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City, Chamber and staff explore valet, shuttles and remote lots to ease downtown employee parking
Summary
Staff and the Carmel Chamber presented options ranging from designated remote lots and shuttle service to incentivized employee programs. Sunset Center North Lot and a residential-street approach were examined; Rio Park drew strong opposition from residents and was not recommended.
City staff and the Carmel Chamber of Commerce presented early-stage proposals on Aug. 5 to reduce the number of employee vehicles that occupy downtown curb spaces, a persistent source of congestion and complaints.
Why it matters: staff estimated that several hundred on-street spaces are used daily by employees, reducing turnover for customers and increasing circling congestion. The council heard three broad approaches: (1) designate off-site lots with shuttle service into downtown, (2) use underutilized on-street residential spaces with a managed program, and (3) site-specific valet/lot optimization at existing parking facilities.
Research and options presented: intern Jack Norman reported a weekday field count in a nearby residential area (Seventh to Santa Lucia, Junipero to Carmelo) and identified roughly 643 curb spaces on a typical weekday. Staff conservatively estimated 400–500 of those on-street spaces could be available for employee parking without major changes. Off-site options included Sunset Center North Lot (about 130 spaces) and an unimproved Rio Park site behind Larson Field; staff noted the Rio Park estimate requested further site assessment and said it was not currently used for vehicle parking.
Transit and incentives: staff discussed partnerships with Monterey-Salinas Transit and Enterprise for small-shuttle service; Enterprise offers a mobile app for rider tracking and a $500 monthly program subsidy for pilot jobs. The Chamber said its business survey found owners view employee parking as a major operational issue and indicated many businesses would support a remote-parking plus shuttle approach if it were reliable, comfortable and frequent. Proposed incentives included raffles, “Carmel bucks” or business discounts to encourage participation.
Public reaction and next steps: speakers and council members widely rejected converting Rio Park into a parking lot, citing the site’s park designation, safety issues at the Rio Road curve and the city’s general-plan commitments for open space. Council members favored pursuing the Sunset Center North Lot and other off-site options, exploring a pilot shuttle program (with frequent service), and improving enforcement and resident education about existing on-street rules. Staff will continue feasibility work, refine cost estimates, pursue pilot agreements (including a Larson Field shuttle during Car Week) and return to the council with a budgeted, operational plan if the pilot shows promise.
