Savannah staff urge broader metering, residential decals to protect neighborhood parking

City staff and consultants on Monday urged the Savannah City Council to adopt a data‑driven package of parking changes for neighborhoods south of the historic core, including expanded metering, consistent time limits and a residential decal program to protect local residents.

At a work session, Ralph Denusco of consulting firm Stantec summarized a multi‑month study and community outreach that covered the area roughly from River Street south toward Victory Drive. Denusco said inventory and utilization counts taken across multiple times of day show more cars parked on streets today than in 2015, with some districts—particularly Starland—seeing the largest increases. “We were able to compare how much busier this parking is today compared to what it was in 2015,” Denusco said. “In almost every district, in almost every time frame, there are more cars parked on the street than there were 10 years ago.”

Why it matters: staff said the city’s goal is to manage curb turnover so typical blocks operate near an 80% occupancy target, where drivers can usually find space on a block without long cruising. To reach that balance, the study recommends targeted meters where occupancy consistently exceeds capacity, coupled with residential decals that allow local vehicles to park in metered zones without charge and guest passes of limited number.

Key elements of the proposal include expanding the geographic area considered for meters (staff noted the public often asked for larger meter zones than initially proposed), simplifying inconsistent block‑by‑block regulations, upgrading metering equipment and expanding payment options. Staff warned that capital procurement of equipment and increased enforcement capacity will be required to make the plan effective.

Council concerns and discussion: members pressed staff on strategic goals, asking for clarity on what the program is intended to accomplish and its likely side effects if implemented partially. One councilmember flagged the risk of pushing parking demand from one neighborhood to another if only a subset of recommendations is adopted. Another said short‑term rentals, students and commuting workers all exert pressure on residential streets, and urged careful limits on guest passes for short‑term rental properties.

On enforcement and operations, the city’s senior mobility staff described experiments including a Harris Street pilot where half the block was metered and residents received decals; the non‑metered half remained full while the metered side hit a turnover target, informing the recommendation to meter entire blocks and issue residential decals. Staff described the decal program as two‑tiered: a free decal for motorists with county‑registered primary residences and a paid decal for secondary properties; guest passes would be limited and verified against the short‑term rental registry.

Transit links: multiple councilmembers said stronger transit options are part of the solution to parking pressure. Staff highlighted fare‑free pilot services such as the downtowner and said the city will continue to support transit partners; they also committed to reporting usage data for those services.

Next steps: staff asked council for guidance on whether to move forward with the plan in whole or in part and to permit staff to draft the associated ordinances and budget implications required for implementation. No formal motion or vote occurred at the workshop; staff said capital procurement and enforcement staffing would follow if council directs staff to proceed.

What to watch: staff will post the full report and maps online; if council endorses the plan staff will return with specific ordinance language and budget requests, and said meter procurement may take several months before installation.