Parking in the Viaduct

There’s an interesting item in the most recent agenda of the Auckland City Council’s Transport Committee meeting about parking policy in the viaduct area. Last year there was a proposal to extent the hours in which you have to pay for parking at the side of the street in the CBD from 6pm to 10pm. Somewhat bizarrely, all hell broke loose and the council eventually backed down on the idea – with the compromise position being that they’d trial some changes to the way parking was managed in the viaduct area.

Here’s the executive summary from the agenda item:

The trial was proposed in order to increase the availability of parking for visitors to the Viaduct and local businesses and contribute to the vibrancy of the area. This was done by implementing two components;

1. an extension of the hours of operation of pay and display parking from 6pm to 10pm
2. and the introduction of graduated tariffs between 8am and 6pm.

The trial was conducted in the following streets:

• Lower Hobson Street (under the overpass)
• Customs Street West (from Lower Hobson Street to Market Place)
• Pakenham Street East (between Market Place and Sturdee Street)
• Market Place (between Customs Street West and Pakenham Street East)

The hours of operation for many businesses at the Viaduct do not conform to the traditional nine to five pattern and parking demands after 6pm are often higher than during the day. The extended hours of the pay and display operation provides convenient parking for customers and visitors to the Viaduct area after 6pm. During the daytime, the parking issue that affects visitors to the area is time restricted parking. By implementing graduated tariffs into the trial area between 8am and 6pm, this provides greater flexibility for people parking at the Viaduct by allowing price, not time, to encourage turnover. This method currently operates with success in Parnell, a similar destination suburb.

Analysis of survey data and a review from an independent transportation consultancy has concluded that the trialled changes are working very well in achieving its objectives. The trial area has high utilisation of around 90%, the turnover is 26% higher and there is a higher proportion of people visiting local businesses compared to the neighbouring area with no restrictions after 6pm. This suggests that the trial supports local businesses by providing more convenient car parking for their customers.

As part of the consultation in relation to this trial, council conducted an online survey though the council website. This survey indicated that residents and businesses were initially opposed to the extension of paid parking hours. Residents believe they are entitled to free on-street parking and that the introduction of the trail would remove that entitlement. Businesses .were opposed because they thought the extended paid parking hours would discourage customers from
visiting the Viaduct.

However, as the occupancy remains high and the turnover is higher than in the control areas without parking restrictions after 6pm, there is evidence to suggest that visitation levels to the Viaduct have not dropped since the trial was introduced and that visitors to the bars and restaurants now enjoy easier access to parking close to these facilities. As the council seeks to develop the waterfront and CBD into a vibrant visitor destination, the contention between residents belief in an entitlement to free on-street parking and the need to meet visitor requirements for parking facilities in close proximity, will require on-going attention. In response to the concerns of residents, the parking changes only affect the car parks located closest to the bars and restaurants and the residents can still park on the street in other locations in the Viaduct. The Parking group will work with residents to develop affordable offstreet parking solutions within the existing council parking facilities located in close proximity to the affected area.

Therefore, this report recommends that the trial in the viaduct become a permanent parking restriction.

In my opinion, it’s just common sense for these changes to be made permanent. If someone’s driving to the viaduct area in the evening for dinner, then paying $8 for a couple of hours’ parking is pretty small-fry compared to the $100+ dinner they’re likely to have. Requiring that people pay for parking is also shown to be effective at making sure some spaces are always available – by increasing turnover. So effectively the choice is between paying $8 for a couple of hours parking or never ever being able to find a place to park – most likely because local residents have parked their cars there for the night. I know what option I’d prefer if I were running a business.

In fact, I think it would be incredibly sensible to charge people for curb-side parking between 6pm and 10pm, perhaps at a lower rate than between 8am and 6pm of course though. This would discourage apartment dwellers, who really should either pay for off-street parking or not own a car from using up spaces that would most probably be more productively used by those visiting the city to have dinner or see a movie etc. It’s a pity that there seems to still be an attitude around that all parking should be free, and that there should be tonnes of it available at all times. Sorry, Auckland is a large city, not a rural town.

Perhaps one of the problems is that people see pay-parking as simply a money-making venture by council – when in fact it’s a measure to ensure the most efficient use of what is a very limited resource: curbside parking in the CBD. When people realise they have to pay for their parking they will limit the time they keep their car parked, leading to greater turnover of spaces and therefore more chance of there being an available space for someone looking for a park. Perhaps what council needs to do is to ring-fence money that is gained from pay-parking and say that it will specifically be spent on something like streetscape upgrades in the CBD. People could be asked whether they supported an increase in the cost of parking if it would lead to faster improvement to footpaths in the CBD, or further shared spaces, or whatever.

Sooner or later we are going to have to wean ourselves off our free-parking addiction, so the CBD is a pretty good place to start.

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