At this work session, staff will summarize why the City is in the parking business, respond to the question of implementing a parking tax and provide an outside review regarding the economics of providing parking downtown. To promote growth management.
Structured parking is a better use of valuable land then surface parking lots.
To assure parking availability for customers, residents, employees and events in the downtown area, by encouraging utilization of multi-use parking facilities. To protect residential neighborhoods from spill-over parking. To promote alternative modes of transportation. Directly, through funding bicycle parking and the City's employee bus pass program. Indirectly, because structured parking encourages greater densities, that then stimulates use of alternative modes of transportation use because of increasing parking demand and pricing.