What is the Parking Study doing?

The Parking Study firm KOA has been busy turning all that data that they've collected into recommendations for solutions to our parking woes. While this parking study only covers Alamitos Beach and Downtown, we hope this opens the door to a change in city policies elsewhere in Long Beach.

Here is a partial list of the types of data and info that KOA has collected and analyzed:

• They have physically counted all on-street and off-street parking spaces

• They have collected info about the parking restrictions. They counted and measured the restricted areas.

• They took parking occupancy counts at different times in the day. (What percentage of parking spaces are being used?)

• They showed the results on maps. Individual problem areas could then be reviewed so the area's unique issues could be addressed.

• City parking policies were reviewed.

• Public outreach included an online parking survey that received 4,000 responses!

KOA is looking for data-driven solutions. The results of their study are still preliminary. KOA sent us this list of some of the discussions and recommendations that will be included (my notes are in green):

- Increasing on-street parking supply where applicable

- Downtown and Alamitos Beach areas

(They have mapped areas where red zones could be shortened or the angle of the parking could be changed, etc.)

- Providing better signage for locating and navigating to off-street parking facilities

- To better manage the parking utilization within Downtown

- Pricing recommendations for on-street and off-street parking facilities

- For better utilization of available parking within the Downtown area

(A lower price could encourage people who don't need to use their car often to park further away from their home, opening up more parking in congested areas for those who use their car daily.)

- Preferential / Overnight parking districts

- For the Alamitos Beach area, or portions of, for better parking utilization and management

- New metered parking in commercial areas

- To create parking turnover and allow customers to park near the commercial uses and not in the neighborhood

- Overnight parking facilities for residents

- To increase the parking locations for residents in the Alamitos Beach area for overnight parking

(They have been exploring church, school, and business parking that could be rented to residents overnight.)

- Potential expansion of the FreeRide shuttle Program into Alamitos Beach

- To provide connectivity between Downtown and Alamitos Beach

KOA and city reps are still searching for creative solutions to the more complex issues. Keep watching and speak up when it goes to City Council this fall because the City could still refuse to make any changes!