first steps to allow for the catalytic redevelopment of Ogden's downtown core -- as the Make Ogden Plan proposes. 

9. How will the City implement paid parking?

Based on the parking study recommendations, once approved by the City Council, the City will move forward with at least 3 phases of implementation of the downtown pay parking within the proposed parking management area. 

• One key to success is a consistent parking management system across the area.
• The first phase of implementation will be in the most challenging parking areas in years 1-2, and then expanding the system over the following 4-6 years. 

10. What parking rates are planned?

Recommended public parking rates are reflected in the following chart (proposal draft):

Up to 1 Hour	$1	Typically enforced 9:00 am-6:00 pm w/optional enforcement until 10:00 pm in high evening use areas; daily max for overnight parking.
Each Additional Hour	$1
Daily Max	$8
Special Event Rate	$5-10	Depending on demand.
Parking Wallet	$4	Per day (prepaid digital wallet)
Monthly (unreserved)	$40-$60	With discounts for lower utilized facilities.
Monthly (reserved)	$60-$100	Limited availability for residential, special needs, etc.

11. How will the City manage the parking system?

The recommended parking organization is a hybrid approach, with a vertically integrated city department model, combined with a professional services out-sourced management model. 

12. Has there been any feedback from businesses/stakeholders?

Yes -- based on recent meetings with individual businesses and stakeholder leaders, the list of comments/suggestions below is continually updated:

• "Parking is a problem downtown and we need better/safer paths to off-street parking."
• "We need better signage to direct visitors to nearby parking options."
• "Increased enforcement is needed in order to reduce parking too long in retail areas."
• "Shorter parking time limits should be implemented on the busiest streets."
• "We should have reserved 15-minute parking spots for customer take-out/pick-ups."
• "The city should consider making 25th Street a pedestrian mall with parking in expanded lots behind businesses."
• "Require employees to park in remote lots with a shuttle service."
• "The current parking situation hurts my business as non-customers, like neighboring employees, take up all of the parking spaces in front of my store and stay there too long."
• "Implement paid parking in the highest demand areas with lower rates or not cost in less used nearby areas."
• "Offer virtual parking permits for employees, resident, shoppers."
• "Designate a portion of parking fees to downtown improvements."
• "The planned nearby new parking garages will help reduce the current mess of parking on my street and make stopping at my business more attractive."
• "Convenient parking spaces have a value -- people would pay for those spots if they were conveniently available."
• "An organized parking system would provide confidence to visitors that they can easily find a spot -- which would improve business."
• "Only charging $1 an hour on 25th Street undervalues what our unique downtown offers."

13. How can I provide input into the parking plans?

Public open house meetings will be scheduled soon where more information will be presented and you can ask questions/provide input. 

Additionally, you can also click on this link and provide thoughts/comments/suggestions.