The city of Haverhill, MA debated pay parking plans for over 35 years to address parking issues in its downtown area, which consists of two distinct sections - an eastern retail section and a western section with restaurants and nightlife. A plan approved in 2012 introduced pay parking in lots but kept streets free in the east, while charging for on-street parking in the west. Data showed the plan pushed cars from lots onto free streets, reducing lot utilization. While it freed up spaces, it also led to overcrowded streets and underutilized lots. Lessons included gaining consultant and public support, compromising where possible but holding the line on pricing, and continually tweaking the plan.

1. City of Haverhill, MA
Parking: A Tale of Two Cities

2. Downtown History
• Really two sections of downtown
• Old retail section to East
• New restaurant and factory section to East
• East – mostly vacant at night, busy during day
• West – restaurants, nighttime, commuters,
trying to redevelop

3. Pay for Parking – 35 Years of Debate!
• Haverhill installed parking meters in 1950’s
• Parking meters removed 1970’s
• Pay for parking plans defeated 2004, 2006,
2008
• Plan approved 2012
• Parking meters reinstalled August, 2012

4. 2004 – Two Plans Defeated
• Effort to revitalize western end
• Did parking study – for parking garage
• Submitted first “pay for parking” plan
Included all of downtown – East & West sections
Plan defeated – too big
New plan submitted, Berman – defeated, too small!
• Real reason – no buy in, too much opposition in
the room

5. 2006
Parking Improvement District
• Western end only
• No meters on Merrimack Street
• Parking permits available
• Implement parking program in phases
• All proceeds go to downtown to keep area
cleaner, safer & more aesthetically pleasing
• Defeated – no buy in

6. 2010 Parking Garage Adds Impetus
• Had “reason” to support the parking garage
• Fear that if garage charged and free on street,
no one would park in garage
• Outside consultant
key to passage

7. New Plan, Summer 2012
• Lots of input
• Many public hearings
• Key: Examine key opposition, try to keep them
out of the room

8. Plan Outline
• Two plans for two sides of downtown
• East Side– Keep them out of the room!
No charge for on street parking
Charge in lots 8 am to 8 PM
Two hours free in front of garage
Lots of free parking on outskirts
PMA Lot free

9. Plan Outline West Side
 Charge on street from 8 AM to 8 PM
 Permit parking $30/hour
 Free up spaces for restaurants

10. Central Business District Parking Map
Slides courtesy of Nelson Nygaard

11. The Opposition
• PMA - Our patients
• Businesses - $30 per month will put us out of
business
• Meters - $1/hour will kill us
• LAST MINUTE OPPOSITION
Local deli – will kill our morning business

12. Compromises to Gain Passage
• Price cut in half (mistake)
• First two hours free at PMA
• Free spaces for bank
• But – drew the line at leasing spaces
• Pledge to fix up downtown
• Council gets to decide on rates: MISTAKE
• DELI: No on-street parking before 3 PM
• Night of vote, merchants come to meeting to
support it.
• Plan passes 6-3

13. Plan Tweaked– All Plans Evolve
• Complaint:
Shortage Permit spaces
• Compromise:
Add more free spaces
Reverse Angle in parking
More permit spaces added

14. Update:
January 2013
• More people parking downtown
• More people using MVRTA garage
• Merchants expressing positive comments relative to
their customers finding parking

15. City of Haverhill – Parking Services
(Year to Date)
Total Year to Date
# Month # of Days Meter Revenue Revenue
1 August 23 11,924.00$ 172,175$
2 September 20 11,624.00$
3 October 23 13,235.00$
4 November 22 12,621.00$
5 December 21 12,976.00$
6 January (2013) 22 -$
7 February 21 -$
8 March 22 -$
9 April 21 -$
10 May 23 -$
11 June 21 -$
12 July 22 -$
Totals 261 62,380.00$
SP Plus
Permit $ # of Permits Permit Revenue
30.00$ Qrt 1 Permits 867 25,785.00$
45.00$ Qrt 2 Permits 278 12,024.00$
45.00$ Qrt 3 Permits 237 10,584.00$
45.00$ Qrt 4 Permits 0 -$
9 months 112.50$ Annual Permits 547 61,402.00$
Total Permit Sales 1,929 109,795.00$
Notes:
Aug through Dec revenues are actuals
# of days = Mon through Friday when pay to park
Parking Revenues - FY 2013

16. 16
Before & After Count Data Results-- Overall
2010 2012
691
1,179
1,121
761
609
990 502 560 920 1,072
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
7AM 10AM 12PM 4PM 6PM
On- and Off- Street Utilization
Occupied Vacant
915
1,157 1,122 1,079
994
548 432
1,089 847 882 925 1,010 1,192 993
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
8AM 10AM 12PM 2PM 4PM 6PM 7:00PM
On- and Off-Street Spaces
occupied vacant
4,736 parked cars
(Avg.: 947)
4,361 parked cars
(Avg.: 872)
Slides from Nelson Nygaard

17. 17
Lower Lot Utilization– Reduced
2010 2012
526
924
882
546
389
769 371 413 749 906
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
7AM 10AM 12PM 4PM 6PM
Off-Street Utilization
Occupied Vacant
661
835 811 811 771
400
265
922 748 772 772 812 1,116 936
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
8AM 10AM 12PM 2PM 4PM 6PM 7:00PM
Off-Street Utilization
Occupied Vacant
Exception is MVTRA garage, which has higher utilization (by commuters)

18. 18
On- Street Utilization:-- Higher
2010 2012
165
255
239
215 220
221 131 147 171 166
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
7AM 10AM 12PM 4PM 6PM
On-Street Utilization
Occupied Vacant
254
322
311
268
223
148
167
167 99 110 153 198 76 57
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
8AM 10AM 12PM 2PM 4PM 6PM 7:00PM
On-Street Utilization
Occupied Vacant

19. 19
7-10AM, 2010 8-10AM, 2012
Pricing has pushed cars out of lots… …and onto free streets/lots
Thursday 7-10AM
Early Morning

20. 20
10AM-12PM, 2010 10AM-12PM, 2012
Lots/garages are no longer as full… …and streets are too full
Thursday 10-12PM
Late Morning

21. 21
Thursday 12-2PM
Lunchtime
12-2PM, 2010 12-2PM, 2012
Customers who could easily park on-street… …now hunt to find a free space,
and lots are underutilized.

22. 22
4-6PM, 2010 4-6PM, 2012
Thursday 4-6PM
Late Afternoon
Lot pricing keeps utilization lower… ….while street pricing is not discouraging its use

23. 23
6-8PM, 2010 6-7PM, 2012
Thursday 6-8PM
Dinnertime
On-street utilization used to be high… …but it is still fairly high today,
…because lots are no cheaper than streets?

24. 24
6-8PM, 2010 7-8PM, 2012
Thursday 7-8PM
Dining & Entertainment
Parking lots have availability with pricing…. …but sustained on-street demand
suggests on-street prices are low

25. Lessons Learned
1. Get a consultant– key to passage
2. Do loads of public hearings, there are never enough
3. Keep most of the opposition out of the room!
4. Try to only charge people from out of town
Most popular part of program is getting commuters off the streets
5. Don’t compromise with intractable foes– they are
always going to be opposed;
6. Don’t give away the ship on pricing, someone opposed
to $1 per hour is just as opposed to 50 cents an hour
7. Tweak it all the time!
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26. Key Conclusions
 Pricing has made parking available in lots and the Goeke
Deck, which used to be filled up (good)
 Pricing has driven commuters into the MVRTA garage
(good)
 Pricing has driven people to the free spaces
 The imbalance in the daytime pricing system is reducing
utilization in priced facilities, filling free facilities.
 Permits have helped create availability in the Deck and
lots, but the high buy-up proved the price was too low.

27. Today
 Spaces freed up by moving people to free areas
 Commuters moved out of key downtown locations
 Restaurants in Western end generally happy, can find
spaces
BUT…
 People in east side who were opposed are still opposed
 Not enough revenue generated
 East side streets are crowded
 Opposition still exists to paying on street
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