HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-18-011 - Kitchener Market Parking InitiativeKitchener Market Parking Initiative
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Every week, Kitchener Market staff and Saturday market vendors receive feedback from
customers about their difficulties finding parking in the P2 garage (off Cedar St.) below the
Market building. In response to the Markets most recent community survey, 65per cent of
customers indicated they were unsatisfied with the availability of convenient and affordable
parking. Every Saturday staff closes the entry doors ofP2 about20 times when it becomes
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full, and the area around Kitchener Market is perpetually congested from 7am-2pm. Vendors
claim that their Saturday market business has declined steadily as other nearby parking
options have disappeared. Failure to address these challenges could result in a loss of Market
customers over time.
The Kitchener MarketsP2 level provides free parking on Saturdays. While this parking is
intended for customers, itis also heavily used by Market vendors and their staff. City staff
estimate that as many as25%of the 195 spaces inP2 are occupied on Saturdays by market
vendors and vendor staff. In order to displace these vehicles and free up more spaces for
Saturday market customers, we need to provide vendors and theirstaff with accessible,
affordable parking options that are close and convenient.
Based on input collected from vendors and their employees, and in consultation with the
Parking Enterprise, Kitchener Market staff has developed two options:
1\]
Staff would attempt to negotiate a flat rate parking arrangement with Europro, ownerofMarket
Square, for ground-level parking during Saturday Market hours at their garage on Scott St.
Saturday vendors expressed particular interest in parking their vehicles at Market Square for
two main reasons:
proximity to the Market, both for ease of transporting goods and currency, and safety of
their staff during dark, early mornings;
the garage can accommodate larger transport vehicles and pickup trucks;
Europro isopentoexploringthisoption,andpreliminarydiscussionshavebeenpositive.
Europrowouldprovideaccesscardstomarketvendors(atacost)andwouldofferaflatrate
pervehicleonSaturdays.EuroprowouldrequiretheKitchenerMarkettofacilitateallparking
fees,meaningthattheMarketwouldbebilledmonthlybasedonvendorusageandthen
recoupthosecostsdirectlyfromvendors.
2\]
For vendors willing to walk a further distance or wishing to have a more affordable option, the
City would provide accesstotheBenton-Charlesparkinggarageatadiscountedrateduring
SaturdayMarkethoursofoperation.
A flat rate of$3 per vehicle, per Saturday, would be provided using an OTR voucherprogram.
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P1 Parking Considerations
There are also approximately 35 vendor vehicles that will continue to park in the P1 area of the
Market facility on Saturdays. This mixed-use portion of the building is partially occupied by
vendor stalls on Saturdays, completely separate from the P2 area. To standardize the cost of
parking to all Kitchener Market vendors, and to offset the cost of implementing, promoting and
managing the new off-site parking options, a nominal administrative parkingfee will also be
recouped from these vendors. An exception willbe extended to vendor farmers that have a
MyPick certification,to further incentivize this province-wide product transparency program.
Additional Parking Options for Customers
While this effort will increase parking availability at the Market, staff recommends providing an
additional affordable parking alternative for customers at the Charles-Benton Parking Garage.
In consultation with the Parking Enterprise, staff recommend a $2 flat rate be applied,
applicable only during Saturday Market hours (7am-2pm).This option will appeal to customers
looking for a less-congested parking option than P2at the Market.
Inaddition, providing this option should increase resident familiarity with the Charles-Benton
garage, increase usage of the garage, and increase pedestrian traffic between the Market and
Frederick Street.
Based on the customer parking improvement program outlined in this report, staff anticipate
the following financial implications:
A nominal increase inrevenue for parking enterprises at the Charles-Benton garage on
Saturdays;
A nominal increase inrevenue for the Kitchener Market as a result of charging vendors
a small fee to park on the Market premises outside ofP2 (customer parking)on
Saturdays, which willbe used to promote awareness and uptake of the parking options
and customer service goals outlined in this report.
INFORM This reporthas been posted to the Citys website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
CONSULT Vendorsandvendorstaffwillcontinuetobeconsultedpriortothelaunchofthese
parkingimprovementsviawrittencommunicationandinpersonmeetings.
COLLABORATE Ultimately this parking improvement program is a collaborative effort with
our vendors that aimstoenhancetheexperienceofregularMarketcustomerswhilealso
attractingnewones.
Dan Chapman, CAO
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