Deputy City Manager Carl Weber outlines Parrot Avenue RAP pilot to increase resident parking turnover

Deputy City Manager Carl Weber told the Economic Development Commission on March 20 that the city plans a proof‑of‑concept Residential Access Parking (RAP) pilot focused on Parrot Avenue and nearby streets to increase resident access and encourage turnover of non‑resident spaces. Weber said the pilot pairs a resident plate‑registration model with a downtown workforce feature designed for employees who need shorter, hourly parking.

Weber described the resident workflow as simple: "if you register your plate with the parking office, you can park in these areas as a resident. You don't have to do a thing," and said the pilot will avoid the hang‑tag and kiosk complications that made earlier pilots cumbersome. Non‑residents parking in pilot street zones would pay $1 per hour. Weber said Parrot Avenue will also host a kiosk because not everyone has a phone or the app.

On workforce pricing, staff described an app session option for downtown workers: an initial 35¢ fee for the first hour and then 30¢ per hour for the hours used, mirroring features of the Foundry Place garage program but charging only for streets used. Weber said the goal is to test whether monetizing non‑resident curbside parking increases turnover and frees spaces for residents without undermining other garage or neighborhood uses.

Staff presented preliminary finance estimates for the pilot area: about $2,100 per month in program cost and roughly $5,300 in projected monthly revenue, yielding an estimated net of about $3,000. Weber cautioned those are projections to be validated by pilot data and said staff will meet quarterly and report results to City Council and the Department of Public Works (PTS).

Commissioners pressed staff on practical details: signage will be placed before enforcement and education will precede ticketing; enforcement hours for paid zones remain 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; baseline counts will be taken before launch; and staff will monitor neighboring streets for displacement effects. Weber said residents who already use ParkMobile and have the resident discount will not need to re‑register, but that the city is working to streamline registration (including an online option) and is consulting the legal department on documentation and verification rules.

Weber noted DMV/tax‑office data sharing constraints that limit automatic residency verification, so staff are designing a practical registration path for both residents and downtown workers. For workforce participants, staff currently expect quarterly in‑person verification at the parking office but said they are exploring secure online proofs (pay stub and ID) to avoid frequent office visits, pending legal guidance.

On policy and timing, Weber said the RAP pilot requires an ordinance and public hearing and staff plan to bring the ordinance to City Council in April to start that process. If council action proceeds on schedule, staff hope to start the pilot around July 1 and use summer months for early data collection. Weber urged the commission to weigh in on outreach and said staff will work with the Chamber and businesses on worker awareness.

The commission discussed metrics for success (adoption by workforce users, increased residential availability, and comparative utilization across facilities), the risk of parking displacement into adjacent neighborhoods, and the EDC's potential role advising on findings. No formal vote on the pilot was taken at the EDC meeting; staff described the next step as referral to City Council for ordinance and public hearings.

The commission closed the RAP discussion after questioning and remarks about outreach, data collection and the EDC's ability to help interpret pilot results.