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SDOT - Making the Parking System Work
 The Making the Parking System Work Program is no longer underway. In 2008, however, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) launched a similar comprehensive effort called the Community Parking Program. This new multi-year project will work in communities throughout the City to improve parking and support transportation choices. Staff is currently working in Capitol Hill, West Seattle Junction, First Hill, Upper Queen Anne, and Pike/Pine. Visit the webpage to learn more. If you have questions, please contact SDOT’s Community Parking Program at communityparking@seattle.gov or (206) 684-8186.
Below, you can find information on past public meetings, parking studies, and parking plans developed through the Making the Parking System Work Program. Again, this information reflects previous work and may not be the best indicator of what parking in your neighborhood looks like.
Program History
In 2000, the City Council accepted Federal grant funds, and adopted an ordinance and a workplan for the Making the Parking System Work Program. The workplan prioritized neighborhoods for participation in the program based upon the terms of the grant, recommendations in neighborhood plans, the results of the Comprehensive Neighborhood Parking Study, and other transportation-related efforts.
Through the "Making the Parking System Work" program, SDOT responded to emerging parking, mobility, and access issues affecting a neighborhood-wide area. City staff collaborated with neighborhood business and community organizations to identify and implement low-cost, common-sense parking management and access strategies. These active partnerships sought to achieve the right mix of residential, visitor, customer, and employee parking in a particular neighborhood. The partnerships also created and employed techniques to reduce demand for parking spaces by promoting travel by foot, bike, bus and carpool. These techniques are also known as transportation demand management or TDM.
At the outset of each neighborhood parking program effort, neighborhood representatives established a workgroup comprised of residents, community/neighborhood organizations, area business groups and Chambers of Commerce, staff from various City departments, and other key stakeholders. The intent was to create a team of "neighborhood parking experts" that could develop solutions, implement recommendations, and educate and involve their neighbors (please see our Neighborhood & Business Tools section).
Neighborhood parking workgroups developed a list of specific actions the community and City could do. These actions included ways to make the best use of existing on-street and off-street parking, and ways to get people where they need to go using fewer vehicles where possible as a way of easing the demand for parking. The resulting action plan was then presented to the neighborhood at a Community Forum for review and to encourage participation in implementation. After refining the action plan the community and City staff partnership continued through the implementation phase.
Click on a neighborhood below, or on the map to the right, to learn about what the Making the Parking System Work effort accomplished:
To learn about this program's activities addressing smaller, more localized concerns, click on the neighborhood name below:
12th Avenue & Central Area
The 12th Avenue parking workgroup began work in 2002 and completed work on a variety of on-Street changes in the 12th Avenue corridor between E. Madison Street and E. Jefferson Street, including installing angled parking on 13th Avenue just north of E. Jefferson to increase the area's parking supply. Seattle University, Seattle Academy, Swedish Medical Center and the 12th Avenue Stewardship Council, and nearby residents and business owners actively participated.
12th Avenue Projects Materials
12th Avenue Parking Regulations
Opportunity Map 1: Back-in Angled Parking
Opportunity Map 2: Load Zones
12th Avenue Summary September 30, 2002
12th Avenue Summary November 20, 2002
12th Avenue Summary February 4, 2003
12th Avenue Summary April 15, 2003
12th Avenue Meeting Summary March 3, 2004
12th Avenue Meeting Summary April 7, 2004
12th Avenue Meeting Summary June 9, 2004
Implementation Progress 2004
12th Avenue Parking Matrix (September 2004)
Ballard
Downtown Ballard kicked off its "Making the Parking System Work" program on May 19, 2003. Business people and residents attended to share their ideas about improving access and managing parking in downtown Ballard. Since then, business people, residents and City staff met frequently to walk the neighborhood, identify opportunities, and prioritize their ideas into an implementation workplan. Their recommendations were presented to the community at a forum in September 2003.
Downtown Ballard Project Materials
Downtown Ballard Parking Action Strategy
Map 1: 2003 Conditions
Map 2: Walking Tour 2003
Map 3: Proposed Short-Term Ballard Parking Regulations
Map 4: Proposed Mid-Term Ballard Parking Regulations
Downtown Ballard Kick-off Summary May 19, 2003
Downtown Ballard Walking Tour Summary June 20, 2003
Downtown Ballard Summary July 18, 2003
Downtown Ballard Summary August 15, 2003
Downtown Ballard Community Forum September 25, 2003
Downtown Ballard Summary January 16, 2004
Downtown Ballard Meeting Summary February 20, 2004
Downtown Ballard Meeting Summary March 19, 2004
Downtown Ballard Meeting Summary April 16, 2004
Ballard Parking Matrix (September 2004)
Action Items from January 16, 2004
Goal #2 Improve Usage of On-Street Parking-Load Zones on NW Market
Goal #5 Improve Ballard Ave NW Street Drainage
Downtown Ballard Parking Workgroup Accomplishments - September, 2004
Downtown Ballard Load Zone locater map - - September, 2004
Beacon Hill
NOTE: SDOT is currently developing parking plans for the Beacon Hill LINK light rail station area neighborhood. For more information, please check out the Beacon Hill Light Rail Parking webpage.
The Making the Parking System Work program was engaged by the Beacon Hill community over the summer of 2003. SDOT staff conducted a walking tour with neighborhood representatives on July 29th, 2003. SDOT staff determined that many of the parking issues about which the community expressed concern were related to the Sound Transit test shaft and future station. The community engaged in regular meetings with City and Sound Transit project managers regarding impacts from Sound Transit activities in the neighborhood.
SDOT staff created a matrix of parking issues and opportunities that are not related to Sound Transit impacts, and in October 2003 presented these to the community via the North Beacon Hill Community Council.
Beacon Hill Project Materials
Beacon Hill Parking Matrix Summary (PDF)
Beacon Hill Parking Matrix (March 2004) (Excel spreadsheet)
Goal #2 Summary 2500 Beacon Ave S bus zone (Sept 2004) (PDF)
Asa Mercer Traffic & Safety Matrix (Feb 2005) (Excel spreadsheet)
Mercer Traffic & Safety Committee - by topic (Feb 2005) (PDF)
Belltown
City staff worked with the Belltown Business Improvement Area and the Community Council to address parking issues for business customers and residents in this dense downtown neighborhood. Community priorities focused on the installation of parking meters along Western Ave, Elliot Ave, and the east-west streets between Bell and Broad where parking was unrestricted or time-limited. By adding parking meters to these areas, parking turnover increased and made it easier for area customers and clients to find a parking space.
In 2002-2003 about 315 new parking meters were installed in Belltown, providing additional short-term customer parking as part of the Belltown Meter Installation Project.
Belltown Parking Resources
Belltown Existing Parking Regulations - May 2003 (PDF format)
New Meter Locations - October 2003 (PDF format)
Belltown Off-Street Parking Lots - October 2003 (PDF format)
Capitol Hill & Pike/Pine
NOTE: SDOT staff are currently working in Capitol Hill and Pike/Pine through the Community Parking Program.
The Capitol Hill & Pike/Pine Neighborhood Parking Workgroup held a Community Forum in December 2001 where the community responded to the parking workgroup's recommendations developed over the preceding year. Since the Forum, parking workgroup members worked on implementing the on-street parking recommendations including successful on-street regulation changes around Cal Anderson Park, the creation of a Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ) in the Pike/Pine corridor, and exploration of a parking validation program with the Broadway Business Improvement Area (BIA).
Below are the workgroup's recommendations, parking maps of the neighborhood, and a letter detailing the specifics of Load Zone changes.
Capitol Hill-Pike/Pine Project Materials
Parking Workgroup Recommendations
Background on the Parking Workgroup
Detailed On-Street Parking Recommendations
Map of the On-Street Parking Recommendations
Load Zone Letter
Chinatown-International District
Since Summer 2002 City staff have been working with the Chinatown-International District Transportation Committee. The Committee is made up of business owners and social services staff representing resident interests.
Until March 2003, the primary focus of the committee was the design, administration and analysis of the Chinatown-International District Resident and Employee Parking Needs Assessment, funded through the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and the South Downtown Foundation and conducted by the International District Housing Alliance.
Chinatown-International District Project Materials
Chinatown-International District Resident and Employee Parking Needs Assessment
C-ID Meeting Summary May 26, 2004
C-ID Meeting Summary July 28, 2004
C-ID Meeting Summary August 25, 2004
C-ID Meeting Summary September 22, 2004
Chinatown-International District Meter Installation
C/ID Parking Matrix (August 2004)
Improving Safety and Mobility in the 400 Block of 12th Ave S
Columbia City
NOTE: SDOT is currently developing parking plans for the Columbia City LINK light rail station area neighborhood. For more information, please check out the Columbia City Light Rail Parking webpage.
The Columbia City Neighborhood Parking Workgroup met between April 2002 and June 2003 to develop parking management recommendations for the neighborhood. The Columbia City Parking Action Strategy was presented to the community at the March 2003 Columbia City Town Hall Meeting and at regular meetings of various neighborhood organizations. It is now complete and implementation is underway with the work being carried forward by the existing Columbia City community organizations.
As part of determining the neighborhood's parking priorities, the workgroup completed the Columbia City Neighborhood Parking Survey in March 2003. The final results are available in the Columbia City Neighborhood Parking Survey Results.
Columbia City Project Materials
Columbia City Parking Action Strategy - Executive Summary
Columbia City Parking Action Strategy
Columbia City Neighborhood Parking Survey Results
Columbia City Kick-off Summary April 2, 2002
Columbia City Walking Tour Summary June 25, 2002
Columbia City Summary July 30, 2002
Columbia City Summary September 17, 2002
Columbia City Summary December 3, 2002
Columbia City Summary February 4, 2003
Columbia City Summary April 1, 2003
Columbia City Summary June 17, 2003
Columbia City Parking Matrix
Goal #1 Increase On-Street Parking-S Hudson
Goal #1 Increase On-Street Parking-37th Avenue S
Goal #1 Increase On-Street Parking-S Ferdinand
Columbia City Map
Another project was the Columbia City Map - a guide to walking, biking and busing in Columbia City produced by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington with funding from the Making the Parking System Work program.
Columbia City Map-map north side
Columbia City Map-map south side
Columbia City Map-text side part 1
Columbia City Map-text side part 2
First Hill
NOTE: SDOT is currently working to improve parking in First Hill through the Community Parking Program.
Between February 2003 and May 2004 the First Hill parking workgroup met monthly to share their concerns and ideas about improving parking and access on First Hill. Their recommendations were presented to the community in a Forum in September 2003 and are now available in the First Hill Parking Action Strategy.
First Hill Project Materials
First Hill Parking Action Strategy
First Hill Kick-Off Meeting Summary February 18, 2003
First Hill Walking Tour March 21, 2003
First Hill Meeting Summary April 24, 2003
First Hill Meeting Summary May 29, 2003
First Hill Meeting Summary July 1, 2003
First Hill Meeting Summary July 24, 2003
First Hill Meeting Summary August 26, 2003
First Hill Meeting Summary September 16, 2003
First Hill Community Forum October 2, 2003
First Hill Meeting Summary February 5, 2004
First Hill Meeting Summary March 2, 2004
First Hill Meeting Summary April 6, 2004
First Hill Meeting Summary May 4, 2004
FTH Parking Matrix (Sept 2004)
Green Lake
In late 2004, the Making the Parking System Work program began engaging the Green Lake community about how parking and mobility around the neighborhood could be improved. Staff worked with the Green Lake Community Council and the business district just east of the Green Lake Community Center.
Download Green Lake parking data here (from the Comprehensive Neighborhood Parking Study)
Pioneer Square
In 2003, the "Making the Parking System Work" program provided support for two projects created by the Pioneer Square Community Association (PSCA).
The first was an effort by the PSCA Parking Committee to create a parking validation program. Parking validation or discount programs typically provide assistance to customers of a business district by providing discounted parking in designated lots or structures. These programs helped create more short-term parking for customers and served as a great opportunity to market a business district. The Parking Round the Square Validation Program was launched to the public on May 6, 2003. To find out more about participating merchants and facilities, please visit http://www.pioneersquare.org/parking.html.
The second project was an update of the Pioneer Square Map. For the first time, the map was updated to show information about bus routes, bike parking facilities, car-sharing locations, and parking facilities participating in the Parking Round the Square Validation Program.
For more information on either project, contact the PSCA at (206) 667-0687.
Roosevelt
A Community Parking Forum was held Tuesday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Calvary Christian Assembly in combination with the regular RNA meeting. The draft “Roosevelt Parking Action Strategy” was presented to the larger community for comments and approval. Once finalized, the Roosevelt Parking Action Strategy was used to guide activities to improve parking and how people get to, from, and around the Roosevelt neighborhood. The items in the Roosevelt Parking Action Strategy will also be considered for inclusion in Roosevelt’s Neighborhood Plan Update. The Strategy identifies specific actions which the community and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will work together to implement.
Roosevelt Project Materials
Draft Roosevelt Parking Action Strategy (PDF)
Roosevelt Neighborhood Parking Issues - October 2004 (Word document)
Roosevelt Neighborhood Parking Issues - October 2004 (Excel spreadsheet)
Roosevelt-area Parking Study Data Analysis
Visit the 35th Ave NE, NE 65th ST and NE 75th ST Improvement Project
Roosevelt Meeting Summary - April 18, 2005
Topics: Regulations, enforcement, lot-sharing, and busing, biking, & walking
Roosevelt Meeting Summary - May 2, 2005
Topics: Customer, business, and employee parking, and paid parking (pay stations & meters)
Roosevelt Meeting Summary - May 16, 2005
Topics: Roosevelt High School parking impacts and RPZ (Zone 19)
Roosevelt Meeting Summary - June 20, 2005
Topics: Public safety, car prowls, abandoned vehicles
Roosevelt Meeting Summary - March 6, 2006
Topics: Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety and Mobility
University District
From Fall 2001 through Spring 2002, a group of residents, business owners, the University District Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from the University of Washington worked with City staff to improve parking conditions in the University District. This neighborhood parking committee sought to improve on-street and off-street parking conditions on a street-by-street basis, and to manage the number of trips in the U-District through transportation demand management strategies. The parking committee used the Neighborhood Plan, data from the City's Comprehensive Neighborhood Parking Study, field visits, surveys and interviews to formulate a set of recommendations.
The result was the creation of the U-District Access Package, which combined a parking validation program (to help customers) with a small business commute package (to help employees and business owners get to and from work in fewer cars). Please contact the University District Chamber of Commerce at (206) 547-4417 or info@udistrictchamber.org for more information on this program.
University District Project Materials
U-District Final Recommendations
U-District Access Package Brochure
U-District Parking Guide
Under the Car Smart Program, the City funded True Guides to create the Explore 44! Map and Guide that shows how easy it is to shop from Ballard to Wallingford to the U-District using Metro Route 44 and leave your car at home.
Uptown
In 2001 and 2002, The Uptown Parking Workgroup, the Strategic Planning Office (now closed), the Seattle Department of Transportation, and the Seattle Center and Department of Neighborhoods worked collaboratively with the Uptown Alliance and Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce to create over 50 new on-street, short-term parking spaces. This was accomplished by shortening the size of existing no-parking zones, moving a bus zone, and replacing unrestricted parking with short-term parking. Business owners continue to perform outreach to other businesses about the ease of installing or removing load zones to make the best use of existing curb space.
Uptown Projects Materials
Uptown Recommendations
Load Zone Letter
Existing Conditions Map-2001
Community Discussion Map
Implemented Recommendations Map-2002
Uptown Map
In 2003, with funding from the Making the Parking System Work program, the neighborhood worked with Feet First to create a "Walking Uptown" pedestrian-friendly map of the neighborhood. You can view the map below and paper copies are available in person at the Uptown Neighborhood Service Center at 157 Roy St or by calling (206) 684-4812.
Walking Uptown Map-map side
Walking Uptown Map-text side
The map contains helpful information on car-sharing locations, bus and bike route information, and off-street parking opportunities. If you would like more information, please contact Feet First at (206) 652-2310 or info@feetfirst.info.
Wallingford
In 2000-2001, City staff worked with representatives of Weaving Wallingford and the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce to address parking in the neighborhood, primarily along NE 45th Street. From that partnership, a list of Seven Small Steps was developed to improve parking management along 45th Ave NE and throughout the business district. A "Walkable Wallingford" transportation and fun map was also created that includes transit route information, walking and cycling routes, connections to parks, schools, community centers, bike trails, bike racks and other amenities that promote the use of alternatives to driving. And a small business access package was developed to assist business owners and employees to get to and from work in fewer cars and thus free up valuable on-street parking for customers. Additional information is available on the Weaving Wallingford web site at www.wallingford.org/parking.htm.
Wallingford Project Materials
Seven Small Steps
Wallingford Parking Opportunities Map
Wallingford Small Business Access Package
Walkable Wallingford Map-map side
Walkable Wallingford Map-text side
Under the Car Smart Program, the City funded True Guides to create the Explore 44! Map and Guide that shows how easy it is to shop from Ballard to Wallingford to the U-District using Metro Route 44 and leave your car at home.
Other Activities
In 2004, the Making the Parking System Work program responded to parking and access concerns affecting part of a neighborhood. Below are the summaries of these efforts.
Alki
In May 2004, the Making the Parking System Work program received a referral for assistance with several parking-related concerns by a resident of the Alki Ave SW area of West Seattle. Staff conducted a review of concerns that area residents have contacted SDOT about over the past several years. The following document provides a summary of these concerns.
Alki Summary-June 17, 2004
Alki RPZ - Final Design
Lake City
In July 2004, the Making the Parking System Work program responded to a request for assistance with a Neighborhood Plan Implementation item from the Lake City Stewardship Council. The Council wanted assistance with "Developing a parking analysis with specific proposals for parking facilities." The Department was able to provide parking analysis in the form of a summary and interpretation of data from the Comprehensive Neighborhood Parking Study (see the document below).
Lake City - Parking Study Data Analysis
Magnolia
In 2004, the Making the Parking System Work program was engaged to provide a response to the recommendations in the Magnolia Parking Study, including suggestions for engaging SDOT in implementing recommendations where appropriate.
SDOT Response to Magnolia Parking Study, July 2004 (PDF format)
Queen Anne
NOTE: Upper Queen Anne is currently a Community Program neighborhood. Check out the website for more details.
In late 2004, the Making the Parking System Work program assisted in responding to requests for increased parking enforcement on the first block of Howe St (between Queen Anne Ave N and 1st Ave N). Staff from the Parking Enforcement Unit and the Making the Parking System Work program investigated and met with stakeholders on this block. Below is a summary of the actions taken.
Parking Concerns on Howe Street - December 2004 (PDF)
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