Orinda accepts $300,000 MTC grant to study downtown parking; defers TOC commitment
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Summary
The council voted unanimously to accept a $300,000 MTC technical‑assistance grant for a downtown parking‑management study and agreed to defer any formal commitment to MTC TOC compliance until MTC finalizes its scoring methodology.
The Orinda City Council on Feb. 17 adopted a resolution accepting a $300,000 technical‑assistance grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to study parking‑management strategies in Downtown Orinda and to evaluate Transportation‑Oriented Communities (TOC) policy options.
Darren Hughes, associate planner, said the grant was awarded in November 2024 and is intended to fund consultant services to evaluate downtown parking strategies — including shared/unbundled parking, parking maximums, transportation demand management (TDM) measures and coordination with BART parking. “This is in the amount of $300,000 and it is for consultant services,” Hughes said.
Staff recommended council accept the grant and to defer any formal commitment to MTC’s TOC compliance until MTC finalizes its compliance scoring methodology and thresholds. Hughes said the resolution commits the city to evaluate recommendations in good faith but does not obligate the city to adopt any TOC standards that may result from the consultant’s work.
Councilmembers asked whether accepting the grant would create repayment obligations or force city policy changes. Hughes said MTC grants of this type carry no repayment requirement if recommendations are not implemented. Councilmembers also discussed possible subjects for the study: paid parking feasibility, shared parking programs, parking minimums and enforcement, coordination with Theater Square management, and transportation demand‑management tools such as shuttles and developer requirements.
Councilmember [unnamed in transcript] moved to adopt the resolution accepting the grant (resolution number cited as 926 in the motion). The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Next steps: staff will work with MTC and a selected consultant (MIG was identified by MTC staff as a likely bench consultant) to refine the scope, conduct outreach and return to the planning commission and council with draft policies and recommendations over the next 12–18 months.