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PHOTOS BY JOHN LARSON

PARKING CRUNCH. (Above) On-street parking along Dock Street can be hard to find. A consulting firm has been hired to assist in developing a parking plan for downtown.

Consultant selected for downtown parking plan

By John Larson

A consulting firm will soon begin work on analyzing and planning for the future of parking downtown. On Aug. 19 Tacoma City Council approved a $98,000 contract with Barney & Worth, Inc. for the Tacoma Downtown Parking Implementation Program.

This is another step in a process set into motion by City Manager Eric Anderson to develop a long-term plan that integrates parking, mass transit and pedestrian accessibility.

Marty Campbell, chair of the Cross District Association, serves as chair of the parking committee Anderson assembled. Campbell, who owns the record store Buzzard’s downtown, testified in favor of the resolution prior to the vote.

He discussed pay stations and parking meters, two methods of charging for parking used in many large cities. Five years ago many downtown merchants offered strong opposition when city officials suggested putting such devices to use in Tacoma.

Campbell discussed the parking planning process Anderson started about 18 months ago. Approximately 20 meetings were held to gather input from stakeholder groups. They want to know how parking revenue will be spent, Campbell said.

Validated parking is a key concern for merchants, he added.

Campbell noted that Barney & Worth is based in the Portland area, and assisted that city’s government in implementing a parking plan. Campbell said Portland’s much-lauded public transit system was 25 years in the making. Tacoma is years behind Portland, Campbell said, but there are signs of progress, such as Tacoma Link light rail.

“We think we are on the right track with that,” he remarked.

The consultants will examine the parking inventory, suggest sites for meters or pay stations and develop plans to educate the public on the issues surrounding parking, Campbell told the council.

Chris Larson from the Public Works Department told the council that Barney & Worth has worked on a similar plan in Seattle and has past experience with Tacoma studies.

Representatives of the firm will facilitate meetings, produce an outreach plan for stakeholders, and develop specifications and a financial model for pay stations.

They will be available for three meetings with policy makers, Larson added.

The firm will begin work in September and issue their final report at the end of November.

Larson said some business owners and representatives of the University of Washington-Tacoma have requested a plan for pay stations be available by late September.

Mayor Bill Baarsma said when discussions on this topic occurred in 1998, stakeholders did not feel engaged in the process, whereas they do now.

Anderson said he is pleased with where the process is. “I look forward to hearing the recommendations of the citizen committee and the consultants,” he remarked.

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