Excerpts from the proposed Pilot Parking Program

Following are excerpts from the La Jolla Parking District Board’s proposed Pilot Parking Program for the Village of La Jolla:

After 18 months of study, analysis, field trips and discussion, the Board tentatively believes that both paid on-street parking in some high-demand locations and a residential parking program in neighborhoods adjacent to commercial areas should be part of a comprehensive plan to alleviate La Jolla’s parking problems. The Board is sensitive, however, to the view of many residents and merchants that measures other than paid on-street parking would adequately address existing parking problems and that any system of paid on-street parking will adversely affect our community, injure retail businesses, and create a new source of revenue that the city will exploit to La Jolla’s detriment.

The Board has determined that it should undertake a targeted, real-world test of its tentative conclusions that would permit the entire community to assess the pros and cons of paid on-street parking and residential parking permits.

The Board proposes to implement a limited one-year Pilot Program to test the feasibility and effect of paid on-street parking in select portions of the Village and a residential parking program in neighborhoods surrounding the Village commercial core.

Paid on-street parking in the Village for the Pilot Program would:

• Install an unobtrusive, state-of-the-art system of paid on-street parking in the Core Village commercial area on streets where parking is currently free but time-limited, including the beach zone on Coast Boulevard.
• Set the parking rate at the lowest possible level consistent with maintaining approximately 10 to 15 percent availability of parking spaces on each affected block.
• Charge a parking rate of $1.50 an hour in commercial and beach zones on weekdays, $1 an hour in the beach zone on weekends and holidays. The first 30 minutes of parking would be free to accommodate regular visitors and short-term parkers.
• Enforce paid parking daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Set a two-hour time limit on parking on affected streets in the commercial zone, four hours in the beach zone on weekdays and nine hours in the beach zone on weekends and holidays.
• Utilize “Smart cards,” similar to debit cards, or in-car meters, substitutes for display tickets, which could be purchased by regular visitors at a $1 per hour discounted rate in pay stations.

Residential parking in the Pilot Program plan:

• Would be implemented to protect the residential neighborhoods adjacent to the Village commercial area from all-day parking by commuters and others.
• It would be implemented: On Ivanhoe Avenue East from Virginia Way to Torrey Pines Road; from Exchange Place from Prospect Street to Virginia Way; on all of Park Row; on High Avenue from Virginia Way to Torrey Pines Road; and on Virginia Way from Prospect Place to Torrey Pines Road. Residents could choose to be included or excluded from the residential parking program.
• Parking would be subject to two-hour time limits on designated streets from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents may purchase Residential Parking Permits, exempting vehicles from posted time limits, for up to two registered vehicles per household. Cost would be $14 per permit, per year.
• Guest passes for use by guests or household workers in affected neighborhoods would also be available for purchase, exempting vehicles from posted time limits at a fee of $3 per day or $60 for 30 days, not necessarily consecutive days.
• Licensed contractors in the affected area could purchase Contractor Parking Permits for themselves and their employees under the same terms as those offered for guests/household workers.

Disposition of revenues:

• The Parking Board will request that the city allocate 80 percent of parking revenues generated to pay for implementation of the Pilot Program and to fund projects and activities approved by the Parking Board.
• Projects and activities that could be candidates for Pilot Program parking-revenue funding include: GPS-enabled parking enforcement vehicles; expanded enforcement hours and increased enforcement staffing; installation of new and improved parking signage; expanding the existing subsidized bus-pass program; supplementing SANDAG’s existing regional van-pool subsidy program; funding improvements to Village streets, alleys, sidewalks, street lighting and landscaping; and expanding the existing parking inventory in the Village’s commercial area.

Evaluation and sunset:

• The Parking Board would evaluate the Pilot Program on a monthly basis and adjust or terminate any part of the program that proves to be ineffective or harmful to the community.
• The Pilot Program will sunset automatically at the end of one year, unless the Parking Board votes to renew all or part of the program based on its demonstrated success.
• The Pilot Program will include information systems designed to provide the Parking Board with the objective data it needs to assess the Program’s success or failure and measure its effect on businesses, residents, visitors and employees.
• At each stage of evaluating the Pilot Program, the Parking Board will solicit and fully consider the view of community groups and affected merchants and individuals.