Council
Communication

Office of the City Manager
 
 

Date

November 19, 2007

 

Agenda Item No.       44

Roll Call No.              07-

Communication No.  07-679

Submitted by:  Jeb E. Brewer, P.E.

                                 City Engineer

 

 

AGENDA HEADING:

 

Amending Chapter 114 of the Municipal Code regarding traffic regulation changes as follows:

 

A.                 Handicapped Parking Meter Removal - North Side of High Street East of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.

 

B.         Parking Restrictions on East Side of 25th Street in Order to Increase Visibility in the Area of the Drake University Parking Lot.

 

C.        Changes to Downtown Resident Parking Program.

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

Recommend approval of first reading of the Ordinance regarding the following traffic regulation changes.

 

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

Amount:  Minor costs for sign modifications.

 

Funding Source:  2007-2008 Operating Budget, Page 133, Engineering Department Traffic & Transportation – Sign Installation and Maintenance, ENG100413.

 

Amount:  Limited revenue, depending on number of permits purchased. 

 

Funding Source:  2007-2008 Operating Budget, Page 125, Engineering Department Traffic & Transportation - Parking Meter Maintenance and Collection, ENG100710.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

 

A.                 At the request of the owner of the Metro Market, located at the corner of 19th and High, Traffic and Transportation recommends removal of the existing handicapped parking area to allow room for additional customer parking on High Street.  This handicapped parking restriction had been installed at the request of the previous owner to accommodate customers using the lower level retail spaces.  The lower level retail space no longer exists.  The following revision to the Municipal Code will remove the handicapped parking restriction in this area and allow regular parking.

 

Sec. 114-3315.  High Street—Nineteenth Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.

 

High Street, on the north side, from a point 140 feet east of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to a point 50 feet east thereof, is designated a handicapped parking space and is subject to the same prohibition as is found in section 114-616(a) of this code.

 

B.         Staff was requested to review the parking conditions on the east side of 25th Street between Carpenter and Forest Avenues, in the vicinity of Drake University's parking lot.  Concern was expressed regarding limited visibility caused by parked vehicles for students as they exit this parking lot.  Staff has reviewed the current parking restrictions and recommends that parking be prohibited on the east side of 25th Street near the two parking lot driveways.  Drake University officials have concurred in this recommendation.  The following code revisions are necessary for this change:

 

Sec. 114-2829.  Twenty-fifth Street—Woodland Avenue to Payne Road.

 

Twenty-fifth Street, on the east side, from a point 130 feet north of University Avenue to a point 560 feet south of Forest Avenue, two-hour parking, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

Twenty-fifth Street, on the east side, from a point 560 feet south of Forest Avenue to a point 140 feet north thereof, no parking any time.

 

Twenty-fifth Street on the east side, from a point 420 feet south of Forest Avenue to a point 220 feet north thereof, two-hour parking, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

Twenty-fifth Street, on the east side, from Forest Avenue to a point 200 50 feet south thereof, no parking any time.

 

C.        In 2002, the City established a downtown resident parking program, primarily for residents around the Gateway Park area, due to certain overnight parking restrictions that eliminated most of the available on-street parking in this area.  However, the initial program has not been used by residents, as there are several features that do not meet their needs.  Traffic and Transportation staff has worked with representatives of the residents in this area to identify changes in the program that would better meet the parking needs of the residents. 

 

The current program provides a single type of permit, valid for overnight parking only in designated areas, issued on an annual basis with a fee of $25 per month.  The recommended changes would keep this permit and the monthly fee of $25, but would allow permits to be sold on a monthly basis, and would create a second permit that would allow parking both overnight and during the day in designated areas, with a monthly fee of $50.  This permit would allow a permit holder to park on the street at a parking meter without paying an additional fee for the meter, as that fee would be prepaid in the permit fee. 

 

Because permit holders will be able to park at meters all day, adjacent retail businesses could lose customer parking.  Therefore, it is recommended that 13th Street between Locust Street and Grand Avenue be removed from the residential permit parking.  Residents would still be able to park on the north side of Locust Street and the south side of Grand Avenue west of 13th Street.  Both types of permits would be subject to other posted parking restrictions, such as corner clearances, rush hour restrictions and emergency restrictions issued under the authority of the chief of police.  The following ordinance changes are necessary to implement these revisions to the resident parking program.

 

Sec. 114-613.01.  Parking in spaces designated for resident parking permits.

 

(a)        When official signs are erected, no person shall park a vehicle in a parking space designated as a space for resident permit parking unless the vehicle displays, on the front drivers side windshield, a resident parking permit, in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 114-640.02, issued by the city of Des Moines engineering department, traffic and transportation division.  Resident parking permits are may be either of two types, with a Type A permit valid 24 hours per day and a Type B permit valid from (6:00 p.m. to 78:00 a.m. daily, Monday through Friday, plus all day Saturday and Sunday), but do not supersede additionally posted parking restrictions as defined in Sec. 114-602 or temporary restrictions posted under authority of the chief of police. 

 

Sec. 114-640.01. Resident parking permits. 

 

The city traffic engineer is authorized to issue an annual resident parking permit, at a fee of $25.00 per month, a resident parking permit for residents living within the parking meter and resident parking permit districts, as defined by Sec. 114-636, 114-637 and 114-638.  Resident parking permits will may be issued on an annual or monthly basis only.  The fee of for a Type A permit shall be $50.00 per month, while the fee for a Type B permit shall be $25.00 per month.  Fees may will be prorated on a monthly basis from the start of the effective period of the resident parking permit for permits issued after the start of the effective period for the most current resident parking permit.  Resident parking permits will be of one a color and design, as determined by the city traffic engineer, and this color and design will change on an annual basis as needed for enforcement purposes, as determined by the city traffic engineer. 

 

Sec. 114-640.02.  Resident parking permit placement. 

 

Residents issued residential parking permits are required to apply and display the resident parking permit on the front passenger side windshield of the vehicle in compliance with placement and visibility requirements established by the city traffic engineer.  The resident parking permit will be of such a design that it must be applied to the inside of the windshield of the vehicle in a permanent manner consistent with the type of parking permit issued. 

 

Sec. 114-640.03.  Residency requirements for issuance of a resident parking permit. 

 

Residents must be able to establish to the satisfaction of the city traffic engineer that their permanent they have a current residence is within the boundaries of parking meter and resident permit parking districts I, II or III to be eligible for issuance of a resident parking permit.  Proof of residence will normally be a copy of a signed and executed lease document. 

 

Sec. 114-2738.  Thirteenth Street—Locust Street to Grand Avenue.

 

Thirteenth Street, on the west side, from Locust Street to Grand Avenue, resident permit parking only, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

 

Thirteenth Street, on the east side, from a point 135 feet south of Grand Avenue to a point 45 feet north of Locust Street, Resident Permit Parking only, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

 

Sec. 114-3256.  Grand Avenue -Thirteenth Street to Fifteenth Street.

 

Grand Avenue, on the south side, from a point 20 feet west of Thirteenth Street to a point 190 feet east west thereof, resident permit parking only, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

 

Sec. 114-3431.  Locust Street - Thirteenth Street to Fourteenth Street.

 

Locust Street, on the north side, from a point 20 feet west of Thirteenth Street to a point 90 feet west thereof, resident permit parking only, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

 

 

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S):  NONE 

 

 

BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S):  NONE

 

 

ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS: 

 

Second and third readings of Ordinance.