Frequently Asked Questions

• 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), and some businesses have complained that their business is being harmed by congested parking. 
• The City's positive upcoming Make Ogden developments, which will dramatically add residences/businesses/employees and enhance our overall economic vitality, will overwhelm existing parking capacity.

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.  
• Additional residences downtown also tend to support lower levels of crime in adjacent business areas. 

While current downtown parking capacity is generally adequate in some areas, there are some blocks and lots where parking is extremely congested and discourages some visitors/shoppers. 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. 

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.

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?

• 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.
  • To avoid the need to increase property taxes for all residences/businesses to fund the required investment in existing and new public parking infrastructure (some of which do not even have/use automobiles for transportation), a pay parking system will generate the revenue to build and support parking improvements via parking fees paid by just those using the parking – including many visitors to our downtown from other communities. 
• 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. 
• Reduction in traffic congestion and increase in overall attractiveness to visitors. 
• 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
• 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.

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 also frequently found in small cities and tourist-friendly destinations (Park City, Grand Junction, Fort Collins, Estes Park, Manitou Springs, Rapid City, Flagstaff).

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

• 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.

Based on the parking study recommendations, once approved by the City Council, the City will move forward with 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. 

The Downtown Ogden Parking Management System Phasing Map reflects the proposed parking management area, and highlights that expected phases of implementation for the paid parking management system.

• New public parking structures (2) located at the WonderBlock site and paid parking system updates throughout downtown represent an approximate $54,500,000 investment. 
• All public parking elements will be built/owned/operated by the Ogden City Municipal  Building Authority (MBA).
• The City MBA’s investment contribution will not require an increase in property or sales taxes, as related debt service will be satisfied via revenue generated from the paid parking management system.

• Yes. Conservative parking revenue projections indicate the capacity to fund operating expenses and also service the annual bond payments used to build the parking structures and set-up the system equipment.
• The parking system will not require an increase in property or sales taxes. 

• It is expected that the system will utilize a multi-space parking meter/kiosk and an enforcement system supported by “pay-by-license-plate” methodology, along with options to pay by app or text-to-pay.
• A similar parking system is currently used at the Ogden Airport which interfaces with the city’s Information Technology and Management Services departments.
• Implementation plans include an introductory free period to allow for everyone to get used to the system.

• Yes. Examples being considered include:
  • For the first 3-4 months after paid parking equipment is installed in any area, parking will be no-charge if the parking app or kiosk is used.
  • A grace period is being considered for businesses with existing free parking permits for employees.
  • Lower parking rates or validations are being considered for the first several months.
  • Contracted parking spaces related to leased spaces will be honored according to the lease terms.

• The parking study methodology incorporated the American Communities Survey data to approximate existing usage of transit and other alternatives by downtown employees/visitors. 
• The parking study assumes some moderate increase in transit usage as density is added to the downtown. However, parking projections are not reduced, but instead, only project moderate 
   growth in demand (1% phase 2, 3% phase 3), even though parking needs will increase more dramatically based on planned development. 

• Free parking really isn’t free. It’s paid for by all of us, through our tax dollars. 
• This subsidy to those who can afford to own a car is of course not only fronted by car owners (disproportionately middle- and upper-class citizens), those with lower income who can’t even afford cars are also making parking spots possible through the taxes they pay. 
• Although the cost of “free” parking is paid for by city residents, visitors are a large user of the resource. A paid system will include contributions from all users – including users from other communities.
• When parking turnover is incentivized through payment by the minute, there’s more parking spots for everyone when they need one.

• As experienced in other communities, there will be a natural tendency for parkers to migrate to nearby residential areas – which will require additional parking restriction signage and enforcement. Successful models from other communities are available for our implementation.
• Residential properties downtown or nearby without off-street parking will be provided a permanent parking permit.

• Yes. Special parking for individuals with disabilities is planned throughout the city and they may receive special considerations for posted and meter parking.
• Accessible on-street residential parking may be signed/provided to qualified disabled city residents within close proximity to their residences, on a case-by-case basis.
• Disabled individuals who apply for an accessible on-street residential parking sign will need to meet certain conditions to qualify, including:
  • Must live on a residential street and live at the location for which the sign is being requested.
  • Must have either a current disabled Utah license plate or a disabled placard issued by UDMV.

Cannot have a driveway or access to off-street parking.

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

Yes. Based on recent meetings with individual businesses and stakeholder groups, comments/suggestions on how to best implement a parking management system are continually being gathered/considered. 

• “Implement higher rates in high-demand areas and lower rates in less used areas.”
• “The first 15-minutes should be free to accommodate quick stops.”
• “Parking is a problem downtown and we need better paths to off-street parking.”
• “Shorter parking time limits should be implemented on the busiest streets.”
• “We should have reserved spots for customer take-out/pick-ups.”
• “The current parking situation hurts my business as non-customers, like nearby employees, take up all the spaces in front of my store and stay too long.”
• “Increased enforcement is needed to reduce parking too long in retail areas.”
• “Require employees to park in more remote lots and maybe provide a shuttle.”
• “Only charging $1.00 an hour on 25^th Street undervalues what our unique downtown offers.”
• “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.”
• “Offer virtual parking permits for employees, residences, shoppers.”
• “Designate a portion of parking fees to downtown improvements.”
• “Convenient parking spaces have a value – people will pay for those spots if they are conveniently available.”
• “An organized parking system would provide confidence to visitors that they can easily find a spot – which would improve business.”
• “The paid parking system should accommodate customer parking validation.”

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.