City implementing downtown parking initiatives

Parking in downtown Topeka could get easier after a variety of planned improvements, including upgrades to parking garage systems, on-street meters and wayfinding technology.

A reader recently expressed confusion about parking, asking #TopCity What?: "There is a sign at Centre City Garage that says free parking during (business) hours. Why did I have to pay during the listed hours?"

"It would appear the reader misread the signs," parking manager Brenda Hayes said in a written response, noting that parking is free in the garage after business hours and on weekends.

Hayes said if a user is charged incorrectly, he or she can bring the parking receipt to the parking administration office at 620 S.E. Madison during business hours to dispute a charge.

The city operates seven parking garages with a total of 3,253 parking spaces. The city also maintains 3,293 on-street parking spaces, including 1,700 that are metered. Approximately 6,000 parking spaces in the downtown area are under private, state or other ownership.

"There's plenty of parking downtown," said Vince Frye, president and CEO of Downtown Topeka Inc. and senior vice president of the Greater Topeka Partnership. "We just need to do a better job of directing people to the spots that would be most appropriate for them when they come downtown."

In 2017, a comprehensive downtown parking study was completed by Desman Design Management, a national parking consulting company based in New York with offices in Chicago. The study examined whether parking could accommodate growth under the Momentum 2022 economic development campaign, which is bringing business and residential development to the city's core.

"Sometimes I feel we're spoiled in that we want to park right in front of a building," Frye said, noting that parking can be found within a block or two of any downtown destination. "We just need to kind of change some perceptions and educate people as to where they can park."

The city has begun to implement some of the recommendations from the parking study, starting with upgrades to all parking garages that will standardize operating systems, including gates and the computers that control the gates. Construction is set to begin in March and be completed at all garages by the end of the year, according to Public Works Director Jason Peek.

All of the city's parking services and upgrades are paid for by revenue from parking permits, fees and fines. Five of the city's garages offer hourly parking at a rate of $1 per hour with monthly rates in most public garages being $67.75. One- and two-hour meters are priced at $1 per hour, and 10-hour meters cost 50 cents per hour.

"At this time, we still plan to give free parking after business hours, which we're currently doing in two garages, and of course, we open up garages during events," Peek said.

The next phase of improvements will include upgrading meters to allow people to pay with credit cards and smartphone apps rather than being limited to coins. These "smart meters" could be connected to a system that would direct people to available parking via the smartphone app, Peek said. The city is accepting bids for that project, with a mid-February deadline for proposals.

Peek said better managing the parking that is available was the biggest takeaway from the study. Along with the planned upgrades, the city is considering using price to manage supply and demand, for example, by charging a premium for high-demand spaces with lower prices at spaces further away.

Parking problems are a matter of perception, he said. New directional signs and wayfinding technology could help improve perceptions by making it easier to find the best spot.

"I think it's an exciting time for development in Topeka," Peek said. "We've got a good parking plan that's helping us work hand in hand with that development to be ready to keep doing good things in Topeka."