Changes to Residential Parking Zone Programs

For summary of proposed changes, go to
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/docs/RPZFactSh

Primary Recommendations:
- Limit the number of permits per household to a maximum of four in the least
congested neighborhoods.
- Limit number of permits per household to two in moderately congested areas and to
one in severely congested areas.
- Replace one guest permit good year round with multiple permits, each good for one day.
– Sell guest permits in packages of ten.
– Increase permit fees to cover the administrative cost of the program.
– Apply major institutions’ contribution to a wider range of traffic and parking mitigation measures, rather than paying permit fees for individual residents.
– Request additional budget for enforcement and dedicate more hours to enforce RPZ zones.

Background:
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) released draft
recommendations for changes to the Residential Parking Zone (RPZ) program, a
critical parking management tool used here for nearly thirty years. To
better protect residential parking, enhance urban neighborhoods and improve
customer service, these draft recommendations would revise RPZ guidelines
and policies for the first time since 1994. SDOT is seeking public comment
until October 20, 2008, and will submit recommendations to the mayor and
city council by the end of the year.

First established in 1979, Seattle’s RPZ program focuses on neighborhoods
where too many vehicles compete for too few parking spaces. The zones are
designed to help neighborhoods by discouraging long-term parking by
non-residents (e.g., commuters to nearby major institutions) on residential
streets. There are currently 27 RPZs throughout the city, with over 17,000
vehicles possessing RPZ decals.

In developing the draft recommendations, SDOT’s RPZ Policy Review Project
incorporated extensive technical analysis, data from other cities’ parking
management systems, and initial comments from residents, business owners,
and major institutions in or near current zones. The proposed changes seek to:

• Protect residential neighborhoods from parking problems created by large
traffic generators, such as hospitals, schools, colleges, major employers
and transit stations;
• Enhance mixed-use neighborhoods and business districts;
• Reduce overall resource usage and vehicle emissions; and
• Make the RPZ program easier to use, and more clearly and equitably applied.

The draft recommendations include changes in the number of permits allowed
per household for neighborhoods with limited parking and caps on permits
allowed across all RPZs. They also revise rules for guest permits and
establishing new parking zones, and restructure fees to better cover program
costs. The draft recommendations additionally make changes to better serve
permit users and enhance RPZ parking enforcement.

A summary of the draft recommendations and a questionnaire designed to
gather input are posted on SDOT’s website at
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/rpz_policy_rev.

Printed copies will also be made available and can be obtained by contacting
Mary Catherine Snyder at 206-684-8110 or via e-mail at
marycatherine.snyder@seattle.gov.

The RPZ Policy Review Project team will be meeting with community groups
citywide over the next several weeks to solicit feedback. Comments must be
received by SDOT no later than October 20, 2008, to be considered in the
development of final recommendations.

Josh Stepherson
Public Outreach and Communications
Consultant - Stepherson & Associates
SDOT Major Projects Office
700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3800
(206) 684-3136