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Bayfront parking survey: Newport businesses favor resident incentives, more spaces and clearer payment options
Summary
City staff reported a business‑focused Bayfront parking survey with 79 responses; top priorities were incentives for Newport residents, simplified permits and greater parking availability. Staff said the Parking Advisory Committee will review recommended actions and the city can provide more outreach and education on new payment tools.
City staff on June 2 presented results of a Bayfront parking survey conducted with Bay Boulevard business owners and employees, reporting 79 responses representing 26 businesses and emphasizing requests for resident incentives, simplified permitting and more parking.
John Follick, who led the survey effort, told the council the outreach deliberately targeted business owners and employees rather than fishers, homeowners or visitors. “This survey was specifically for business owners and employees on the Bayfront, on Bay Boulevard. It does not include commercial fishers,” Follick said.
Survey methods and response: Follick said staff offered English and Spanish versions, initially sent the survey electronically, and then completed three in‑person canvasses that produced 45 written forms and 34 online submissions for 79 total responses; 26 distinct businesses were represented. Follick said Pacific Seafood helped distribute the survey to its employees via payroll during the outreach window.
Key findings: Respondents ranked incentives for Newport residents and simplifying permit types among the highest priorities. Other prominent issues included availability of parking spaces, challenges with meters/QR code/text‑to‑pay options, concerns about side‑street lighting and difficulty accessing on‑site parking when hills and weather make lots slippery.
Follick summarized the preferences for spending parking revenue in the district: businesses prioritized additional parking supply (including structured parking as a long‑term, divisive option), improved lot striping and resurfacing, and targeted operational changes such as takeout/loading zones. The trolley concept (a local shuttle connecting Bayfront, Nye Beach and South Beach) produced mixed reactions; some businesses said a free shuttle for residents would be attractive.
On payment and enforcement, many respondents reported difficulty or confusion with QR codes, text‑to‑pay and kiosk locations. Follick said the city has produced an instructional video and that more education and signage could reduce problems. Councilors asked whether paying at a nearby pay station would protect a driver who parked in a different lot; staff confirmed payment at a pay station would be accepted even if the vehicle was parked in a different Bayfront zone.
Small operational changes were already implemented or recommended: the Parking Advisory Committee recently recommended two curbside loading zones (one requested by Moe’s and another in the Abbey Street lot), and Follick said additional steps — signage, distinct pay‑station colors, maps and printed materials for visitors and short‑term rental guests — are feasible next actions.
Follick advised that a visitor‑focused survey would require a separate, more time‑intensive effort (staff with clipboards or targeted online outreach). He recommended that after initial operational changes and education, the city consider a broader visitor survey to measure program impacts.
The Parking Advisory Committee will review the survey findings and consider follow‑up actions; council members suggested continued outreach, clearer on‑site materials for visitors and testing options such as resident discounts, simplified permit types, and contactless payment improvements.
