SR-CC/PA-2 (4)
eei PA-Z
AP 2 5 1995
PCD:SF:RKF:prkequi4;WINWORD Santa Monica, Ca11fornia
Council Meeting: April 25/ 1995
To: city Council and Parking Authority
From: city staff
Subject: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to
Negotiate and Execute a Contract With SECOM
International Inc. to Provide and Install a Parking
Access and Revenue Control System in the six Downtown
Parking structures for an Amount Not to Exceed
$696,242; Appropriate $220,650 to the Parking structure
Control Equipment ClP Account for the contract,
contingencies and Other Appurtenant Work; and Consider
Information Regarding Nighttime Parking Meter
Operations on Downtown streets and Related Issues.
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends the city council and Parking Authority
authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract
" with SECOM International Inc. to provide and install a parking
access and revenue control system (PARCS) in the six downtown
parking structures for an amount not to exceed $696,242. It is
recommended that the Council appropriate $220/650 to the Parking
structure Control Equipment eIP account for the cost of the
contract, contingencies and other appurtenant work; the remaining
amount is currently budgeted. This report also provides
information to the council regarding nighttime parking meter
operations on downtown streets and related issues.
eel PA-2
APR 2 5 1995
DISCUSSION
At its meeting on December 14, 1993, the city Council and Parking
Authority approved the conversion of the six downtown parking
structures from a parking meter operation to a cashier/pay-on-
exit operation. This conversion was requested by the Bayside
District Corporation (BDC) and the Restaurant and Merchants
Associations to improve customer relations, make the parking
structures more user friendly, and to enhance vehicle security
and personal safety.
A Public Works bid process was originally used and resulted in a
rejection of bids on January 10, 1995, and Council authorization
for staff to proceed with a Request for Proposals (RFP) process.
The RFP was issued and two proposals were received. SECOM
International Inc. submitted a proposal including a proposed cost
of $696,242, and Socal Parking Equipment Company in conjunction
with CTR Systems Inc. submitted a proposed cost of $750,762.
Staff, the City's new parking operator and a parking consultant
have evaluated both proposals and both companies, including
thorough reference checks and site visits of each company's
parking equipment. As a result of this evaluation, SECOM was
rated as having the superior proposal. SECOM is a full-service
equipment manufacturer and software provider, installer, and
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service and maintenance company. Their equipment is reliable and
long-lasting, and, if necessary, can be easily upgraded or
retrofitted for changing needs.
Staff's recommendation that the Council authorize the city
Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with SECOM is based
on many factors. One of the more important factors considered
was customer service. SECOM is a Los Angeles based firm with
their engJ.neering, programming, manufacturing and technical
support staff all located only 20 minutes from Santa Monica.
This proximity assures the City of the prompt avaJ.lability of
support alld replacement parts without having to purchase a large
spare part inventory.
Another factor in recommending SECOM is their excellent
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reputation as a result of more than fifteen years in designing,
manufacturing, and installing access and revenue control systems
w1th thousands of systems installed worldwide, hundreds of those
located in Southern California.
OTHER ISSUES
Nighttime operation of On-Street Parking Meters
When the Council approved the conversion of the downtown parking
structures from a parking meter operation to a cashierfpay-on-
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exit operation, staff was requested to evaluate the feasibility
of operat1ng the on-street parkIng meters at night. The CouncIl
expressed the need for on-street, short term parking at night to
better serve patrons of the Bayside District who may want to make
a qUIck stop for such things as coffee or a newspaper or
magazine. Currently, all on-street meters end operation and
enforcement at 6:00 pm.
Typical on-street meters throughout the city provide for two hour
parking or less and operate from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday
through Saturday. Those locations where 15 to 30 minute meters
exist were requested by the adjacent business operators to help
them by providing high turnover parking spaces.
The scope of this discussIon will be limited to on-street spaces
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along Wilshire Boulevard, Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica Boulevard
and Broadway between 2nd and 4th streets; and along 2nd and 4th
streets between Wilshire and Broadway. On-street meters beyond
these limits do not serve the needs for short term evening
parking for the Bayside District and have been found to adversely
affect adjacent businesses, especially restaurants and
entertainment venues because in most cases there is no other
long-term parking alternative.
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Along Wilshire, Arizona, Santa Monica and Broadway between 2nd
and 4th streets, there are 80 available on-street meters, all of
them being 1 hour or less. There are currently 75 meters along
2nd Street between Wilshire and Broadway. A significant number
of the meters are 1 or 2 hour meters and a few are 36 minute
short term meters. Currently, there are no meters along 4th
Street, but nighttime parking is allowed after 7:00 pm.
Several years ago the city implemented the operation of on-street
meters at night throughout the entire downtown area and along
many major commercial corridors. This program was implemented in
July and August 1990 and hdd an immediate adverse impact on
businesses, and was rescinded by the Council in September and
October of 1990. At that time, it was determined that daytime
and nighttime on-street park1ng needs, in most cases, are
signif1cantly different. Nighttime parkers required longer term
park1ng than most on-street meters provided. For example, for a
restaurant, a 1 or 2-hour meter may be suitable for daytime
customers, but it hindered nighttime customers because dinner
patrons tended to spend more time in a restaurant than lunch
patrons. Another example, was the 15 to 30 minute short-term
meters which adequately served small, high turnover businesses
such as cleaners, print shops and shoe repair, during the day,
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but did not serve the nighttime parker and the parking space was
often left empty.
If the Council desires operation of downtown parking meters at
night, the Council needs to take formal action to authorize
implementation as well as appropriate additional funds.
Nlghttime meter operation could be initiated ln conjunction with
implementation of the attendant parking program. Unless directed
otherwise, the hours of operation would be the same as the
parking structures (Monday through Saturday 8:00 am to 12:00
midnight and Sunday 1:00 pm to 12:00 midnight), however the meter
rate will be the same as existing, 50 cents per hour.
The cost to implement a nighttime meter operation along Wilshire,
Arizona, Santa Monica and Broadway between 2nd and 4th Streets
would be approximately $5,000. This estimate includes the
manufacture and installation of new signs which would
consplcuously indicate that the meters would be enforced until 12
midnight. Since the existing meters already provide for short
term parking, it is not necessary to purchase and install any new
meters. The cost to implement a nighttime meter operation along
2nd and 4th Streets would be approximately $35,000 including the
costs of new nlghttime-only meters along 4th Street and the costs
of signs. Therefore, the total costs for implementation of
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nighttime meters at all locations in the district is
approximately $40,000.
It 1S estimated that the nighttime operation of meters on
Wilshire, Arizona, Santa Monica and Broadway may generate about
$60,000 add1tlonal revenue per year. On 2nd and 4th streets the
meters may generate about $100,000 additional revenue per year.
The BDC discussed the nighttime enforcement of on-street meters
at its October 27, 1994 Board meeting. The consensus of the
Board was to oppose the enforcement at night since the parking
needs of most nighttime visitors to the district require several
hours of parklng time. since most of the meters provide for one
hour or less, they do not satisfy the nighttime parking demand.
Follow1ng the February 14th meeting, the BDC Board determined to
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reconsider the issue at a special Board rneet1ng on April 20,
1995. The results of that discussion will be presented to the
Counc1l at the April 25th meeting.
Queuing in the structures and Alley Exiting
At the meeting of February 14, 1995, when AMPCO Systems Parking
was selected to operate the parking structures I some members of
the Council expressed concern about the queu1ng that may occur
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during exiting, and the feasibility of using the alley exits for
permit holders and prepa1d tickets to reduce queuing and delay.
staff retained the services of a parking consultant to analyze
this sltuation. In summary, the consultant's analysis indicated
that during the peak hour for all six structures the entering
traffic will not experience any slgnificant queu1ng or delay.
For the exiting traffic, no significant queuing or delay will
occur in Structures 1, 2 or 6. However, in structures 3 and 5
some moderate queuing and delay will occur during the peak hour
(three to eight vehicles or one to three minutes). Finally, the
consultant determined that structure 4 cannot accommodate the
peak hour eX1ting traffic and s1gnificant queuing and delay will
occur durlng the peak perlod unless exit lane configurations are
improved.
staff, the parking operator and parking consultant are designing
exit lane modifications for all six structures that will address
the current queuing and delay problems. The new design, which
includes relocating the exiting cashier booths and gates back
1nto the structure onto the second level, will also address any
future concerns in this area. The closure of the alley exits is
still recommended for improving the pedestrian safety in the
alleys. The alley exits do not contribute significantly to
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reducing queulng delays since most traffic is required to
circulate through the main exit lanes in order to access the
alleys.
parking Access for the Disabled
The concern for parking access for the disabled was also
discussed. In conjunction with the conversion of the structures
to the cashier/pay-on-exit program, the ground floor areas of the
parking structures will be converted to parking areas for the
disabled. These future parking areas are accessible immediately
after entering the structure. Disabled parkers with a disabled
placard will still pull a ticket at the entrance and will exit
the structures at the cashier booth in the same manner as other
parkers, however, as is the current council polley, there will be
no charge for parking for the disabled.
Coordination with Santa Konica Place parking
The council also requested that staff contact the Santa Monica
Place management about the coordination of their parking program
with the city's parking program. In response to staff's
inquirles, the management at Santa Monica Place indicated they
were not prepared to move forward with any significant changes to
their parking program at this time, but would monitor the city's
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program and would seriously consider modifications in the near
future.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funds required: Contract $696,242
Contingencies (10%) $ 69,624
Contract Total $765,866
Approximately $545,216 for this project is currently budgeted in
CIP account 01-720-263-20094-8900-99048 (Parking structure
Control System) . In addition, staff is recommending that
$220,650 be appropriated to CIP account #01-720-263-20094-8900-
99048 from funds held in deferred revenue account #01-000-000-
00000-9870-04703 (Mall Parking Levy Account).
As indicated in previous staff reports, it is projected the
change from a parking meter operation to a cashier/pay-on-exit
operation will initially result in an estimated $600,000 per year
revenue shortfall. However, careful monitoring of the structure
operations will be conducted during the first year of operations
and parking rate adjustments may be recommended in the future in
order to meet the staff's objective of a revenue neutral position
as a result of this operational change.
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council and Parking Authority:
1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a
contract with SECOM International Inc. to provide and
install a parking access and revenue control system in the
SlX downtown parking structures for an amount not to exceed
$765,866;
2 . Appropriate $220,650 to ClP account #01-720-263-20094-8900-
99048 (Parking structure Control system) from revenue
account #01-000-000-00000-9870-04703 (Mall Parking Levy
Account) .
Prepared by: Planning and Community Development Department
Suzanne Frick, Director
Ron Fuchiwaki, City Parking and Traffic Engineer
Doug Blag i , Assoclate Traffic Engineer
Resource Management Department
Jeff Mathieu, Director
JUdlth Meister, Asset Manager
(prkequ14)
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