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City moves forward with downtown parking study
downtown parking pic
TJKM Transportation Consultants has been contracted by the City to prepare a plan that will identify the infrastructure improvements and funding needed to increase the supply of parking in the downtown area, including the construction of a surface parking lot at 129 South Broadway and a parking garage. - photo by Journal file photo

The City of Turlock is one step closer to securing upgraded parking options in the downtown area after Turlock City Council voted earlier this month to approve an agreement with TJKM Transportation Consultants for the development of a Downtown Parking Plan.

“The overall goal is to prepare a parking analysis for Downtown Turlock that will analyze current and future parking demand, provide near-term and long-term parking options for parking supply, and ensure parking does not constrain the growth and success of current and future downtown businesses,” said Senior Planner Katie Quintero in September.

The agreement with TJKM is for an amount not to exceed $69,410 to prepare a plan that will identify the strategies, infrastructure improvements and funding needed to increase the supply of parking in the downtown, including but not limited to, the construction of a surface parking lot at 129 South Broadway and a parking garage.

The City Council directed staff in September to issue a Request for Proposals for the preparation of a Downtown Parking Study. The three proposals that were received by the Oct. 30 deadline were reviewed and scored by six members of the Downtown Parking Plan Advisory Group, which included City staff and a representative from the Chamber of Commerce and the Planning Commission. 

“The proposal from TJKM reflected a clear understanding of the project requirements and demonstrated a history of successfully completing similar scopes of work with other agencies and was unanimously chosen by the Downtown Parking Plan Advisory Group as the best proposal,” according to the recommendation put together by City staff.

Additionally, TJKM’s proposal showed the best understanding of the needs of Downtown Turlock and presented an approach and potential solutions most responsive to those needs. As part of the TJKM proposal, the consultant will come back three years after the plan is completed to evaluate if parking conditions and future needs have changed, and make any revisions needed to the plan at no cost to the City.

This project was not included in the 2015-16 budget as it was not anticipated at the time the budget was prepared. This project is included as an approved project for CFF funding. In addition to the consultant cost of $69,410, the City Council also approved $6,941 in staff costs, which will be used to pay for the Engineering Division's time spent on this project, for a total project amount at $76,351.

The Downtown area is a roughly 160 acre area with core commercial area of approximately 90 acres with residential, civic and heavy commercial uses at the periphery. The study will look at a comprehensive approach to addressing current and future parking in all of the Downtown areas where parking is a constraint to ensure the continued success and investment in the Downtown.

TJKM will survey the existing parking conditions and determine the current parking demand, as well as determine the peak demand for weekday and weekend parking. Public input will be gathered through public workshops and through a consultant-maintained website. The consultant will work with an advisory group throughout the project made up of stakeholders and staff as well as hold focus group meetings or send out surveys to property and business owners in the area.

TJKM will use the General Plan growth projections with a 2032 planning horizon to make assumptions about future growth and development in the Downtown area and will determine how the parking demand will change as this growth occurs. The plan will contain recommendations on the parking improvements that should be made over time as projected development occurs as well.

The final report is slated for presentation before City Council by summer 2016.