Gainesville, Florida 
A factual report on parking in the Central Business District, Gainesville, Florida. Title on cover: Parking Survey, Central Business District, Gainesville, Florida, 1960. Prepared for the City Plan Board and City Commission by City Planning Department... and Florida State Road Department Traffic and Planning Division. May 1961. Gainesville, Fla. : City Planning Department, 1961

City Planning Department of Gainesville, Florida

English

UNF Digital Commons

University of North FloridaUNF Digital CommonsCity and Regional Planning—Florida George W. Simons, Jr. Publications and PrintedMaterials1961A Factual Report on Parking in the CentralBusiness District, Gainesville, FloridaCity Planning Department of Gainesville, FloridaFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/simonsfloridaThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the George W.Simons, Jr. Publications and Printed Materials at UNF Digital Commons. Ithas been accepted for inclusion in City and Regional Planning—Florida byan authorized administrator of UNF Digital Commons. For moreinformation, please contact Digital Projects.© 1961 All Rights ReservedRecommended CitationA Factual Report on Parking in the Central Business District, Gainesville, Florida. 1961. George W. Simons, Jr. Planning Collection.University of North Florida, Thomas G. Carpenter Library Special Collections and Archives. UNF Digital Commons,https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/simonsflorida/4/parking survey r .. ~ ~ r CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT GAINESVIllE , FLORIDA 1960 PLANNING DEPARTMENT A Factual Report on P~rking in the Central Business District Gainesvi I le, Florida Prep~red for the City Plan Board and City Commission by City Planning Department Director -Donald 0. Morgan T~chnical Advisor -Dennis J. Lehmann Research Analyst ~ - Eugene W. Brockenbrough, Jr. and Florida State Road Department Traffic and Planning Division May 1961 Gainesvi I le, Florida ll l ~ "The Unive'l'sity City " PLANNING DEPARTMENT Municipal Building City Plan Board City Commission Gainesville, Florida Gentlemen: 111111 April 25, 1961 Preservation of the Central City has become one of the major concerns of nearly all municipalities in America today~ A national survey, "What Parking Means to Business," summarized the central business districts' problems in this order: "Parking is difficult; area is too crowded; and traffic is too congested." A central business district generally includes many other unfortunate features: mixed land use, breaks in retail frontage, inadequate pedestrian facilities, lack of esthic appeal, and poor correlation between the big "drawing" stores. However, circulation and parking remain the paramount deterrents to the central business districts of the 1960's. The central retail area usually contributes 15 to 25 percent of the total ad valorem tax to the community. Consequently, to protect this revenue, most cities find themselves furnishing parking facilities for the com-munity in the central business district. This parking survey, used in conjunction with the Major Thoroughfare Plan, will form a sound foundation of parking and circulation planning for the future. Respectfully submitted, DM/bd ~~~d Don Morgan U Director of Planning TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL SURVEY INFORMATION General Data Sample Survey (Plate) EXISTING CURB AND OFF-STREET PARKING FACILITIES Curb Parking Spaces Off-Street Parking Spaces Avai I able Parking Spaces (Table) Existing Curb and Off-Street Facilities (Plate) SURVEY DATA Off-Street Parking Practices Curb Spaces and Turnover Drops Block Draw Block Draw Percentages (Table) Survey Data (Plate) LOT PARKER DESTINATIONS Parker Destinations (Table) Lot Parker Destinations (Plate) Page 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 JO II II 12 13 13 14 15 16 16 17 1 Table of Contents - continued EXISTING STREET AND TRAFFIC FLOW Existing Street Widths Directional Flow Signs and Si gnals (Plate) Turning Movements- Legend Legend Legend Legend Volume Flow T r a f f i c V o I u me Flow (Plate) A (Plate) B (Plate) c (Plate) D (Plate) Page 18 19 19 19 20 21 22 23 24 & 25 25 & 26 [ I Ill ~ GENERAL SURVEY l NFO~hAT I ON Tho Central Business District, as defined, is 21 acres, or 1.9 percent of the land in the City of Gainesvi I le. Nineteen and three tenths percent of the ad valorem tax is paid by this area, which includes many tax exempt properties. The survey boundary was drawn to include those streets and lots furnishing parking spaces to the central retai I stores. This study was conducted during peak days and hours to analyze movements when conqestion is the greatest. Counts were made from December 14 through 21, 1960, between 12 Noon and 5:00 P. M. week days, and 9:00 A. M. to 3:00 P. M. on Saturdays. Street parking counts were taken by observation for two-hour periods, checkinq drops, pick-ups, and movements. Parking lot data were taken by observation daily for efficiency,and by two-hour counts for turnover. Questionnaires were completed by interviewers at the entrances of the retai I stores in the area (see page 6). A total of 834 interviews were taken, campi led, and show the following general information: -4-General Survey Information- continued (I) 1.76 shoppers arrived in the central business district per car, (2) 1.24 trips per week are made to the central business district by shoppers~ (3) 59 percent said parking problems kept them from shopping in the central business district, (4) 48 percent said they would shop at the shopping center on this trip, (5) 15.9 percent of those interviewed were shopping; indicating no intended destination, and (6) 84.1 percent, .or 701 interviewed, named 1,8o6 intended stops, or 2.6 stores per shopper. CITY OF GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA Plannl no Department PARKING SURVEY Where did you park How many In car-----What stores will you shOP------------------~ How often do you shop downtown---------------Do parking problems keep you from shopplno downtown __ yes ---no Will you shop at the shopping center on this trip yes--- no I D~:DUD ~ DDZD []IJ University Avenue .--- 0 COURT 00 I HOUSE ...: en DD:DDD DRtDDD --EXISTING CURB AND OFF-STREET PARKING FACILITIES An inventory was made of alI the existing curb- and off-street parking facilities in the study area. A tabulation of the total number of spaces in each zone~ or within a given block, is presented on page 9. The plate , page 10, Existing Curb and Off-Street Parking Fa.ci I ities~ shows the location of existing curb parking regulations and major off-street parking lots. Private lots are not shown within a given block, but spaces provided for such tyoe are tabulated in the table. Curb spaces are classified as either metered or unmetered, while off-street spaces are listed as either public, customer, or private. This off-street classification is based on the use of a facility, rather than the type of ownership. A faci Jity classed as public may or may not be publicly owned, but in this survey the Jots in Zones I, 26, and 30 are considered public in that they are municipally owned by the City of Gainesvi I le. There are a total of 1,479 parking spaces within the study area of the Central Business District. Of these, 564 or 38.2 per-cent of the total supply are curb soaces while the remaining 915 or 61.8 percent are spaces in off-street facilities. -7-Curb Parkinq Spaces Of the 564 legal curb parking spaces in the Central Business District, 464 are metered, and the remaining 100 are unmetered. As might be expected, alI the unmetered or non-regulated spaces are located on the frinqes of the business district, in the least attractive parking location. Durinq the period which the parking survey was taken, December 14 through 21, 1960, the revenue obtained from curb-metered spaces within the study area was $ 1,027.25. Off-Street Parking Spaces Of the 915 ~ff-street spaces in the study area, public spaces, as mentioned previously as to how they are considered, provide 318 or 21.5 percent of the total supply; customer facilities contribute 432 spaces or 7.8 percent of the total supply; and the remaining 165 spaces are located in private or miscellaneous facilities throughout the study area. During the period which the parking survey was taken as mentioned previously, the revenue obtained from the two munici-pally owned lots was: in Zone 26, Lot I, $142.73; and in Zone I, Lot 2, $82.95. -8-one Number I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 ; 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 AVAILABLE PARKING SPACES CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT GAINESVILLE~ FLORIDA CURB SPACES OFF-STREET SPACES Metered Unmetered Private Customer 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 7 6 0 0 9 0 0 70 16 7 0 0 7 12 27 45 0 31 0 0 7 0 17 62 17 0 14 0 14 0 25 0 31 0 15 0 24 0 13 32 9 10 16 75 0 0 0 100 26 0 0 48 30 0 0 0 44 0 0 0 40 0 0 0 L~ 17 0 0 23 0 35 0 19 0 3 0 37 2 0 0 23 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 14 7 0 0 20 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 464 100 165 432 31.4% 6.7% I I .2!'/o 29.2% 564 915 38.2'/o 61.8% -9-Pub I ic Total 87 87 0 9 0 13 0 79 0 23 0 91 0 31 0 86 0 31 0 39 0 46 0 69 0 110 0 100 0 74 0 30 0 44 0 ho 0 21 0 58 0 22 0 39 0 23 0 5 0 21 109 129 0 15 0 19 0 3 122 122 318 1,479 21.5% 100.0'/o LEGEND ' - 2 HOUR METER (Para lei) = I HOUR METER (Para lei) !~G~~~G I~GG~[] 0 ® @ @ S . W. lot Ave . 1--------J G 0 G G G 1-----! 011 G GG \ SURVEY DATA Off-Street Parking Practices Observations were made at the existing off-street parking facilities af varying times {bank lots, after banking hours) to determine a five-day average occupancy. The turnover of the lots are based on the average number of cars per space per hour. For off-street spaces, the capacity varies depending upon the use characteristics of the specific facility. For example, in a faci I ity used almost exclusively by al 1-day parkers, (Lots 3 and 8) there would be little turnover, as shown on page 15, and thus the capacity of the lot throughout the day would be less. On alI bank lots, data obtained was after banking hours to show the percentage used by shoppers wi I ling to pay a higher oarking rate readily accessible to their desired shopping area. Lots 6 and 9, the two major customer bank lots, have two of the three highest percent lot usage of alI off-street parking facilities. The one municipal lot, Lot I, was used nearly to maximum capacity during the entire five-day period. In fact, many cars were observed throughout the day circulatin9 and waiting for spaces to become available. The popu1arity of this lot is due to the differential in parking rates from the bank lots, its caoacity, and -II-Survey Data - continued accessibility to the major shopping block. Although it is second in capacity to alI other facilities, more off-street spaces are needed in relation to the "block-draw" pattern shown on page 15 for parkers to shop in the downtown area. Lot 3, which is munici-pally owned, has the highest capacity of all facilities, but the percent usaqe is determined mainly by its location and remoteness to the downtown area. The turnover given shows that parkers use the Jot generally alI day. Curb Spaces and Turnover Of the total 564 spaces in the study area, 464 are metered spaces of which the turnover is based by the average number of cars per space per hour. The turnover is on an hourly basis whether it be a one-hour or two-hour meter regulation. The streets bordering the Alachua County Court House have turnover figures for each side of the adjacent streets. Although the turnover rates are an average of cars per space per hour, occupancy of many spaces were over an hour duration by f'meter-feeders" which would lead to a higher turnover rate than is actually shown. -12-Survey Data - continued It was noted that on NW 1st Street, in the 0--100 block, the provided legal 1-hour spaces had a turnover rate of 2.5. The parkers were using this block as a drop- and pick-up zone with an average duration of 15 minutes per car per space on a 1-hour meter. Also, on SW 2nd Street, 0--100 block, the same situation occurs with a duration of 15 minutes with a 2-hour parking regulation. Drops The drops are the average number of stops per block per hour to drop or pick up shoppers within a given block. The drop figure is generally affected by the traffic volume on the street and the various facilities within a block. Block Draw Block draw is expressed as a percentage of alI the shopping stops made by those interviewed occuring in that block. Of the 834 interviews, 701, or 84.1 percent named 1,806 intended stops, or 2.6 stores per shopper. -13-Survey Data - continued The table below shows six drawinq blocks within the study area is order of the highest percent and the leading stores within that block. Block Draw Percent of Shopper Use Block Percent Stores 42.80 Sears Roebuck and Company Belk-Lindsey 2 37.29 Wi I son's Geiger's 3 2t:;.77 Woolworth Christo's 4 25.17 Ruddy's Variety Store 5 23 .. 20 Baird Hardware McCrory's 6 23.18 Penney's S i I verman' s -14-LEGEND• - 2 HOUR METER (Parallel) c= I HOUR METER (Parallel) = I HOUR METER (AnQie) • LOADING ZONE • OTHER TYPES 2.0 TURN OllER CD DROPS ,.-. BLOCK DRAW SURVEY DATA ~ PARKING SURVEY CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT GAINESVILLE , FLORIDA SCALE • I "• 100'- 0" PLANNING DE PARTMEN T 0 8 1.0 CD 1.1 ® 1.1 CD 0. 0 37. 29 ill CJ"'~-~ 25 .77 @ ~ 8 ~ ® 1. 5 @) 1.6 CD 1.0 .47 1.8 CD ~= ~~"'" 1. 2 ® S. W. lsi Ave .7 ® 1.0 Q) .8 -.a:mm .9 ® 1.9 ® DDJI.07 ~ DD . :- 25 . 17 :-1 '. ; . ... ~ ' " ~ ' " o•~o~~oo 122 LOT PARKER DESTINATIONS The Lot Parker Destination's Plate was prepared to show graphically the destinations of parkers' using the various lots. Of the total number of interviews taken within the study area# 32.7~ or 273~ said they used off-street parking facilities. The band widths~ or desire lines, correspond with the total number of trips to said block number in accordance with the trip scale shown. The total band widths at the base of specific lot give in scale the number of parkers that used said Jot and their specific destination to a given block. The total band widths of alI lots equal 499 specific destinations. This total does not in-elude the 40 shoppers who gave no specific destination. Lot Parker Destinations - 273 lnterviews -Lot No. of Parkers Shoppers Specific Destination I 109 19 178 2 10 I 31 3 2 0 7 4 5 I I 5 14 4 32 6 40 4 99 7 41 7 77 8 3 0 7 9 14 2 26 10 _l2 2 _l2 273 40 499 ·-16-LEGEND ' 2 0 0 LOT NU MB ER BLOCK NUMBER TRI P SCA LE LOT PARKER DESTINATIONS PARKING SURVEY CENTRAL BUSINES S DISTRICT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA SCALE • I" • 100'- 0" PLANNING DEPARTMENT D D EXISTING STREET AND TRAFFIC FLOW Within the study area of the Parking Survey~ reference to the existing street facilities and their efficiency at the present in their abi I ity to carry the existing traffic volumes should be considered. As mentioned previously 1 it is the desire of this re-port to make a study of curb- and off-street parking facilities in the Central Business District in conjunction with the Florida State Road Department's traffic study for the City of Gainesvi I I e. AI I factual data for thoroughfares wi I I be given in that study. The intersection is the most important limiting factor of street capacity since at the intersections there are traffic sig-nalsJ stop signsJ and turning movements which restrict the flow of traffic. ThusJ the fewer the traffic signals along a route, the less the travel time. Other factors also affecting travel time other than the above, are parking and unparking of vehicles and the existing street volumes (Traffic Volume FlowJ page 25). The follow-ing LegendsJ AJ 8, C, and OJ pages 20 - 23J are turning movements on University Avenue at given intersections (see Existing Street Widths, Directional Flow, Signs and SignalsJ page 19) taken at peak hours both mornings and afternoons showing directional movements of traffic volume at a given hour. -18-LEGEND • • SIGNAL 9 CAUTION SIGNAL • STOP SIGN e YIELD RIGHT-OF - WAY NOTE • STREET WIDTH CURB TO CURB EXISTING STREET WIDTHS DIRECTIONAL FLOW SIGNS AND SIGNALS ~ PARKING SURVEY CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA SCALE • I ": 100' - 0" PLANNING DEPARTMENT .. n·bd"D ••• 24' r-------, LEGEND -8 LEGEND - C ... ' • • 60 .. • • • S. W. lot Avo . D.DDDD - = • O.!.o8 • •· • 18' - ,.----,_~ TURNING MOVEMENT INTERSECTION W. Unlv. Ave. AND 1st- St. P. M. PEAK HOUR N.W. 1st S.t. LEGEND- 8 S.W. 1st St. TURNING MOVEMENT INTERSECTION E. Univ. Ave. AND 1st St. 23 282 222 37 A.M. PEAK HOUR N.E. lat St. 0 N 10 219 2!S5 26 LEGEND- D Existing Street and Traffic Flow- continued The existing street widths, given curb to curb, on-street parking parking (see Existing Curb and Off-Street Parking Faci I ities, page 18), and coordinated signal turning affect the number of ve-hicles, or volume of traffic, the street can carry per hour. The practical capacity of a street may be increased either by widening or making it a one-way facility with the possibility of removing existing curb parking. Volume Flow Are the streets at the present time efficient in their ability to carry the existing traffic volumes? This can be deter-mined by calculating the capacities of the individual streets and comparing these capacities with the existing street volume. The ability of the existing major streets within the Central Business District to carry their present traffic volumes, wi I I be presented in the Florida State Road Department's Traffic Study show-ing what traffic volumes the streets carry in relation to their existing capacities; how their capacities may be increased; where and what type streets should be constructed, etc. The Traffic Volume Flow, page 25, shows graphically according to the trio scale shown, the traffic volume for a 24-hour period on the various streets with the study area. -24-LEGEND • L-------~ 1,000 TRIP SCALE H'" .m I'' ,;, ' t 1 · · ·· "· J L ·· '1. .• I • 1 ~ [ · COURT HOUSE TRAFFIC VOLUME FLOW I ,O:O]·:~D,·D· . , 'I D- ·o·" ·· ···~· -· · .. · . .. : . ·,~o·".l· - ~ ·o· · -o.• .. ,. ' ,,, i ,. I , ~ !=======~"' . "Jl .• : ; I E Pild pi t A PARKING SURVEY CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA SCA LE • I " • 100'-0" PLANNING DEPARTMENT 

A Factual Report on Parking in the Central Business District, Gainesville, Florida

https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&amp;context=simonsflorida

A Factual Report on Parking in the Central Business District, Gainesville, Florida

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UNF Digital Commons