AMHERST — New parking rates, extended enforcement hours and the possibility of more free 15-minute parking spaces are among the ideas in a draft parking plan for Amherst center.
NelsonNygaard Consulting Associates of Boston on Wednesday presented a series of strategies and best practices that would give town officials more flexibility in how the 1,052 parking spaces under town control are managed, and encourage regular turnover of spots.
The consultants, who began studying downtown parking in March, are not recommending building a second parking garage, instead seeking to capture after-hours parking spaces through partnerships with businesses, where about 60 percent of the 3,294 spaces downtown are located. They also recommend restriping spaces that in many cases are 22 feet long, when only 20 feet is needed.
The plan, presented to about 30 residents, business owners and town officials, outlines ideas such as increasing parking rates the longer one stays in downtown Amherst; having consistent enforcement from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; improving directional signs and lighting, especially on the periphery; and reducing the number of tickets issued when meters expire. Suggestions to cut down on the number of tickets include having an eight-minute grace period or giving first-time offenders an information packet rather than a ticket.
Amherst Business Improvement Executive Director Gabrielle Gould said she appreciates that the report notes parking signs are inconsistent and lighting is lacking, and that both can be addressed with assistance from her organization.
The concept of extending enforcement to 8 p.m. throughout downtown, though, will not sit well with merchants.
“My small business owners want that moved back to 6 p.m. because that mimics Northampton,” Gould said.
The report outlines eight goals. Among them:
■Providing convenient, predictable and accessible parking for all people living, working and visiting downtown.
■Moving to a more user-friendly, accessible and predictable parking permit program.
■Adding new parking facilities only when utilization regularly surpasses 85 percent.
For each goal, there are several recommendations that can be used to achieve them.
Economic Development Director Geoff Kravitz said he sees the report as identifying ways to make parking, easier, friendlier and more efficient in Amherst.
“Overall, the consultants did a really good job of explaining the complexities of parking,” Kravitz said.
An implementation plan will go to the Town Council, with discussion expected at its Sept. 23 meeting.
Downtown Parking Working Group Chairwoman Christine Gray-Mullen said that her committee would like to see many of the ideas become reality.
“We want this to happen and for parking to improve,” Gray-Mullen said.
Matt Smith, a principal with NelsonNygaard, described several other aspects of the report, such as replacing parking enforcement officers with parking ambassadors who would prioritize providing information and wayfinding, instead of issuing tickets; having the seasonal town permit parking, which runs from September to May, go year-round; and creating a parking validation system for people eating and shopping, as well as those participating in town government.
One of the new concepts is a graduated pricing scheme akin to what’s being used in Santa Cruz, California. Under this concept, the first 15 minutes of parking could be free, so people could park and get a coffee or pick up newspaper; while two hours would be a set price, which would increase after two hours and go up again after four hours.
NelsonNygaard Associate Jason Novsam said this gives flexibility to users, adds revenue for the town and at the same time encourages turnover.
“We really believe this model is something that can be very effective here,” Novsam said.
Whether the proposals get buy-in from businesses if advanced by the Town Council is uncertain.
Gould said she worries that many of the ideas depend on smartphone apps, yet many customers to Amherst businesses still deposit coins into machines and meters.
She said the Business Improvement District would likely strongly oppose the idea of restaurants and stores validating parking, as that would mean bearing the brunt of parking costs.
And while consultants dismissed the need for a parking structure, Gould said one of the problems remains perception that Amherst doesn’t have enough parking, meaning that a new garage is still something that should be explored.
Carol Johnson, executive director of the Amherst Cinema, said she worries that the simplest solutions offered by the consultants, such as installing more visible signs for visitors to find parking and making it clear that anyone can park in permit parking spaces after 5 p.m. on weekdays, will be bypassed for more elaborate ideas.
“I feel like we’re in danger of being swallowed up by unnecessary complexity,” Johnson said.
In addition, Johnson said the recommendations to have higher rates the longer one parks feels like a penalty for people who want to enjoy downtown, like those who come for dinner and then head to a movie.
“My hope is Town Council will look at solutions to parking as ways for everyone to spend time in Amherst,” Johnson said.
The reports are available at amherstma.gov/2241/Downtown-Parking-Working-Group. Kravitz said anyone with a response is welcome to send him comments at kravitzg@amherstma.gov.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
