Parking is common thread in all downtown projects

The following appeared on the “Viewpoint” page of the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal on April 28, 2006

By Henry Cord

In the future, as downtown San Jose begins to reap its potential with multiple residential towers, a vibrant daytime office community, abundant shopping, dining, nightlife and entertainment options, and a full-fledged convention and visitors’ destination, one common thread will be woven throughout all the different projects: parking.

The next mayor will fill many roles in the leadership of the city, among them being an “architect” to drive downtown’s still-fledgling core into the true urban center described above. The next mayor/architect – as has been the case with previous mayors – will face the issue of how to provide adequate parking supply to meet increasing demand.

Resolution of the current parking debate has centered on whether downtown is ready to act like other “big cities” that charge people to park in lots and garages 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Said another way: does downtown currently offer enough value to attract people from throughout the region who can otherwise park for free?

For the past several years, city lots and garages in the core have reached a compromise: pay during weekdays and park for free nights and weekends. That system has worked – but now these facilities fill up early Thursday-Saturday nights and during big conventions, forcing the need to reexamine parking management plans.

Fortunately, the next mayor need not look into a crystal ball for answers – and instead weigh the input from businesses that operate and open their doors downtown every day. Downtown Association guidance includes:

Fill offices with employees and apply parking fees collected today to acquire and secure available land to build a public parking garage for tomorrow;

Sell the city-owned Third Street parking garage and use sale proceeds to acquire land/construct new parking downtown;

Lease private lots that are otherwise closed nights and weekends and open them for downtown visitors;

Continue “parking plus” on key downtown parcels where the city invests with developers to add extra public parking to their projects;

Set up valet parking at central points in the downtown;

Provide better signage for visitors to ease their ability to enter and exit lots and garages that have spots available;

Retrofit the Convention Center Garage with better pedestrian access to make it more accessible to conventioneers and patrons of the South First Area (SoFA);

As a last resort, charge nominal fees (up to $3 per car) on weeknights and implement an effective validation program with businesses that reduces or eliminates those customer fees altogether.

With today’s office vacancies, we currently have plenty of parking in the downtown core most days and nights but future development continues to subtract public spaces in surface lots. As downtown grows, parking demand also grows, and mass transit will alleviate only a minor portion of demand. Realistically, we’ll need an additional 2,500-3,000 spaces added to our public parking inventory if downtown is to continue to grow successfully.

We ask our next city leaders to demand and implement viable plans that addresses both short- and long-term parking needs which are integral to successful economic development downtown.

Henry Cord is a development consultant, real estate broker and President of the San Jose Downtown Association.