TRN-3.211 - Northwest Portland Pilot Area Parking Permit Program

BCP-TRN-3.211

The Council finds:

1. In November 1997, the Northwest District Association, with support from the Nob Hill Business Association, requested that City Council intervene in area transportation and parking issues and undertake measures to address long-standing on-street parking problems.

2. In January 1998, the City entered into an agreement with Douglas L. Capps Consulting to provide an assessment of the parking conditions in Northwest Portland and to develop a package of recommended solutions.

3. In August 1998, the consultant completed a report, Parking in Northwest Portland: A Study of Solutions and Strategies. The report recommended a series of solutions including shared parking arrangements, parking permit programs, and improvements in transit support programs.

4. In early 1999,City staff and the consultant began to work with businesses and residents in the eastern most section of the neighborhood on potential area parking permit program. A general public meeting was held on March 13, 1999, where most attendees expressed support for continuing work on the details of a permit program for this area.

5. A parking committee was formed in March 1999 and permit program details have been developed by this committee, including finalizing the boundaries, which are Burnside to Northrup, 16th and 18th. The committee has set a date for a second public meeting, which will be held on Saturday, May 8, 1999. A mail-in public vote on the permit program is planned following this public meeting.

6. Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to address on-street parking congestion in Northwest Portland. Extensive community discussions and outreach efforts have occurred several times. The current efforts are the district result of a formal request by the neighborhood for city intervention. Due to these unique circumstances, it is appropriate to waive the elements of the City Code dealing with area parking permit programs as authorized by this ordinance.

Now Therefore, The Council Directs:

a. Certain sections of City Code Section 16.20.800 be waived or modified for the purpose of establishing a Pilot Area Parking Permit Program in certain areas of Northwest Portland. The code provisions to be waived or modified solely as applied to this Pilot Program are:

i. Waive 16.20.801 (D). Each must meet the eligibility criteria (16.20.830) and follow the prescribed process (16.20.840) in order to form a permit program.

ii. Modify 16.20.81 (D) to state: "Area Parking Committee" is the group of five people (excluding alternates) appointed by the City of Portland. The committee is to have membership of two residents, two business representatives, and a member at large (either resident or business representative) to appointed by members of the committee. All members of the committee will either work or live in the boundary area. The boundary are to be established by the City traffic Engineer.

iii. Waive 16.20.810 (O). "Permit area" is any area as designated by an initiating petition or as modified in the boundary description.

iv. Waive 16.20.830 (C). An area that feels it is adversely affected by parking and is requesting permit parking must work through it’s neighborhood association or business district association as defined in City Code Section 3.96.020 and 3.96.030.

v. Waive 16.20.840 (A). An area may not apply to participate in a permit program through a community –initiated petition with signatures representing 50 percent of the affected addresses (one signature per address) to be submitted to the neighborhood association and business district association. This petition shall include:

(1) The parking problem;

(2) The probable cause of the problem;

(3) The proposed boundaries in the congested area;

(4) The number of individual addresses in the congested area; and

(5) The permit fees of the program.

vi. Modify 16.20.840 (B) to state: The City Traffic Engineer will work with the are area to determine its eligibility and appoint and area parking committee.

vii. Waive 16.20.840 (C). Upon receipt of the petition, the City Traffic Engineer must initiate a preliminary investigation to verify that area meets the criteria.

vii. Modify 16.20.840 (J) to read: No changes to the established boundaries of an existing area will be allowed.

b. The City Traffic Engineer shall evaluate the Pilot Program after 1 year of operations and make a report to Council regarding the effectiveness of this program.

Ordinance No. 173323 passed by Council May 5, 1999.

Filed for inclusion in PPD December 5, 2003.