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Millbrae council hears plan to introduce paid downtown parking and license-plate enforcement
Summary
Consultants recommended a phased paid-parking program for Millbrae's downtown to improve turnover and pedestrian safety, proposing license-plate-based permits, mobile pay apps, multi-space pay stations and a procurement path for a third-party operator; council and residents raised concerns about neighborhood spillover, seniors' accessibility and Caltrans approval for El Camino Real.
Consultants from Kimley-Horn presented a plan to Millbrae City Council on March 24 to modernize downtown parking, proposing paid parking in the Broadway downtown and ParkPlace corridor, updated residential permit management, and a pathway to site a potential city-owned parking garage.
Brian Shaw, the consultant lead, told the council paid parking is more effective than time limits at producing turnover because motorists start a paid parking session on arrival rather than relying on enforcement timing. The proposal includes a mobile app and license-plate recognition (LPR) enforcement cameras, multi-space pay stations (kiosks) capable of taking coins and tap-to-pay, and a back-office parking-management system that supports virtual permits tied to license plates.
Shaw outlined a near-term work plan for council: adopt an ordinance package to authorize paid parking, amend the fee schedule and establish a dedicated parking enterprise fund, begin procurement for a parking management operator (to accelerate launch), and adopt an LPR data policy. He said El Camino Real (a state highway) requires Caltrans approval before paid parking can be implemented there, so the city should phase El Camino into a later stage after the ordinance passes.
Consultants emphasized outreach: door-to-door canvassing of over 400 businesses in English, Spanish and simplified Chinese, a downtown business open house, and planned neighborhood outreach and open houses in April. Business feedback emphasized short-term delivery/pickup needs, employee parking, and turnover challenges in key stretches of Broadway.
During public comment and council discussion, residents raised equity and access concerns. Ann Schneider said kiosks and touchscreen machines can be hard for older adults to use in low light and urged short-term pick-up spaces for delivery drivers; Marian urged preserving short-term spaces for quick shopping and maintaining several 10- to 15-minute curb spaces near restaurants. Council members and staff discussed enforcement models (in-house vs. third-party), procurement timelines, likely contract terms (consultant noted typical multi-year contracts with optional renewals), data-retention policy recommendations for LPR scans, and the need to model rates and financial outcomes before setting hourly fees.
On rates, Shaw said the team will present financial models to identify break-even or policy-driven pricing; a previous study figure was cited in the presentation but no council decision set a final per-hour rate. The consultant stressed that the council will retain authority over final rates and that staff will return with a recommended ordinance, fee schedule and procurement documents in the coming weeks.
Next steps: staff will return with the ordinance package, updated fee schedule and a recommended contracting approach for a parking management operator; Caltrans coordination for El Camino Real will follow once the city has enacted the enabling ordinance.
