Draft Event Parking Program

In response to City Council Resolution 20170202-046 related to implementation of the Parkland Events Task Force recommendations, the Austin Transportation Department (ATD) is seeking public input to inform a draft event parking program consistent with those recommendations. The goal of this program would be to improve mobility, safety and parking management near locations that host major events.

Public Input Process

On July 13, 2017, ATD invited stakeholders and residents to an open house meeting to request feedback about issues related to parking in residential areas during major events as well as potential solutions.

This was a drop-in meeting with no formal presentation; ATD provided information about existing conditions, challenges and potential solutions while collecting feedback from attendees. The focus of this open house was areas that are near more-frequent, high-volume events, in particular the Zilker, Barton Hills and Bouldin Creek neighborhoods, where an initial roll-out would occur.

The formal public input process is now closed. Questions about the draft event parking program may be directed to EventParkingProgram@austintexas.gov.

• Current major special events list
• Maps of current conditions and activated parking options by neighborhood
  • Barton Hills
  • Bouldin Creek
  • Zilker Park
  • Festival Beach
  • Deep Eddy
• Event Parking Program options
  • No parking on one side of the street; anyone can park on the other side of the street
  • Resident parking by permit only on both sides of the streets

Next Steps

Following this public input process, ATD will finalize a plan and seek Council approval (e.g., on necessary City Code amendments and fee updates), prior to implementing an initial roll-out. Following an initial roll-out phase, ATD will consider future roll-outs in other neighborhoods affected by major events, including Festival Beach, Deep Eddy, East Austin and other neighborhoods, and engage those communities for feedback using a similar process. ATD will also pursue using this program to address parking spillover in neighborhoods resulting from nearby construction projects, as outlined in previous Council direction, detailed below.

Updates will be provided to those who sign up via an email list. Questions about the draft event parking program may be directed to EventParkingProgram@austintexas.gov.

Background

• Resolution 20170202-046 directed the City Manager to “prepare code amendments, budget amendments, or resolutions necessary to implement the (Parkland Events Task Force) recommendations, and to present the code amendments, budget amendments, and resolutions to Council.”
• Among the recommendations in the Parkland Events Task Force final report is “immediate implementation of a Special Events Permit Parking (SEPP) Program for neighborhoods that are in or adjacent to the special event impact zone with specific priority focus on the Zilker, Bouldin and Festival Beach area neighborhoods.”
• The report also recommends that the program “focus on increased fines for parking, changes to City procedure and practice to encourage effective towing or booting authorization and ticketing by non-sworn personnel.”
• While the Parks and Recreation Department has taken the lead on responding to the Parkland Events Task Force recommendations as a whole, ATD is responding to this particular recommendation because it relates to mobility and the public right of way.

Previous Action

• Council Resolution 20140522-043 directed the City Manager to “initiate a stakeholder process to make recommendations on a temporary Residential Permit Parking program to be implemented at times when there are parking impacts from events, including but not limited to festivals and construction projects.” Following passage of this resolution, ATD staff identified the Bouldin Creek and Zilker neighborhoods as the two most affected by events. In February 2015, ATD staff began meeting with representatives from these neighborhoods to gather input and discuss possible solutions.
• In March 2015, Council adopted Resolution 20150305-025, creating the Parkland Events Task Force, charging it with, among other tasks, “an assessment of the impact that park special events have on surrounding neighborhoods, businesses, and infrastructure, in coordination with the work under way by the City Council's Mobility Committee regarding transportation impacts.” City of Austin staff, including ATD staff, was present at the Parkland Events Task Force meetings that led to the final report and recommendations, which Council approved in January 2017 prior to adopting Resolution 20170202-046.