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City staff: downtown has enough overall ADA stalls but on‑street supply falls short; 29 more on‑street stalls recommended
Summary
Staff told the council their downtown parking survey found about 175 handicap stalls across public and private lots (roughly a 1:16 ratio overall) but just 13 on‑street handicap stalls; to meet the 1:25 public on‑street guideline the city would need about 29 more on‑street accessible stalls. Staff recommended business outreach, staging installs and using the ADA transition plan.
Richard Law, a city staff presenter, told the council the city surveyed downtown parking and found roughly 175 handicap stalls across public and private facilities and an aggregate of about 2,900 parking spaces, producing an overall ratio of about 1:16. "We went around and... we found a total of a 175, handicap parking stalls, public and private," he said.
Law said the on‑street condition differs: the downtown has about 59 parallel and angle on‑street stalls but only 13 on‑street handicap stalls. "In order to reach the 1 to 25 ratio of public only, we would need an additional 29 handicap parking spaces in the right of way," he said. Staff cited the US Access Board guideline of one accessible stall per 25 public spaces as the comparison benchmark.
Costs vary by location, Law said, depending on whether work requires concrete ramps or other curb/sidewalk changes. He estimated a range of roughly $5,000 to $20,000 per stall, depending on site conditions and existing infrastructure.
Council members discussed how to phase implementation and how businesses might view loss of regular curbside stalls. Council member Lombardi suggested spreading installations over several years to reduce cost pressure and allow business feedback. "I would recommend the 1st year hit the most important ones and then stagger them out," Lombardi said.
Staff recommended pairing any new on‑street accessible stalls with the city's ongoing ADA transition plan and the downtown enhancements program, and said they would consult individual business owners before converting existing parking to accessible stalls.
Next steps: staff will incorporate council feedback into a plan that prioritizes locations and looks for cost efficiencies (for example, placing new stalls near existing curb ramps), then return with a refined proposal for scheduling and budgeting.
