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Council reviews Walker Consulting parking study: town has capacity but local 'hot spots' exceed 85% occupancy
Summary
A Walker Consulting inventory found roughly 2,900 parking spaces in Kensington (about 60% private), with systemwide average occupancy of 30–50% but localized hot spots exceeding 85%. The parking task force will work with staff and Walker on recommendations (signage, shared parking, paid parking and enforcement) and expects initial findings by September.
The Kensington parking task force and Walker Consulting presented inventory and fieldwork findings at the July 15 council meeting, showing that while the town appears to have overall capacity, several commercial nodes experience consistently high occupancy.
Task force lead Anne (speaker 5) told the council Walker’s inventory counted about “2,900 spots” across the study area, with roughly 60% of those in private lots. Walker’s field measurements showed that town‑wide average occupancy often sits between 30% and 50%, but several hot spots — including popular commercial areas — spike above 85% occupancy at peak times.
The consultant also conducted license‑plate sampling to estimate turnover and used observations at different times of day. Anne summarized potential solutions the task force is exploring, including improved signage and wayfinding, shared‑parking agreements with private lots, paid parking options and a stronger enforcement model. She emphasized that any enforcement approach needs adequate staffing or technical tools: “Any system to be worthwhile needs an adequate enforcement,” she said.
Council discussed next steps: Walker will continue analysis and the task force requested a working session with staff once draft recommendations are available, likely in August. The town expects to receive initial findings and potential recommendations at the September council meeting; the consultant’s work is scoped through September.
Other items tied to the parking work included discussion about bike parking and ADA parking. Walker’s current scope does not include detailed ADA‑parking recommendations, and council members said they will decide whether to expand the consultant’s scope or pursue targeted follow‑up work on ADA access.
Next steps: Walker and the parking task force will refine recommendations and hold a working session with staff; draft recommendations and an initial report are expected for discussion in September.
