Consultants present draft Downtown parking study; recommend removing deck reserved spaces and piloting Saturday operations

Consultants from Walker briefed City of Clemson officials in a July work session on a draft comprehensive parking study that they said relied on stakeholder meetings, on‑street observations and an online survey of about 1,500 responses.

The lead consultant said the city controls roughly 511 parking spaces (decks and on‑street) and that about 162 of those spaces are designated reserved inside decks, leaving an operating inventory of roughly 349 spaces available to visitors, shoppers and students. "We're not recommending doing away with the permit program," the consultant said, "but let's do away with the designated reserve spaces" to increase public availability.

Why it matters: Councilors and merchants have complained that reserved signs create the perception of scarcity even when reserved spots sit empty; consultants said removing designated reserved spaces in decks would free space for consumers while retaining permit benefits for those who need them.

Key recommendations and details: - Remove designated reserved spaces inside parking decks but retain the ability for users to purchase permits (consultant rationale: survey respondents expressed frustration seeing empty reserved spots they could not use). - Hold the city's overnight parking ordinance in place but create a staff‑permitted exception for a limited number of service or shift workers who need to arrive before a traditional shift starts. - Standardize signage to meet MUTCD conventions (colors and language) and visually mark privately deeded curbside spaces so users and enforcement can distinguish city‑controlled from privately controlled stalls. - Pilot Saturday operations in the parking system only where demand warrants; the consultants recommended offering the first two hours free in decks on Saturdays as a phased rollout to ease merchant concerns. - Simplify the downtown employer prepaid program to a flat fee (example: $5 for a typical five‑hour shift) and limit that program to parking decks rather than on‑street meters to reduce administrative burden. - Transition physical permits to a license‑plate tied virtual permit linked to the city's existing plate‑based enforcement and ParkMobile platform. - Improve wayfinding and digital signage at deck portals (a simple display of current deck availability rather than per‑level counts) and consider integration with a mobile app. - Consider shared‑parking agreements with residential garages before building new structured parking.

The consultant also noted near‑term staffing and capital considerations: a part‑time enforcement position could cover extended hours (reducing reliance on police) and a planned College Avenue development will add roughly 140–144 parking spaces to the municipal system, increasing capacity from about 511 to roughly 655 spaces.

Council members and staff asked operational questions about easements, lease terms affecting privately controlled curbside spaces and whether sensors or per‑space detection would be cost‑effective. On branding, the consultant urged a cohesive City of Clemson parking identity to increase public confidence in the system.

The consultant emphasized the report is in draft form and asked council for feedback; staff will incorporate input and return with implementation steps and any ordinances or administrative changes needed before formal adoption.

The work session closed with a motion to adjourn; no final policy action on the study occurred at this meeting.