HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2020 0115 REG CCSA ITEM 09ACITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA
City Council Meeting
of January 15, 2020
ACTION Received report. BY B.Garza.
A. Receive a Report on the Downtown Parking Study. Staff Recommendation:
Receive the report. (Staff: Karen Vaughn)
Item: 9.A.
MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: Karen Vaughn, Community Development Director
DATE: 01/15/2020 Regular Meeting
SUBJECT: Receive a Report on the Downtown Parking Study
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The City’s Downtown Specific Plan (DTSP), initially adopted in 1998 and subsequently
amended in 2006, outlines a vision for a revitalized downtown Moorpark. The DTSP
contains goals and a core vision for the revitalization of downtown to make it an
attractive and thriving place for the enjoyment and benefit of everyone. Within Section
1.1 it states, “Revitalization and image building of Old Town Moorpark will contribute to
a memorable City identity, welcoming residents and visitors to downtown Moorpark.”
The DTSP also includes a mixed-use analysis which found that “mixed use is
appropriate in the Old Town Commercial Zone along the High Street corridor.” It further
found that “increasing residential and office activities in downtown can foster a healthy,
diverse environment.”
As potential development projects have been proposed along High Street, the question
of adequate parking has arisen. The DTSP and the City’s Zoning Ordinance contain
parking standards as well as parking incentives for downtown. On May 15, 2019, the
City Council held a workshop to receive a presentation on the proposed High Street
Depot project and to provide policy direction to staff. The Council directed that, among
other things, flexible parking standards are appropriate for mixed-use projects located
within transit-oriented development.
In order to fully understand how parking currently works in downtown and to provide a
solid foundation for flexible mixed-use parking standards, staff reached out to several
parking consultants for the preparation of a downtown parking study to evaluate current
parking conditions within downtown. Staff ultimately decided that Walker Consultants
had the requisite expertise and knowledge necessary to perform the data collection and
analysis that the City was seeking. On September 18, 2019, City Council approved an
agreement with Walker Consultants to conduct a parking study of downtown Moorpark.
Item: 9.A.
35
Honorable City Council
01/15/2020 Regular Meeting
Page 2
The Downtown Parking Map (Attachment 1) identifies public parking areas within
downtown, including surface parking lots and on-street parking spaces that were
included in the analysis. In total, 914 downtown public parking spaces (630 surface lot
parking spaces and 284 on-street parking spaces) were analyzed.
The Downtown Parking Study (Attachment 2) includes the methodology and dates of
data collection, compilation of the data, and analysis and recommendations. The
methodology included Walker Consultants staff performing in-person data collection
over several days, including times when an event was occurring at the High Street Arts
Center (HSAC). The data collection was conducted on four separate occasions:
Weekday non-event, Saturday evening non-event, Saturday day and evening with
event, and Sunday day with event.
The study found that on all four occasions, occupancy of available public parking
spaces was less than the industry standard target of 85% utilization. The highest
occupancy occurred on weekdays with 40% of available spaces being utilized. This
was due primarily to the City Hall lot and Metrolink commuter lots being used. Weekend
peak occupancy occurred on Sunday afternoon (during an HSAC matinee) with 29% of
available spaces being utilized. The study concludes that there is an abundance of
available public parking within downtown, the majority of which is underutilized.
The study also analyzed parking turnover to determine the average length of occupancy
of parking spaces. In general, the majority of vehicles parked in downtown stay for one
to two hours (77%). Thus, over three-fourths of available public parking in downtown is
being utilized for short term usage.
The study encourages the City to view its downtown parking spaces as assets, which
can be leveraged in order to achieve various goals (such as downtown revitalization and
economic development). Report recommendations include the adoption of a target
parking utilization rate and a shared parking strategy for downtown. The data and
recommendations from the downtown parking study will inform the development of a
Mixed-Use Overlay Zone and the upcoming General Plan Update.
The Walker Consultants proposal included an optional task to develop a parking
management plan for the HSAC, at a cost of $4,250. When Council approved the
contract in September, staff recommended that the downtown parking study be
conducted first so that we could have the data in hand before moving on to the optional
task. Given the very low parking utilization rates during HSAC events, staff does not
recommend moving forward with the optional task at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving this report.
36
Honorable City Council
01/15/2020 Regular Meeting
Page 3
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE
This action is consistent with City Council Strategy 1, Goal 1 (1.1): “Reinvigorate High
Street” and Goal 3 (1.3): “Evaluate and deploy tools for adaptive reuse of vacant and
existing underutilized sites with property owners.” The downtown parking study
provides baseline data of existing downtown parking usage which can be used to
develop strategies and incentives for future downtown development.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Receive the report.
Attachment 1: Downtown Parking Map
Attachment 2: Downtown Parking Study
37
Lot
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Capacity 125 spaces 8 spaces 8 spaces 60 spaces 13 spaces in
Chamber of
Commerce lot plus
large unstriped
areas
Large unstriped
lot to be partially
improved with
Lot 7
64 spaces (expanded to
93 with improvement
project and portion of
adjacent Lot 6)
47+ spaces (temporary
striping plan)
208 spaces
Restrictions 11 reserved for
City vehicles, 5
reserved for Active
Adult Center
Gated and
reserved for
use by Arts
Center
Gated and
reserved for
use by Arts
Center
No
overnight
parking
No overnight
parking
No overnight
parking
Restricted to use by
commuter and no
overnight parking
No overnight parking Restricted to use by
commuters and limited stalls
designated for overnight
parking
Ownership City of Moorpark City of
Moorpark
City of
Moorpark
City of
Moorpark
City of Moorpark City of Moorpark Ventura County
Transportation
Commission
City of Moorpark (smaller
lot) and City Successor
Agency (larger lot)
Ventura County
Transportation Commission
3
1
7 8
2
4 5 6
9
ATTACHMENT 1
38
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 1
This memorandum provides an overview of the existing parking supply within downtown Moorpark. It also includes
the existing parking demand based on parking occupancy data that was collected as part of this study as well as an
analysis of parking turnover within downtown. As part of this study, Walker also evaluated the parking demand
generated by the High Street Arts Center (HSAC), a local theater located in downtown that is a major local and
regional draw to the area.
Based on a review of the existing conditions analysis, major findings include:
•There are 914± parking spaces in the study area.1 This number includes 284± publicly available on-street
spaces and 630± off-street spaces in public parking lots, all of which are maintained by the City. The City
owns all off-street lots studied except for two lots (Lot 7 and 9), which are owned by the Ventura County
Transportation Commission (VCTC). Private off-street parking lots were not included in this analysis.
•Peak parking demand occurred on a weekday at 11:00 a.m. when 40% of spaces were found to be occupied,
369± vehicles parked, and 545± spaces available.
•Weekend peak occupancy occurred on Sunday at 2:00 p.m., during a matinee performance at the HSAC,
when 29% of spaces were occupied, 268± vehicles parked, and 646± spaces available.
•Peak parking demand on a Saturday night, with no event at the HSAC, occurred at 5:00 p.m. with 16% of
spaces occupied, 147± vehicles parked, and 767± spaces available.
•On a Saturday with an event occurring at the HSAC at 8:00 p.m., peak parking demand occurred at 8:30
p.m. with 27% of spaces occupied, 249± vehicles parked, and 665± spaces available.
•Overall, the majority of vehicles parked in downtown were parked f or one or two hours. The remaining
vehicles were parked for three or more hours. Vehicles parked longer than three hours are likely employees
or those parking in areas of High Street without the posted limit.
1 Parking supply numbers were collected and determined based on Walker’s field observations. On-street spaces in downtown Moorpark
were comprised of unmarked spaces at the curb. The number of cars that can be parked at the curb will vary based on how drivers park and
the size of their vehicles. The number of on-street spaces was therefore determined based on the amount of curb available for parking and
observed occupancies. Two of the lots where parking data was collected were unpaved and unmarked; therefore, parking inventory in those
locations was determined based on the size of the lots and occupancies observed.
DATE: December 30, 2019
TO: Karen Vaughn, Community Development Director
COMPANY: City of Moorpark
ADDRESS: 799 Moorpark Ave
CITY/STATE: Moorpark, CA
FROM: Shannon Edwin, Steffen Turoff, Tania Schleck
PROJECT NAME: Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
PROJECT NUMBER: 37-8944.00
ATTACHMENT 2
39
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 2
•The existing two-hour time limit restrictions in downtown appear to be sufficient time for most downtown
patrons parking on the street. Due to relatively low parking demand, turnover does not to appear to be an
issue currently.
•Overall, even during the busiest hour of the week, there are more available (vacant) parking spaces in
Moorpark’s downtown than occupied parking spaces. Walker typically recommends parking occupancy
targets of 85% for on-street facilities and 90% for off-street.
•With downtown Moorpark’s surplus of parking availability, the City may consider adopting reduced parking
requirements and/or an in-lieu fee for new development rather than requiring new parking to be built, in
order to more efficiently use land downtown and manage existing parking facilities.
Downtown Parking Supply
Walker conducted parking inventory (the supply of parking
spaces) counts on October 10, 2019. Based on the results
of this count, Walker identified a supply of 914± public
parking spaces available in downtown Moorpark.2 This
includes 284± on-street spaces and 630± off-street spaces.
All parking facilities in the study area are located within
one-quarter mile of High Street. It is noted that no private
off-street parking spaces were included as part of this
study.
High Street, the main commercial street in downtown, accommodates 100± of the on-street parking space supply.
The remaining on-street spaces are located on Walnut Street, Bard Street, Magnolia Street, and Charles Street.
Charles Street primarily serves the residential uses along the street.
A visualization of the distribution of the parking supply in downtown Moorpark is shown in Figure 1.
2 The number of on-street spaces was therefore determined based on the amount of curb available for parking and observed occupancies.
Two of the lots where parking data was collected were unpaved and unmarked; therefore, parking inventory in those locations was
determined based on the size of the lots and occupancies observed..
On-street
spaces
284
Off-street
spaces
630
40
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 3
Figure 1: Distribution of Downtown Parking Supply
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019
The analysis area for this study is shown in Figure 2. Table 1 provides a summary of the parking supply collected
within the downtown Moorpark study area.
On-Street
284 spaces,
31% of total
Off-Street
630 spaces,
69% of total
41
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 4
Figure 2: Downtown Moorpark Study Area
Source: Satellite image, Google Earth Professional, 2019; Graphics, Walker Consultants, 2019
42
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 5
Table 1: Parking Supply Summary
On-Street1 Number of Spaces
High Street 100
Walnut Street 36
Bard Street 19
Magnolia Street 13
Charles Street 116
Subtotal 284
Off-Street
Lot 1a 80
Lot 1b 8
Lot 1c 39
Lot 2 8
Lot 3 8
Lot 4 57
Lot 5A 13
Lot 5B2 60
Lot 62 38
Lot 73 64
Lot 8 47
Lot 93 208
Subtotal 630
Total Parking Supply 914
1 The number of on-street spaces was therefore determined based on the amount of
curb available for parking and observed occupancies. Two of the lots where parking data
was collected were unpaved and unmarked; therefore, parking inventory in those
locations was determined based on the size of the lots and occupancies observed.
2These lots are unpaved and unmarked; therefore, supplies were estimated based on
size of lot and occupancies observed.
3 These lots are owned by VCTC and meant to be used for commuter purposes.
.
43
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 6
Parking Restrictions and Enforcement
Parking restrictions along High Street currently reflect a degree of inconsistency. There is a posted time-limit of
two hours on portions of High Street, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Signs for this limit are
displayed on the south side of High Street from Bard Street to the end of public parking lot 8. A two-hour limit is
posted on the North Side of High Street beginning just east of Bard Street and extending to Metrolink Lot 7.
A two-hour limit also exists on Walnut Street and the east side of Magnolia Street. The remaining on-street spaces
are currently unrestricted with no time limits.
Off-street lots are also currently not restricted with regard to length of time drivers may park, but do not allow
parking from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
Based on conversations with the City, parking regulations are currently not actively enforced, unless a complaint is
called in regarding a vehicle parking beyond the two-hour limit (likely by a business owner concerned about a space
being occupied near their business). The Moorpark Police Department provides parking enforcement for the City.
Figure 3 shows an example of the existing parking restriction signage.
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019.
Figure 3: Existing Parking Restriction Signs
44
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 7
High Street Arts Center
The High Street Arts Center (HSAC) is a local theater located on High Street in downtown Moorpark. The HSAC hosts
live theatrical performances, concerts, and film screenings. The HSAC, which is owned by the City of Moorpark and
operated by the Moorpark Foundation for the Arts, hosts live theatrical performances, concerts, and film
screenings. The HSAC is a prominent part of downtown, drawing visitors both locally and regionally.
As one of the biggest draws to downtown Moorpark, it was important to capture the existing parking demand
generated by the HSAC. Walker worked with both City staff and the HSAC to determine appropriate times to collect
parking data to ensure it reflected parking in downtown during a performance.
Figure 4: High Street Arts Center in Downtown Moorpark
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019
Walker and City staff also met with representatives of the HSAC to gain a greater understanding of how parking
currently functions on performance evenings and matinees, as well as how employees currently park.
According to HSAC staff, employees primarily park in Lot 4 which is across Moorpark Avenue and near the Post
Office. Patrons and event attendees primarily utilize Lots 5a and 5b, as well as the on-street parking on High Street.
HSAC staff stated that on evenings with sold out performances, Lot 5a and 5b typically reach capacity, along with
several on-street spaces filling up on High Street and Walnut Street. Staff indicated that Sunday matinees are
typically their busiest times.
45
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 8
The HSAC also has two lots directly adjacent to the building that are used exclusively for the theater, Lot 2 and Lot
3. Lot 2 is used as parking for people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) during
performances and temporary ADA signs are displayed during these times. Lot 3 is primarily used by staff and donors.
HSAC staff noted that parking, in general, is currently not an issue. The combination of Lot 4, Lot 5, and on-street
parking allows for parking to be adequately accommodated. The major concern expressed by HSAC staff is the
potential loss of Lot 5b if that site is developed. HSAC staff expressed concern over where their patrons would park
if this lot was no longer available, noting that some patrons may no longer attend performances if parking is too
inconvenient. It should be noted, however, that Lot 5b was identified as a temporary parking solution for the HSAC
in the City’s Downtown Specific Plan.
Additionally, although Lot 4 is proximate to the site and employees currently park there, HSAC staff believe that the
Moorpark Avenue/High Street intersection presents a difficult and potentially dangerous crossing for patrons. HSAC
staff have suggested it is safer for patrons to cross High Street rather than Moorpark Avenue, even if it requires
jaywalking or crossing without a crosswalk, despite the inherent safety issues in doing so.3
HSAC also expressed a need for additional ADA spaces within close proximity to the theater, as the majority of their
patrons are seniors, who may have a disproportionate need for such spaces.
Existing Parking Demand
Walker evaluated parking demand in downtown by conducting occupancy counts of parked cars in public parking
spaces (the parking inventory) on multiple days and time periods.
Weekday counts were conducted every two hours on Thursday, October 10, 2019, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Weekend counts were conducted on multiple days in order to capture parking demand in downtown during a
performance at the HSAC and on a non-performance night. Saturday evening counts were conducted, without a
performance, on October 12, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Daytime and evening counts (with an event at HSAC)
were collected every two hours on October 29, 2019 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Since performances at the HSAC
began at 8:00 p.m., during this time, the last count was collected after 8:00 p.m. in order to capture the entirety of
the parking demand from the HSAC.
An additional count was collected every hour on Sunday, October 27, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in order to
capture peak parking demand during a matinee showing at the HSAC, which began at 2:00 p.m.
Overall, peak parking demand was observed to occur on a weekday at 11:00 a.m. with 40% of spaces occupied
(369± occupied spaces out of 914± total spaces). Weekend peak occupancy was observed to occur on Sunday at
2:00 p.m. with a parking occupancy of 29% (268± occupied spaces out of 914± total spaces).
3 Walker did not evaluate current measures or measures suggested by HSAC or City staff for safety considerations, as such considerations
are beyond our scope of services for this engagement and beyond our purview of expertise.
46
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 9
The overall downtown parking utilization observed during the study periods is considered to be low in comparison
to typical occupancy goals for parking systems, overall. An 85% utilization rate is the typical target for on-street
parking spaces within most parking systems, as it provides a reasonable balance between the majority of spaces
being utilized while adequate availability remains for those seeking a space. Off-street parking facilities can have an
acceptable parking occupancy rate of 90%, or higher for facilities where employees regularly park , although the
85% for off-street simply represents a higher level of service to the driver (more regular availability is provided).
In general, when parking facilities experience occupancies greater than 85%, users begin to perceive parking as
“full” and are likely to spend more time circling to find a space. At 85%, most spaces are being utilized but those
drivers seeking a space are able to find one with minimal searching. Therefore, 85% is typically used as a target for
optimal on-street parking occupancy. Downtown Moorpark was found to have very low parking occupancies when
compared to this standard; even during the observed peaks there were more available parking spaces than
occupied parking spaces.
Figure 5 and Table 2 provides a summary of the peak weekday and weekend utilizations.
Figure 5: Overall Downtown Peak Parking Demand by Analysis Period
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019
A summary of peak parking occupancies for each analysis period is shown in Table 2.
40%
16%
27%29%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Thursday, 11AM Saturday Night (non-event),
5PM
Saturday (with an evening
event), 8:30 PM
Sunday (matinee event),
2:00PM
85%Occupancy Goal
85% occupancy is the optimal goal for downtown parking. At 85%, the
majority of spaces are utilized while those seeking a space are able to find
one with minimal searching.
When occupancy is over 85%, people begin perceiving parking as “full” and
often have to search longer to find a space. When parking occupancy is
below 85%, it typically indicates where spaces might be underutilized
47
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 10
Table 2: Downtown Parking Supply and Demand Summary
Inventory Thursday,
11AM
Saturday Night (No
Event), 5PM
Saturday (With Event),
8:30 PM
Sunday (Matinee
Event), 2:00 PM
On-
Street 284 89 31% 105 37% 155 55% 142 50%
Off-
Street 630 280 42% 42 7% 94 15% 126 20%
Total 914 369 40% 147 16% 249 27% 268 29%
Details for each analysis period are provided in the following sections.
Weekday Parking Occupancy
Weekday peak parking occupancy occurred from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with 369± vehicles parked, 545± available,
and a utilization rate of 40%.
During the peak, 31% of the on-street spaces were utilized and 44% of the off-street spaces. During the weekday
counts, both City Hall (Lot 1a-c) and the Metrolink lots (Lot 6, 7 and 9) experienced their highest demands, with
employees and weekday commuters heavily utilizing these lots. High Street experienced a utilization rate of 36%
during peak demand.
Over the course of the day, off-street parking demand peaks during the late morning and gradually declines over
the course of day, falling below 10% at night. On-street parking demand peaks in the morning, when residents on
Charles Street were still parked prior to work hours, then experiences a decline, and then begins increasing again
around dinner time. Off-street occupancies stay consistently higher than on-street during work hours, when City
Hall (lots 1a-c) and Metrolink (lots 6, 7, and 9) are experiencing their peak occupancies. However, on-street demand
increases at night, during dinner hours, when the off-street lots clear out. A comparison of on- and off-street
occupancies are shown in Figure 6.
We note that a peak parking occupancy that occurs during weekday lunch time hours is consistent with the findings
of most small (and many large) city commercial districts we have performed throughout California.
48
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 11
Figure 6: Weekday On- and Off-Street Parking Occupancy Over Time
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019
Weekday parking occupancies during the peak hour are also shown graphically by facility in Figure 7 and
summarized in Table 3.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
7AM 9AM 11AM 1PM 3PM 5PM 7PM
On-Street Off-Street
49
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 12
Figure 7: Weekday Peak Parking Occupancy, 11:00 AM
Source: Satellite image, Google Earth Professional, 2019; Graphics, Walker Consultants, 2019
50
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 13
Table 3: Weekday Peak Parking Occupancies Summary, 11:00 AM
Supply Thursday, 11:00 AM
On-Street1 Occ. %
High Street 100 36 36%
Walnut Street 36 9 25%
Bard Street 19 8 42%
Magnolia Street 13 2 15%
Charles Street 116 34 29%
Subtotal 284 89 31%
Off-Street
Lot 1a (City Hall) 80 72 90%
Lot 1b (City Hall) 8 4 50%
Lot 1c (Library) 39 26 67%
Lot 2 (HCAC) 8 2 25%
Lot 3 (HCAC) 8 0 0%
Lot 4 (Post Office) 57 5 9%
Lot 5A (Chamber of
Commerce) 13 1 8%
Lot 5B2 60 3 5%
Lot 62 (Metrolink) 38 31 82%
Lot 7 (Metrolink) 64 60 95%
Lot 8 47 7 15%
Lot 9 (Metrolink) 208 68 33%
Subtotal 630 280 44%
Total 914 369 40%
1On-street spaces were comprised of unmarked curbs; therefore, the number of spaces were estimated based on
the amount of curb available and observed occupancies.
2These lots are unpaved and unmarked therefore supplies were estimated based on size of lot and occupancies
observed.
51
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 14
Weekend Parking Occupancy
Three weekend time periods were analyzed as part of this study. This included a Saturday night with no event at
the HSAC, a full Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with an 8:00 p.m. show occurring at the HSAC, and Sunday
during a matinee performance at the HSAC.
Saturday Night (No Event)
Peak parking demand on a Saturday night, with no event at the HSAC, occurred at 5:00 p.m. with a utilization rate
of 16%. This equates to 147± parking spaces occupied and 767± spaces available.
Saturday (Evening Event)
Counts were conducted on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with an event occurring at the HCAC at 8:00 p.m.
Peak parking demand occurred at 8:30 p.m., while the event was taking place. During this time, downtown
experienced a utilization rate of 27% with 249± vehicles parked and 665± spaces available.
When compared to a Saturday night with no event, utilization of downtown parking increased by 11% with an event
occurring at the HSAC, from 16% to 27%. With or without an event at the HSAC, parking utilization is very low in
downtown Moorpark on Saturdays.
Patrons attending events at the HSAC primarily utilize Lot 5a and 5b. Employees of the HSAC (cast, crew,
administrative) primarily use Lot 4, the post office lot, and some spaces in Lot 5a. While these lots experienced
higher occupancies while the event was occurring, with City Hall closed and little to no Metrolink parkers, the
remainder of downtown experienced relatively low parking demands.
Figure 8 shows parking occupancies in downtown over the entire analysis period on Saturday, with an event at the
HSAC in the evening.
52
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 15
Figure 8: Saturday On- and Off-Street Parking Occupancy Over Time (with Event)
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019
Sunday (Matinee Event)
Counts were collected on a Sunday during a matinee event at the HCAC, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The matinee
show at the HSAC began at 2:00 p.m. Peak parking demand occurred at 2:00 p.m. with 268± vehicles parked, 646±
spaces available, and a utilization rate of 29%. Like Saturday, while parking demand was higher in the lots utilized
by the HSAC and on the streets near the HSAC, demand for parking in the rest of downtown was low.
Additionally, on Sunday, HSAC management had employees place signs in their windshields indicating they were
HSAC staff so that Walker surveyors could count the number of employees parked. During this performance, in Lot
4 (the post office lot), at peak, there were 17 employee parking signs displayed (out of 21 total vehicles parked).
There were also five employees with signs parked in Lot 5a (out of 17 total parked) and one in 5b (out of 49 total
vehicles).
While weekend counts peaked during the Sunday matinee, with an overall downtown utilization rate of 29%,
parking occupancy is generally low in downtown overall, with some only a portion of downtown experiencing higher
utilization from the event.
Figure 8, Figure 9, and, Figure 10 show graphically the peak parking occupancies experienced during each analysis
period on the weekend.
Table 4 provides a summary of peak parking demand for each weekend analysis period.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
7AM 9AM 11AM 1PM 3PM 5PM 7PM 8:30PM
On-Street Off-Street
53
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 16
Figure 9: Saturday Night Peak Parking Occupancy, No HSAC Event, 5:00 PM
Source: Satellite image, Google Earth Professional, 2019; Graphics, Walker Consultants, 2019
54
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 17
Figure 10: Saturday Peak Parking Occupancy with HSAC Evening Event, 8:30 PM
Source: Satellite image, Google Earth Professional, 2019; Graphics, Walker Consultants, 2019
55
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 18
Figure 11: Sunday Peak Parking Occupancy with HSAC Matinee Event, 2:00 PM
Source: Satellite image, Google Earth Professional, 2019; Graphics, Walker Consultants, 2019
56
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 19
Table 4: Weekend Peak Parking Occupancies by Analysis Period
Supply Saturday Night, 5PM
(No Event)
Saturday, 8:30 PM
(Evening Event)
Sunday, 2:00 PM (Matinee
Event)
On-Street1 Occ. % Occ. % Occ. %
High Street 100 8 8% 32 32% 23 23%
Walnut Street 36 22 61% 23 64% 31 86%
Bard Street 19 5 26% 6 32% 8 42%
Magnolia
Street 13 5 38% 5 38% 7 54%
Charles Street 116 65 56% 89 77% 73 63%
Subtotal 284 105 37% 155 55% 142 50%
Off-Street
Lot 1a (City
Hall) 80 2 3% 1 1% 1 1%
Lot 1b (City
Hall) 8 2 25% 2 25% 2 25%
Lot 1c
(Library) 39 0 0% 0 0% 9 23%
Lot 2 (HSAC) 8 2 25% 7 88% 7 88%
Lot 3 (HSAC) 8 3 38% 3 38% 4 50%
Lot 4 (Post
Office) 57 0 0% 16 28% 21 37%
Lot 5A
(Chamber of
Commerce) 2
13 0 0% 13 100% 17 131%
Lot 5B3 60 2 3% 33 55% 49 82%
Lot 63
(Metrolink) 38 2 5% 0 0% 0 0%
Lot 7
(Metrolink) 64 11 17% 10 16% 10 16%
Lot 8 47 6 13% 3 6% 2 4%
Lot 9
(Metrolink) 208 12 6% 6 3% 4 2%
Subtotal 630 42 7% 94 15% 126 20%
Total 914 147 16% 249 27% 268 29%
1On-street spaces were comprised of unmarked curbs; therefore, the number of spaces were estimated based on the amount of curb
available and observed occupancies.
2 Occupancy exceeded inventory on Sunday at 2:00 pm, due to vehicles parking in unmarked parking spaces. We observed the condition
to be typical of event parking scenarios in general.
3These lots are unpaved and unmarked therefore reasonable were determined based on size of lot and occupancies observed.
57
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 20
Parking Turnover
Walker conducted a parking turnover analysis for all on-street parking within the study area. The purpose of this
exercise was to understand how long vehicles park on the street and if they are abiding by the existing two-hour
restrictions.
Length-of-stay data was collect using a License Plate Recognition (LPR) unit, which digitally collects license plate
numbers. This data is then used to determine how long vehicles were parked. It is noted that LPR has some margin
of error as conditions in the field may impact the unit’s ability to capture the plate. If vehicles are parked too close
together or other objects, such as trash cans, are blocking plates, these are then missed by the unit. Additionally,
the LPR unit typically cannot capture black license plates. However, despite this margin or error, the LPR unit
collected a sufficient number of plates to understand, generally, how long vehicles are parked on the street in
downtown.4
LPR data was collected hourly from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (11 hours) on Thursday, October 10, 2019. An additional
count was conducted on Charles Street at 9:00 p.m. to captur e an additional count of residential parking turnover
(total of 12 hours on Charles Street).
Overall, the majority of vehicles parked downtown stay for one or two hours. There was a total of 402 unique license
plates collected throughout the day. Overall, 849 license plate data points were collected. Of the 402 unique plates,
61% were parked for one hour, and 16% were parked for two hours. The remaining 22% were parked for three or
more hours. There was only one car parked for 11 hours and no cars were parked for all 12.
Charles Street experienced the lowest turnover, however, with it being a primarily residential street, low tur nover
is to be expected.
The majority of vehicles parked on High Street were parked for one (68%) or two (16%) hours, with a t otal 84% of
the vehicles parked on High Street. This indicates that two hours is a sufficient amount of time for the majority of
visitors and patrons on High Street.
The remaining 16% of those parked on High Street were parked for three or more hours, lik ely employees of
businesses on High Street. Since the two-hour limit does not extend the entire length of High Street, it is possible
that some of these vehicles were not parked within the two-hour zone. However, since enforcement of two-hour
limits is only complaint based, a few cars may have been parked in a two-hour zone for three or more hours.
The turnover results for the entire study area are shown in Table 5.
4 The LPR data was collected solely for the purpose of identifying how long vehicles were parked and is not used or shared beyond those
Walker staff for the purpose of this specific analysis. The data will be deleted once this engagement is complete.
58
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 21
Table 5: Downtown Moorpark Parking Turnover Summary
Hours
Parked 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Total
Unique
Plates
High St
# Plates 73 17 5 0 4 5 2 0 0 1 0 0 107
% of Total 57% 13% 4% 0% 3% 4% 2% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0%
Walnut St
# Plates 65 14 3 2 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 89
% of Total 73% 16% 3% 2% 2% 1% 0% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Bard St
# Plates 17 5 1 1 4 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 32
% of Total 53% 16% 3% 3% 13% 0% 0% 3% 3% 6% 0% 0%
Magnolia St
# Plates 16 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 22
% of Total 73% 23% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 0%
Charles St
# Plates 52 25 17 10 5 5 7 3 2 2 0 0 89
% of Total 41% 20% 13% 8% 4% 4% 5% 2% 2% 2% 0% 0%
Total #
Plates 2471 66 26 13 15 11 9 6 3 5 1 0 402
% of Total 61% 16% 6% 3% 4% 3% 2% 1% 1% 1% 0% 0%
1The total number of plates does not equal the sum of plates for each parking location. Due to the LPR’s margin of error, the
location of 24 vehicles that were parked for one hour were unable to be determined. Therefore, an additional 24 vehicles
were added to the overall total for vehicles parked for an hour.
59
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 22
Preliminary Findings and Recommendations
The findings of our observations and data collection efforts demonstrate that, even during the busiest hour of the
week, there are more vacant parking spaces in Moorpark’s downtown than occupied parking spaces. If the 545±
parking spaces available during the peak hour occupy on average 220 feet per parking space,5 the remaining empty
parking spaces represent over three acres of empty asphalt. We note that this calculation does not refer to land
devoted to parking, which is necessary for the functioning of a commercial district, but rather land devoted to
parking spaces that are rarely or likely never occupied.
One could calculate the value of this unused land on a per-square-foot basis or consider the opportunity costs of
such land in a municipal district, including businesses that serve the public and provide employment and income,
housing, or related sales or property tax revenue to support services.
What is a recommended parking occupancy rate?
Some available parking spaces, a “cushion” of parking space supply, are necessary for the proper functioning of a
parking system and the circulation of vehicles. This factor or percentage (can be referred to as an optimum
utilization rate or effective supply factor) is typically 85% for on-street parking (to ensure 1 – 2 available spaces per
block), 90% for off-street commercial parking, and 95% for employee parking, but may be reduced if a higher level
of availability (greater driver convenience) is desired.
Implicit in the case of each occupancy rate is a planning assumption that 15% of on-street spaces on a given block,
or 5% to 10% of off-street spaces in an off-street parking facility, should generally remain available in order to allow
drivers the opportunity to find spaces and for traffic to circulate. Parking occupancy rates higher than these, on a
location-by-location basis, create driver frustration and impediments to the circulation of traffic. Parking occupancy
below these recommended percentages, on a regular basis, represent an underutilized public resource.
We compare the recommended, by-block or by facility parking occupancy rates, with the peak overall parking
occupancy rate for the district of 40%, and 27% and 29% respectively for weekday, weekend evening (with event)
and matinee events.
Concentrated areas of high demand for parking were found in:
•The City Hall parking lot during the weekday lunchtime peak (90% occupancy).
•Lot 7, serving the Metrolink station during the weekday lunchtime peak (95% occupancy), and
•The Chamber of Commerce parking lot, during events at the High Street Arts Center.
•On-street, on Charles Street along various blocks on Saturday night, likely reflecting residents staying home
and perhaps having visitors.
5 Typically, an on-street parking space may be assumed to be approximately 22 feet long by approximately 9 feet wide, while
an off-street parking space is assumed to be 325 – 350 sq. feet in area, including the necessary pavement devoted to drive
aisle and driveway space.
60
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 23
•On-street, on the south side of High Street, across the street from the High Street Arts Center during events.
When the Length of Stay of Parked Vehicles May Matter
The length of time vehicles parked downtown was found not to be problematic. Further, we note that “turnover”
is typically only a concern where parking is in short supply. To the extent that we found an abundance of available
parking spaces, there is not an urgent need to ensure the turnover of high demand spaces. Consistent with this
observation, regulations to ensure that parking spaces in high demand locations may be needed when and where
parking availability is scarce.
Study Results and Consideration of a Parking In-Lieu Fee
Our survey of parking availability in the study area suggests that there is an overabundance of public parking in
downtown Moorpark. This raises a question of whether it is productive for the City to require that developers build
more parking when constructing new buildings downtown. Downtown Moorpark was found to have a surplus of on-
and off-street public parking spaces. Utilizing a target occupancy rate of 85% for on-street parking spaces and 90%
for public off-street parking lots, the surplus of parking spaces identified in this survey is 152 on-street and 287 off-
street parking spaces or 439 spaces (calculation shown in Table 6). This capacity can be leveraged by the City to
offset the parking provided by new development projects downtown.
Table 6: Parking Surplus – Period of Peak Parking Demand (Weekday, 11AM)
Inventory
Effective
Supply
Factor*
Effective
Supply** Occupancy Thursday, 11AM Availability
On-
Street 284 0.85 241 89 31% 152
Off-
Street 630 0.90 567 280 42% 287
Total 914 808 369 40% 439
*An effective supply factor is the target occupancy rates for on-street and off-street parking facilities.
**Effective supply is the parking supply with the effective supply factor applied.
Providing parking is both land- and capital-intensive. A parking in-lieu fee program or reduced parking requirements
are often provided as an option to developers when cities wish to facilitate development and/or encourage the
land efficiencies and planning benefits of multiple land uses sharing public parking, rather than having each new
building build its own surface parking lot, as is often seen along many suburban commercial corridors. Through a
parking in-lieu fee program, a builder pays a fee to the city for each required parking space it does not build.
Typically, the fee is designated for future parking capacity, such as restriping existing spaces, operational
enhancements, or construction of new surface parking lots or a parking structure. However, in the case of a parking
structure, a significant critical mass of funding is needed for that construction, which cannot happen without
significant new development. Increasingly some cities are broadening the definition of parking funds to improve
access in general, such as through pedestrian, bicycle and other transportation improvements that help people
access their commercial districts.
61
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 24
The in-lieu fee strategy can provide for the managed growth of a consolidated parking infrastructure by a single
entity (typically the City of or a Business Improvement District), rather than the sporadic development of low
capacity lots serving individual properties. This strategy can improve the overall walkability of a downtown by
promoting a “park once” district in which customers can park one time to visit several destinations as opposed to
having to move their cars between private parking lots when visiting multiple establishments.
There are many variations of parking in-lieu and parking credit (on-going operational, or similar) program fees in
cities in California. These include variations in the requirements of the programs (fees can range from $1,000 to
$70,000 or more dollars per required space) and the costs or policies that the programs are intended to address.
However, some cities have policies that acknowledge a surplus of parking. Under these programs, a city may
monitor the available number of public parking spaces in a commercial district with the intent of allowing the
construction of new land uses with no new parking spaces required, until parking occupancy rates reach a level at
which new parking spaces are needed. Based on prior Walker studies, cities which operated under such a policy
include Culver City in Southern California and Novato in Marin County. Cities may perform or require regular
parking monitoring r eports as part of new development conditions of approval. This data can be utilized as part
of a larger area-wide monitoring program or simply on a case-by-case basis to determine the projected
occupancy rates as new projects come online. The City of Healdsburg allowed for public parking to serve
downtown development through a parking-exempt district until 2015, when it swapped the parking-exempt district
for an in-lieu fee parking policy.
Summary and Recommendations
Walker’s overall conclusions and recommendations based on this study are as follows:
•Downtown parking utilization is well below industry-standard thresholds for parking occupancy.
Parking utilization during the period of peak parking demand (weekday at 11:00 a.m.) was 31% for
on-street parking facilities and 44% for off-street parking facilities, compared to threshold occupancy
rates of 85% for on-street and 90% for public off-street parking locations.
•Calculating the effective supply of parking using the above-described utilization thresholds, the
surplus of parking spaces identified in this survey during the weekday peak was 152± on-street and
287± off-street parking spaces (439± total spaces).
•The results of this analysis demonstrate public parking spaces in downtown Moorpark are currently
an underutilized resource. As noted earlier, if the 545± parking spaces available during the peak hour
occupy on average 220 feet per parking space,6 the remaining empty parking spaces represent over
three acres of empty asphalt. Such empty space can represent a hindrance, or a potential
opportunity, for a downtown civic and commercial area.
•A parking in-lieu fee, or similar policy that provides flexibility in requirements for parking, can provide
for the managed growth of a consolidated parking infrastructure by a single entity (typically the city
6 Typically, an on-street parking space may be assumed to be approximately 22 feet long by approximately 9 feet wide, while
an off-street parking space is assumed to be 325 – 350 sq. feet in area, including the necessary pavement devoted to drive
aisle and driveway space.
62
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 25
or a Business Improvement District), rather than a patchwork of low capacity lots serving individual
properties. Moorpark should consider adoption of a parking in-lieu fee or similar flexibility in parking
requirements for commercial property in its downtown, given the large number of unutilized spaces.
In conjunction with an in-lieu fee strategy, Moorpark could consider policies that facilitate shared
parking downtown to leverage the efficiencies gained from shared parking, along with a monitoring
program. A shared parking strategy would formalize the policies for sharing parking spaces between
the different businesses and land uses downtown. The policy would also establish a parking
occupancy threshold after which additional parking spaces would be required but prior to which the
existing parking surplus could be utilized.
•For new mixed-use developments, Moorpark should consider adopting a shared parking ordinance,
allowing for adjusted parking requirements land uses that have different periods of peak demand.
An example of two land uses that have differing peak periods of parking demand are office uses
which peak during the day and residential uses which peak at night. Sharing of parking spaces in
mixed use development can result in fewer underutilized parking spaces, and more productive
businesses and destinations.
•Walker did not study the off-street private parking supply within the study area as part of this
engagement. However, in our experience, the private supply of parking tends to experience the
lowest parking utilization rates in a commercial district. In the event that a material number of private
parking spaces are unused in the downtown, these spaces represent further parking supply that may
be made available through:
o The sharing and leasing of private spaces owned by businesses during low demand periods for
the individual private parking facilities;
o The leasing of private parking spaces by the City;
o Including some private spaces in the public supply through a public parking signage, marketing
and branding program; and
o Encouragement of a “market” for private parking spaces by:
▪Establishing a forum to communicate, inform, and establish a dialog between private
owners
▪Creating an online comprehensive list of parking facilities
▪Leveraging technology
▪“Branding” of a parking program for all public and private spaces.
Such policies have been employed with success in a number of cities in California to different
degrees, including San Clemente, Burbank and Sacramento.
63
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 26
Appendix
The City of Moorpark requested Walker include an analysis of parking utilization in the study area without the on-
street parking supply on Charles Street. Charles Street contains all residential uses and future consideration to
protect residential parking may occur (ie residential permit parking). This Appendix includes an abbreviated
Existing Parking Demand section summarizing parking demand in the study area, without Charles Street. Charles
Street has a parking supply of 116± parking spaces.
Existing Parking Demand (without Charles Street)
Walker evaluated parking demand in downtown by conducting occupancy counts of parked cars in public parking
spaces (the parking inventory) on multiple days and time periods.
Weekday counts were conducted every two hours on Thursday, October 10, 2019, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Weekend counts were conducted on multiple days in order to capture parking demand in downtown during a
performance at the HSAC and on a non-performance night. Saturday evening counts were conducted, without a
performance, on October 12, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Daytime and evening counts (with an event at HSAC)
were collected every two hours on October 29, 2019 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Since performances at the HSAC
began at 8:00 p.m., during this time, the last count was collected after 8:00 p.m. in order to capture the entirety of
the parking demand from the HSAC.
An additional count was collected every hour on Sunday, October 27, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in order to
capture peak parking demand during a matinee showing at the HSAC, which began at 2:00 p.m.
Overall, peak parking demand was observed to occur on a weekday at 11:00 a.m. with 42% of spaces occupied.
Weekend peak occupancy was observed to occur on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. with a parking occupancy of 24%.
The overall downtown parking utilization would be considered relatively low in comparison to typical occupancy
goals. An 85% utilization rate is the typical target for on-street parking spaces within most parking systems, in order
to ensure the majority of spaces are being utilized while adequate availability remains for those seeking a space.
Off-street parking facilities can have an acceptable parking occupancy rate of 90%, or higher for facilities where
employees regularly parking, although the 85% for off-street simply represents a higher level of service to the driver
(more regular availability is provided).
In general, when parking facilities experience occupancies greater than 85%, users begin to perceive parking as
“full” and are likely to spend more time circling to find a space. At 85%, most spaces are being utilized but those
drivers seeking a space are able to find one with minimal searching. Therefore, 85% is typically used as a target for
optimal parking occupancy. Downtown Moorpark was found to have very low parking occupancies when compared
to this standard.
Figure 12 and Table 7 provides a summary of the peak weekday and weekend utilizations.
64
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 27
Figure 12: Overall Downtown Peak Parking Demand by Analysis Period (without Charles
Street)
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019.
A summary of peak parking occupancies for each analysis period is shown in Table 7.
Table 7: Downtown Parking Supply and Demand Summary (without Charles Street)
Inventory Thursday,
11AM
Saturday Night (No
Event), 5PM
Saturday (With Event),
8:30 PM
Sunday (Matinee
Event), 2:00 PM
Occ. Occ. % Occ. Occ % Occ. Occ % Occ. Occ %
On-
Street 168 55 33% 40 24% 66 39% 69 41%
Off-
Street 630 280 44% 42 7% 94 15% 126 20%
Total 798 335 42% 82 10% 160 20% 195 24%
Details for each analysis period are provided in the following sections.
42%
10%
20%
24%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Thursday, 11AM Saturday Night (non-event),
5PM
Saturday (with an evening
event), 8:30PM
Sunday (matinee event),
2:00PM
85% occupancy is the optimal goal for downtown parking. At 85%,
the majority of spaces are utilized while those seeking a space are
able to find one with minimal searching.
When occupancy is over 85%, people begin perceiving parking as
“full” and often have to search longer to find a space. When
parking occupancy is below 85%, it typically indicates where
spaces might be underutilized
85% Occupancy Goal
65
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 28
Weekday Parking Occupancy (without Charles Street)
Weekday peak parking occupancy occurred from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with 335± vehicles parked, 463± spaces
available, and a utilization rate of 42%.
Over the course of the day, off-street parking demand peaks during the late morning and gradually declines over
the course of day, falling below 10% at night. On-street parking demand peaks in the afternoon during the lunch
hour. Off-street occupancies stay consistently higher than on-street during work hours, when City Hall (lots 1a-c)
and Metrolink (lots 6, 7, and 9) are experiencing their peak occ upancies. A comparison of on- and off-street
occupancies are shown in Figure 13.
We note that a peak parking occupancy that occurs during weekday lunch time hours is consistent with the findings
of virtually every small (and many large) parking studies we have performed for commercial districts of dozens of
commercial districts in California.
Figure 13: Weekday On- and Off-Street Parking Occupancy Over Time (without Charles
Street)
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019.
Weekend Parking Occupancy (without Charles Street)
Three weekend time periods were analyzed as part of this study. This included a Saturday night with no event at
the HSAC, a full Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with an 8:00 p.m. show occurring at the HSAC, and Sunday
during a matinee performance at the HSAC.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
7AM 9AM 11AM 1PM 3PM 5PM 7PM
On-Street Off-Street
66
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 29
Saturday Night (No Event)
Peak parking demand on a Saturday night, with no event at the HSAC, occurred at 5:00 p.m. wit h a utilization rate
of 10%. This equates to 82± parking spaces occupied and 716± spaces available.
Saturday (Evening Event)
Counts were conducted on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with an event occurring at the HCAC at 8:00 p.m.
Peak parking demand occurred at 8:30 p.m., while the event was taking place. During this time, downtown
experienced a utilization rate of 20% with 160± vehicles parked and 638± spaces available.
When compared to a Saturday night with no event, utilization of downtown parking increased by 10% with an event
occurring at the HSAC, from 10% to 20%. With or without an event at the HSAC, parking utilization is relatively low
in downtown Moorpark on Saturdays.
Patrons attending events at the HSAC primarily utilize Lot 5a and 5b. Employees of the HSAC (cast, crew,
administrative) primarily use Lot 4, the post office lot, and some spaces in Lot 5a. While these lots experienced
higher occupancies while the event was occurring, with City Hall closed and little to no Metrolink parkers, the
remainder of downtown experienced relatively low parking demands.
Figure 14 shows parking occupancies in downtown over the entire analysis period on Saturday, with an event at
the HSAC in the evening.
Figure 14: Saturday On- and Off-Street Parking Occupancy Over Time with Event (without
Charles Street)
Source: Walker Consultants, 2019.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
7AM 9AM 11AM 1PM 3PM 5PM 7PM 8:30PM
On-Street Off-Street
67
MEMORANDUM
Downtown Moorpark Parking Study
37-8944.00
WALKER CONSULTANTS | 30
Sunday (Matinee Event)
Counts were collected on a Sunday during a matinee event at the HCAC, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The matinee
performance at the HSAC began at 2:00 p.m. Peak parking demand occurred at 2:00 p.m. with 195± vehicles parked,
603± spaces available, and a utilization rate of 24%. Like Saturday, while parking demand was higher in the lots
utilized by the HSAC and on the streets near the HSAC, demand for parking in the rest of downtown was low.
Additionally, on Sunday, HSAC management had employees place signs in their windshields indicating they were
HSAC staff so that Walker surveyors could count the number of employees parked. During this performance, in Lot
4 (the post office lot), at the peak, there were 17 employee parking signs displayed (out of 21 total vehicles parked).
There were also five employees with signs parked in Lot 5a (out of 17 total parked) and one in 5b (out of 49 total
vehicles).
While weekend counts peaked during the Sunday matinee, with an overall downtown utilization rate of 24%,
parking occupancy is generally low in downtown overall, with some only a portion of downtown experiencing higher
utilization from the event.
68