SDOT is working to better serve Ballard residents, businesses, and visitors, by balancing the parking needs of all. Parking is a limited resource that is often in high demand. Balance is a key component in creating livable neighborhoods that support thriving business. SDOT is continuing its work with businesses and neighborhoods to optimize the use of our city’s resources, and parking management is an important part of enhancing access and mobility.
New areas of time limits, paid parking, and angled parking are coming to Ballard in spring 2015. After working with the Ballard community since late 2013 through our Community Access and Parking Program, we distributed a proposal for parking changes in early September to over 5,000 businesses and residents. We received hundreds of comments and used this feedback to shape the final plan, outlined in the map below.
We work in neighborhoods across the city to improve parking management and ensure that parking controls keep up with changes in development and the need for neighborhood access. Despite all of the development and changes in the neighborhood, parking regulations in Ballard have not changed substantially since 2005. The changes for Ballard are geared towards making parking more available and predictable areas proposed for parking changes are over 90% full for more than three continuous hours of the day, which means drivers often find themselves circling in search of parking.
In addition to our on-street parking studies in Ballard, we also documented off-street parking in a May 2014 study. From this study, we worked with the Ballard Chamber to develop a map that shows the location and hours of over 1,000 public off-street parking spaces available in Ballard today.
As we prepare for the new parking controls, you’ll likely see SDOT out making measurements. Other information about how these changes will be implemented will be regularly updated on the project website. We also received a request for a study to determine eligibility for a restricted parking zone (RPZ) on residential blocks in the neighborhood. We’ll conduct this study in 2015.
For more information, visit http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/cp_ballard.htm.