Davis City Council backs paid parking at three free lots. When to expect meters
The Davis City Council approved a plan Tuesday to convert three free parking lots to paid parking in an effort to boost city revenue.
The three lots include about 330 parking spaces, representing about 16% of downtown Davis’ parking. The meters could generate up to $50,000 per week for the city, according to a staff report.
All four council members present voted in favor of the proposal Tuesday. The measure will return to the council for a final reading. If approved, the changes will take effect Sept. 6.
The three lots slated to become paid parking are the South G Street lot between Second and Third streets, the Amtrak Train Depot lot at the Davis station, and the North F Street lot between Third and Fourth streets.
Downtown Davis already charges $1 per hour at the E Street Plaza parking lot between Second and Third streets.
The resolution initially proposed a rate of $3 per hour for all four paid lots, but several council members and speakers during public comment expressed concern about the price.
The E Street, G Street and F Street lots will be metered from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Amtrak Train Depot lot will be metered from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Davis faces a structural budget deficit and has made revenue generation a city priority. Davis’ financial outlook is “weak but not critical,” Finance Director Alberto Preciado said during a budget hearing earlier this month.
The program could bring in about $2.7 million annually, according to Ryan Chapman, Davis’ director of public works, engineering and transportation. Metered parking can benefit downtown businesses because it increases parking availability and turnover, which can boost downtown foot traffic, Chapman said.
City staff estimate the program will generate enough revenue to cover the estimated $50,000 installation cost as well as the approximately $1 million the city already spends annually on parking enforcement.
Davis’ time-based parking ‘not a great system’
Most downtown parking is governed by time limits rather than parking meters. Under the current system, most parking spaces have a two-hour limit, and visitors must move their vehicles if they want to stay longer.
“It’s not a great system,” said Brett Lee, executive director of the Downtown Davis Business Association.
Lee said a better system would include a mix of free and paid parking with both short- and long-term parking options. It would also charge a lower rate on slower weekday mornings than on busy Friday evenings and could even offer discounts when UC Davis is out of session and the student population drops. The measure approved Tuesday does not include dynamic pricing, but city staff recommended pursuing it as a capital improvement project when funding allows.
Lee also said he believes a better system would charge $1 per hour. “Going from free to $3, that’s a very large jump,” he said.
Chapman said the proposed $3 hourly rate is consistent with rates in nearby cities. Sacramento, for example, charges $3 to $6 per hour, depending on the tiered rate. West Sacramento rates are $2 to $4.50 an hour under a similar structure. Charging $1 per hour would reduce annual revenue to about $700,000, he said. Davis Mayor Donna Neville suggested starting rates at $1.50.
Instead of setting the rate at $3 per hour, the council amended the resolution to leave parking rates to be established in a future council resolution rather than by ordinance. City officials said the change will allow the council to adjust rates more easily as parking needs change. The council will consider parking rates and management options at a future meeting.
The Downtown Davis Business Association supports the move to paid parking and is “cautiously optimistic that the city council gets it right,” Lee said.
