Mesa presents draft Downtown micromobility and parking plan; final adoption set for Nov. 17

Mesa City Council staff and consultants presented a draft Downtown Mesa micromobility and parking plan during the council’s Oct. 23 study session, laying out short-, mid- and long-term recommendations intended to guide future implementation of bike lanes, scooter infrastructure and parking changes in downtown Mesa.

The plan, presented by Jeff McVay, manager of Urban Transformation, and project managers Jimmy Turacchio and Anthony Rodriguez, follows public engagement by consultant Stantec and is framed as a policy and planning document rather than an engineering study. McVay said the document is meant to “guide the future implementation of micromobility and transportation interventions in the downtown area.”

Stantec’s assessment — which included four stakeholder meetings, two public events and an online engagement page — found wide downtown streets, limited protected bike infrastructure, long blocks with little shade and a strong perception of insufficient parking despite what staff described as an existing inventory of roughly 6,400 public parking spaces. The consultant reported that garages and lots “are never more than 50% utilized at any time,” while staff noted some lots approach 80–85% use at peak moments such as lunch or evening events.

Plan recommendations and rationale

The draft groups recommendations under three goals: access, safety and comfort. Key recommendations include standardizing on-street parking time limits (Main Street at two hours; core downtown between First Avenue and First Street at three hours; outer areas with no limit), expanding convenient daily permits for off-street garages, and pursuing shared-use agreements with private lots.

To improve safety and create space for micromobility, the plan recommends removing unnecessary left-turn lanes, replacing some turn lanes with left-turn pockets, narrowing travel lanes where feasible and adding dedicated micromobility lanes and hubs. The plan estimates up to 250 additional on-street angled parking spaces could be added between First Street and First Avenue in places where driveways and other infrastructure allow. Rodriguez said the figure is an estimate and that transportation engineering will determine the final count.

The draft also recommends dedicated pickup/drop-off areas for ride-hailing services, clearer wayfinding for drivers and pedestrians (including converting municipal parking signs to the standard blue “P” icons), and micromobility parking or “hubs” located near transit and garages to support first/last-mile connections.

How and when staff expect to implement

Staff framed the draft as a policy roadmap that will require additional engineering and capital funding for some items. McVay and project staff said low-cost elements — for example, striping changes — could be folded into the city’s pavement preservation (mill-and-overlay) program and implemented as streets are resurfaced. Transportation staff said the resurfacing and striping work will be phased across downtown over a four-year program, starting in the northwest quadrant and moving counterclockwise.

Higher-cost items such as replacing traffic signals or reconfiguring curbs would require capital investments and separate council-level capital discussions; the presentation included an order-of-magnitude example that replacing a single traffic signal or reworking curb lines could cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Staff said paid on-street parking is not immediately recommended because overall occupancy does not yet consistently exceed the 85% threshold they cited as a trigger for pricing. Anthony Rodriguez said the revenue from any future paid parking would be targeted to a parking benefit district to reinvest in downtown amenities and wayfinding.

Public engagement and next steps

Stantec’s outreach included four stakeholder meetings (neighborhood groups, Downtown Mesa Association, ASU/Bike Mesa and developers), two public meetings and an online project page with roughly 1,200 visits. Staff said they have already coordinated some sign standardization with the transportation department and are working with the Downtown Mesa Association (DMA) on communications.

Staff told council the plan will return to the council for formal adoption on Nov. 17. Meanwhile transportation staff will begin implementing low-cost striping changes as part of the mill-and-overlay program in the first quadrant that is resurfaced.

Council reaction and issues raised

Council members broadly voiced support for the plan’s goals but pressed staff on details. Council Member Duff said she was “in support of the plan” and emphasized walkability and bike safety as downtown density grows. Council Member Spilsbury cited local safety data, saying “one third of all our road fatalities … are pedestrians and bikes,” and urged prioritizing pedestrian comfort and shade. Several council members and staff repeatedly returned to wayfinding and arrival signage as a near-term priority: multiple members said confusing or inconsistent signage contributes to the perception of insufficient parking.

Council members asked staff to bring clearer timelines for short-term items, to clarify which striping and lane changes can be implemented without additional capital spending, and to ensure that disability and mobility needs — for events, the amphitheater and the convention center — receive attention when remote parking is promoted.

Quotes

Jeff McVay, manager of Urban Transformation: “This is intended to be a policy document, a planning document to guide the future implementation of micromobility and transportation interventions in the downtown area.”

Council Member Duff: “Of course, I'm in support of the plan … you want to be very walkable.”

Council Member Spilsbury: “One third of all our road fatalities traffic fatalities, one third are pedestrians and bikes.”

Clarifying details

- Current public parking inventory: approximately 6,400 spaces (source: Jimmy Turacchio/Jeff McVay). - Stantec finding on utilization: garages and lots “are never more than 50% utilized at any time” though some lots reach higher peak occupancy (source: Stantec presentation via staff). - Estimated new on-street angled parking: up to 250 spaces between First Street and First Avenue; implementation dependent on driveways and curb geometry (source: Anthony Rodriguez). - Example corridor and capacity: First Street average ~3,500 vehicle trips per day; a two-way, two-lane street with left-turn pockets can handle roughly 10,000 vehicles per day (staff-cited capacity figures). - Implementation phasing: striping tied to a four-year mill-and-overlay program, beginning with northwest quadrant (transportation staff).

Discussion vs decision

- Discussion points: plan content, safety and comfort priorities, wayfinding, pickup/drop-off zones, micromobility hubs, angled parking feasibility, equity and mobility access for people with limited mobility. - Directions: staff to begin low-cost striping work with pavement preservation; staff to continue engineering study and coordination with transportation; DMA to assist communications; staff to return Nov. 17 for formal adoption. - Formal decision: none taken at the Oct. 23 session; adoption scheduled for Nov. 17.

Proper names

- Downtown Mesa (location) - Stantec (consultant) - Jeff Speck (consultant, referenced) - Downtown Mesa Association (DMA)

Community relevance

- Geographies affected: Downtown Mesa (between First Street and First Avenue highlighted) - Impact groups: downtown residents, employees, visitors, people with limited mobility, cyclists, micromobility users, businesses on Main Street

Searchable tags:["parking","micromobility","downtown","wayfinding","safety","Stantec","Downtown Mesa Association"]

Provenance

- topicintro: {"block_id":"s144.83","local_start":0,"local_end":135,"evidence_excerpt":"We're gonna start this morning for item 1 a is a presentation on a draft to Downtown Mesa micro mobility on parking plan."}

- topfinish: {"block_id":"s4154.055","local_start":0,"local_end":66,"evidence_excerpt":"So, 6 to 7 on on Monday the 20 seventh at the post, which is, 26 North McDonald."}