Title
Recommendation to Adopt the Proposed Plan for Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal Parking and Provide Direction on Amendments to Alameda Municipal Code Section 12-17 (Preferential Parking). (Public Works 224)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Adopt the Proposed Plan for Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal Parking and Provide Direction on Amendments to Alameda Municipal Code Section 12-17 (Preferential Parking)
BACKGROUND
The Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) runs the Harbor Bay ferry, which has three departures in the morning and three arrivals in the evening. An estimated 350 ferry riders drive and park at or near the terminal, even though the Harbor Bay ferry terminal’s lot only has a capacity of 250. The remaining 100 or so vehicles park in adjacent residential neighborhoods and/or occupy parking spaces intended for users of the adjacent shoreline park.
Affected residential neighborhoods, including the Headlands and Columbia communities, are sub-homeowner associations (HOA) of the master Harbor Bay Isle HOA. These two associations have public streets under the City’s control. Three additional sub-HOAs impacted by overflow parking-Bay Colony, Freeport, and Cantamar-have private streets and are considering implementing rules to prohibit parking by ferry users.
This problem will only grow as the Harbor Bay ferry service gains popularity. More Alamedans are choosing the convenience and ease of ferries over the other congested routes to San Francisco. Every month, the Harbor Bay ferry is surpassing its prior record for ridership. The Harbor Bay service for this year has experienced a 19% increase in boardings over last year.
Surveys of Harbor Bay ferry users show that 94% of the riders are Alamedans, mostly from Harbor Bay and the east end of Alameda. Nearly half walk, bike, or are dropped off at the ferry. This is a comparatively high percentage of ferry riders who are using alternative transportation modes to access the terminal.
In part, resulting from Harbor Bay residents’ concerns about spillover parking, the Transportation Commission (TC) formed an ad hoc committee in January 2015. The ad hoc committee’s work culminated in the TC’s unanimous April 22, 2015 approval of a plan to add 46 parking spaces on the bayside of Harbor Bay Parkway (HBP) about 600 yards from the ferry terminal. In the resolution approving this plan, the TC included the following principles for a Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal parking plan:
• General support for ferry ridership;
• Minimizing disruption in adjacent residential neighborhoods; and
• Developing a short and long-term plan for adequate ferry terminal parking.
Several participants and commissioners, while approving of the proposed solution, indicated that staff’s proposed solution was not long-term.
The recommendation to add 46 parking spaces on the bayside of HBP required approval from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). On April 1, 2016, BCDC indicated their intent to deny the City’s application based on the proposed 46 parking spaces’ interference with the unique and expansive views of the Bay from HBP. In May, 2016, City staff requested, and BCDC approved a 3-month hold on the City’s application for the additional parking spaces. This was in consultation with the HOA’s and was done in order to give time for City Staff, BCDC, and the HOA’s to work on other solutions, including expansion of the preferential parking program.
DISCUSSION
Consistent with the TC’s direction, staff is proposing that the City Council adopt a long-term solution to spillover parking at the Harbor Bay ferry terminal (see Exhibit 1). This plan has been developed in consultation with the Harbor Bay Isle Associates and presidents of their 20 sub-HOAs. Harbor Bay Isle Associate’s Master HOA Board unanimously voted to approve the plan. Approvals are expected from the Headlands and Columbia sub-HOAs by June 1, and by the remaining sub-HOAs later in June. WETA’s staff have contributed to the plan, some board members have spoken positively of the plan, and WETA’s board is anticipated to take further action on the plan this fall. The proposed long-term plan has three parts.
First, the City will approve a residential permit parking program on the public streets located at the Columbia and Headlands sub-HOAs. The permit parking program would prohibit vehicles from parking on those streets for more than four hours without a permit. Enforcement would be provided by the Alameda Police Department, and the HOAs would handle the cost and administration of permits.
Second, charge $2-$4 per day for parking at the 250 parking spaces at the ferry parking terminal. Parking charges encourage existing parkers to choose alternative transportation to the ferry and generate revenue to fund the plan’s third component.
Third, provide free, reliable transit service through the residential communities of east Alameda and Harbor Bay, where most ferry riders live. This free transit service may mirror the Harbor Bay Business Park’s existing service but in Harbor Bay’s residential communities. Or it may rely on an improved AC Transit’s Line 21, which is free for users who transfer to the ferry, but is currently unreliable. Staff is exploring whether the transit service’s route can include a stop at a location with expanded parking supply, such as the parking lot at the Chuck Corica Golf Complex.
The three components mutually reinforce one another. Without the free transit service and parking charges, the residential permit program might reduce ferry ridership as riders find it too difficult to get to the ferry terminal. Without the parking permit program and the transit service, the parking charges might encourage more spillover parking as drivers seek free parking in adjacent residential neighborhoods. Without the permit parking program and the parking charges, the free transit service would have no funding source and little incentive for riders to choose the transit service rather than to drive and park in the residential neighborhoods near the terminal.
Together, these components advance the City’s environmental and transportation goals by reducing solo driving trips and supporting increased ferry ridership; leverage the already impressive amount of ferry riders’ bicycling, walking, and shuttle-riding; and minimize disruption to adjacent residential neighborhoods. Staff believes the plan is the most viable long-term solution that will allow ferry ridership to continue to grow while minimizing impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods.
Staff gained input on this proposed plan from the TC at its May 25, 2016 meeting. With approval from the City Council, staff will aim to implement all three components simultaneously on January 1, 2017. Given each component’s dependency on the other, staff’s intent is to have each done simultaneously.
Prior to January 1, 2017, City staff, the Harbor Bay HOAs, and WETA will conduct a summer outreach campaign to solicit input from residents and ferry riders on the proposed plan. Concurrently, staff will work to obtain WETA board’s approval in the fall and the City Council’s approval in fall/winter. More outreach will follow announcing the soon-to-be initiated parking charges, the residential parking permit program, and the free transit service.
While many details remain to be worked out and finalized, staff seeks the TC’s and City Council’s approval now given that implementation will require a substantial investment of staff time. For example, with approvals in June, staff will return later to propose amendments to the City’s Residential Permit Parking Program. These amendments will allow HOAs to implement residential permit programs so long as the HOA follows strict noticing requirements, supply evidence of their governing board’s approval, and bear the costs of the program, e.g., signs, permit issuance, permit administration, etc. The proposed changes to the ordinance are attached (see Exhibit 2).
Other details to be worked out involve WETA. WETA considers parking charges a change in fare, subject to their board’s approval. WETA staff is also exploring what parking charge would cover maintenance and operation of the parking charges’ infrastructure and the free transit service. Other details include the free transit service’s route, its on-time performance, contracting arrangements, etc.
BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS/FISCAL IMPACT
The plan is likely to have no impact on the General Fund, as enforcement revenue is expected to cover enforcement cost. In addition, the plan’s new parking revenues would be dedicated to the ferry terminal parking lot maintenance and operation of the free transit service.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the proposed plan for Harbor Bay ferry terminal parking and provide direction on amendments to Alameda Municipal Code Section 12-17 (Preferential Parking).
Respectfully submitted,
Bob Haun, Public Works Director
By,
Jennifer Ott, Director, Base Reuse, Alameda Point
Liam Garland, Deputy Public Works Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal Parking Plan
2. Proposed Amendments to the Alameda Municipal Code