Community Parking Program
First Hill

Updated September 29, 2009

Ideas to improve parking on First Hill

SDOT recently hosted a First Hill & Capitol Hill parking open house to share ideas with the community on how to improve parking. Weren’t able to attend? Check out the links below to learn about what was discussed. Let us know what you think by filling out this comment sheet (you can email or mail it back). Thanks!

Materials from September 17, 2009 open house:

• Harborview area: findings and potential solutions
• Virginia Mason area: findings and potential solutions
• Swedish area: findings and potential solutions

Questions? Contact project manager Allison Schwartz at FirstHillParking@seattle.gov or (206) 684-8186.

First Hill parking study findings

SDOT staff attended the June 13th First Hill Community Council meeting to share preliminary parking study findings. Click here for a handout of key findings discussed at that meeting. Click here for the full report.

What did the study find?

• Parking spaces (on average over the course of the day) are over 80% full
• 45% of vehicles are staying longer than the posted time limit, which makes it challenging for the next customer or visitor to find a parking space
• Unrestricted spaces (those without a time limit) are the most full at nearly 100%
• The average stay of a car in an unrestricted space is about 3 hours
• Pay station spaces have the highest average compliance rate at 80%
• Nearly 40% of vehicles parked near Virginia Mason, Swedish, and Harborview displayed a disabled parking permit or license plate (SDOT is looking into whether these permits are being legitimately used)

Contact project manager Allison Schwartz at FirstHillParking@seattle.gov   or (206) 684-8186 to ask questions or share your ideas about how to improve parking in First Hill. You can also leave a comment below:

Project Background

Through the Community Parking Program, SDOT will work with First Hill stakeholders to develop a parking plan that balances neighborhood needs and meets City transportation and environmental goals.

Staff will meet with First Hill residents, businesses, and institutions to design a parking study and develop parking proposals. A variety of parking improvement tools exist:

• Time limit signs
• Load zones
• Residential parking zones (RPZs)
• Paid parking

A previous assessment in 2005 resulted in new paid parking blocks, time limit signs, and additional residential parking zone (RPZ) blocks.

Get involved in the First Hill parking project

Let us know where you’d like to see on-street parking improvements in First Hill:

• Are there particular blocks you would like SDOT to study?
• Does your block need a load zone or new time limit signs?
• Would you like additional parking for motorcycles, scooters, or bikes?
• Participate in a parking workgroup
• Join SDOT on a walking tour (to be scheduled in February and March)

Contact First Hill project manager Allison Schwartz at FirstHillParking@seattle.gov or call (206) 684-8186.

You can also leave a comment

Other ways SDOT is improving access to First Hill

To support a sustainable transportation system and reduce the demand for parking, SDOT has programs that encourage walking, biking, and transit. Visit http://www.seattle.gov/waytogo/ to learn how to get to and from First Hill without driving.

With your levy dollars, SDOT’s Bridging the Gap program will help reduce Seattle’s maintenance backlog and invest in major transportation projects. In partnership with King County Transit Now, upcoming increases on Routes 2, 3, 4, and 12 will help better serve First Hill

SDOT recently finished repaving Madison St and Boren Ave to increase safety and reliability for transit, bicyclists, and motorists. New traffic signs on Boren and pedestrian improvements on Terry were also completed this year.

Visit http://seattle.gov/transportation/Bridgingthe
Gap.htm for more information.