11 22-0154 Subject: Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan
From: Transportation Department
Recommendation: Receive An Informational Report On Interdepartmental Efforts To Support Safe Access To And Use Of Lake Merritt And Adopt The Following Pieces Of Legislation;
I am a resident of D3 and live on the north side of the Lake. Although the plan will take away unpaid parking that I and other residents use every day, I support it. The plan is designed to reduce overcrowding, increase access, and manage scarce parking. I watch as families drive to the lake with their picnic and baby gear can’t find parking. The plan not only frees up parking, it provides for free bus service and access to no-fee debit cards. Overall it improves equitable access, it doesn’t bar it.
I'm a resident of D2 for 13 years and I support the parking management plan. For the last 5 years, there have been an increase in activity including large groups of people, amplified music, vending, illegal parking, and trash left behind. I believe the plan will help alleviate the parking issues happening around the lake such as the double, triple & median parking and also parking inside the park such as near The Pergola and El Embarcadero. This can be a hazard since it will impede access to emergency vehicles and those living near the lake especially Lakeshore Ave and also cause more traffic around the lake. I would like everyone including local residents and vistors to enjoy the lake, but at the same time we need to respect the area and environment so everyone can enjoy the area. Thank you.
I want to appreciate the work the committee has done to come up with a meaningful proposal. I am in favor of adopting the Lake Merritt parking recommendation as long as there are mechanisms for enforcement and follow-up. While I believe the real solution to the parking problems at Lake Merritt is to stop the vending at the park--since there was never a parking problem there before the vending started, and that is the cause of people double and triple parking while they access vendors--I do think the parking meter pilot is worth a serious trial. Making use of technology in place of putting people face to face with offenders should help. The problem I foresee is the general lawlessness of the times. The money the city hopes to gain from the meters will of course depend on whether visitors will pay or just accumulate citations and ignore them, as many ignore whatever other rules or ordinances happen to inconvenience them these days. Hopefully that won't happen.
I am a resident of D2 that also supports this plan. The only change I would propose would be to earmark all proceeds from the meters to support the improvement of the park (rodent control, landscaping & maintenance costs) and the adjacent streets (fixing potholes, perhaps adding more protected bike lanes, etc), and perhaps adjacent programs (maybe goes toward reducing permit fees for vendors at the park).
I am a resident of D2 and I support this the parking management plan. For almost 5 years, there has been a remarkable increase in parking and traffic violations due to increased crowds at the Lake that has impacted public safety. It will open access to the lake. It will help with traffic issues caused by cars double and triple parking and parking in mediums, which inhibits emergency vehicles from getting through and creates traffic jams that increase pollution. It will decrease the need for OPD to be present. Enforcement of rules has been a challenge because of threats of violence from park visitors toward city workers including OakDOT technicians, which has led to the current situation where OPD has to be present for them to carry out their duties. With this new parking technology OakDOT technicians don't have to leave their cars to issue a ticket keeping them safe and alleviating the need for OPD. And it will allow OakDOT to schedule more technicians to be present on Sundays and evenings when the situation is at its worst. It gives us a good tool to bring some order and enforcement of the rules to the lake. We want people to have equitable access and enjoy the lake but we also need it to be safe environment for the residents, visitors and environment.
I am a resident of D3 and live on the north side of the Lake. Although the plan will take away unpaid parking that I and other residents use every day, I support it. The plan is designed to reduce overcrowding, increase access, and manage scarce parking. I watch as families drive to the lake with their picnic and baby gear can’t find parking. The plan not only frees up parking, it provides for free bus service and access to no-fee debit cards. Overall it improves equitable access, it doesn’t bar it.
I'm a resident of D2 for 13 years and I support the parking management plan. For the last 5 years, there have been an increase in activity including large groups of people, amplified music, vending, illegal parking, and trash left behind. I believe the plan will help alleviate the parking issues happening around the lake such as the double, triple & median parking and also parking inside the park such as near The Pergola and El Embarcadero. This can be a hazard since it will impede access to emergency vehicles and those living near the lake especially Lakeshore Ave and also cause more traffic around the lake. I would like everyone including local residents and vistors to enjoy the lake, but at the same time we need to respect the area and environment so everyone can enjoy the area. Thank you.
I want to appreciate the work the committee has done to come up with a meaningful proposal. I am in favor of adopting the Lake Merritt parking recommendation as long as there are mechanisms for enforcement and follow-up. While I believe the real solution to the parking problems at Lake Merritt is to stop the vending at the park--since there was never a parking problem there before the vending started, and that is the cause of people double and triple parking while they access vendors--I do think the parking meter pilot is worth a serious trial. Making use of technology in place of putting people face to face with offenders should help. The problem I foresee is the general lawlessness of the times. The money the city hopes to gain from the meters will of course depend on whether visitors will pay or just accumulate citations and ignore them, as many ignore whatever other rules or ordinances happen to inconvenience them these days. Hopefully that won't happen.
I am a resident of D2 that also supports this plan. The only change I would propose would be to earmark all proceeds from the meters to support the improvement of the park (rodent control, landscaping & maintenance costs) and the adjacent streets (fixing potholes, perhaps adding more protected bike lanes, etc), and perhaps adjacent programs (maybe goes toward reducing permit fees for vendors at the park).
I am a resident of D2 and I support this the parking management plan. For almost 5 years, there has been a remarkable increase in parking and traffic violations due to increased crowds at the Lake that has impacted public safety. It will open access to the lake. It will help with traffic issues caused by cars double and triple parking and parking in mediums, which inhibits emergency vehicles from getting through and creates traffic jams that increase pollution. It will decrease the need for OPD to be present. Enforcement of rules has been a challenge because of threats of violence from park visitors toward city workers including OakDOT technicians, which has led to the current situation where OPD has to be present for them to carry out their duties. With this new parking technology OakDOT technicians don't have to leave their cars to issue a ticket keeping them safe and alleviating the need for OPD. And it will allow OakDOT to schedule more technicians to be present on Sundays and evenings when the situation is at its worst. It gives us a good tool to bring some order and enforcement of the rules to the lake. We want people to have equitable access and enjoy the lake but we also need it to be safe environment for the residents, visitors and environment.