Turlock downtown parking woes get a hearing

The Turlock Planning Commission will discuss downtown parking Thursday and send the planning process forward to the City Council.

Downtown Turlock has plenty of parking, with about half its spaces on streets and public lots sitting empty even at peak times, a study by transportation consultant TJKM found. That said, the prime spots most shoppers and diners want fill up first, with vehicles parked all day taking up many of them.

Counters found 17 percent of on-street parking in the core downtown area is taken up by cars staying the full workday. Long-term parkers tend to concentrate on Main Street, Olive Avenue, Center Street and Broadway, while underused lots sit nearby.

There are 12 public parking lots downtown, most tucked behind Main Street commercial frontage without signs to steer drivers to them. Decades ago, planners foresaw stores creating entrances facing available parking. But today many downtown lots offer less-than-welcoming views of blank walls, fire escapes and dumpsters.

The parking study recommends stores add pedestrian-oriented frontage, but otherwise did not examine private-property issues. Lack of lighting and uneven sidewalks topped the reasons few people want to walk any distance downtown in an online survey included in the study. Those who participated in the survey included Turlock residents, 66 percent; visitors, 14 percent; and business owners, 10 percent.

More than a third of those surveyed were so determined to park only steps away, they usually circle the block until a spot opens up, the survey tallied.

Reluctance to walk was the second-most noted reason, overlapping with those noting they had mobility impairments. Two queries that focused on perceptions of danger in the area – fears for personal safety or vehicle security – placed such fears lowest on the list of concerns.

TJKM’s study of parking patterns found that the area around Main Street east of Center Street was the most difficult to find a parking spot in on weekday mornings. The survey found that for Saturday nights, the most difficult spot is the West Main Street area near several popular restaurants.

Restaurants bring more than half of all visitors to downtown, according to the online survey, which drew 157 responses. Among those surveyed, 6 percent walked to downtown and 91 percent drove. Drivers said they were able to park within a block of their destination about two-thirds of the time.

The draft Downtown Parking Plan commissioners will be asked to recommend to the City Council a number of improvements. First on their list are crosswalks on Golden State Boulevard and added lighting on side streets.

Two-hour time limits between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., regularly enforced, would also be wise, the study says, with employee permits for city parking lots. Smart meters and apps could help drivers find empty spaces, alert customers that their time is almost up and allow them to add money remotely. The sensors also alert parking enforcers when cars overstay their time.

To help visitors find lots, signs are proposed. Special events, including the weekly farmers market, could use special planning and window stickers to help customers plan their approach.

Longer term, the city is urged to upgrade “walkability” to lots by repairing sidewalks; improving parking lot landscaping; and adding streetlights, wheelchair ramps and shade trees.

Turlock is forecast to grow at a faster rate than Stanislaus County as a whole, 4.3 percent annually, adding about 54,000 jobs by 2030. Its future will lead to a need for more parking around 2032, possibly a multistory garage, the study predicted.

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Turlock downtown parking woes get a hearing."