ÐÏࡱá>þÿ þÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÜ¥hcà eö +ö j jj j j j j € € € € € € ® € r*EŸ        C"E"E"E"\"üX&üT* ·*X+vr*j      r* j j  Ÿ  Öj  j  C"ÐÿhóýÄ~ j j j j  C" « SIERRA CLUB SAN FRANCISCO GROUP 85 Second Street, Box SFG, San Francisco, CA 94105 January 18, 2005 Board of Directors Metropolitan Transportation Agency 401 Van Ness Avenue, FAX 554-4143 San Francisco, CA 94102 Re: December 7, 2004 Potential Actions Parking as a Funding Source for Muni - Better Parking Data Dear Directors, The Sierra Club is pleased to expand on our January 4, public comment and submit the following suggestions for improved parking data to assist the directors and the public to recommend viable changes in parking fees as a revenue source for Muni. 1) Present Historical Data of Meter Revenue for each Meter Rate Area: This should show how meter collection varied over the years and with increasing meter rates. Anecdotal data in my neighborhood indicates little or no drop off in parking use after the recent doubling of meter rates. But we need the facts in order to predict the actual revenue collected with each proposed meter rate increase from each area with different hourly rates. In a related issue: when the MTA considers operating meters on Sundays and later in the evening, as requested in our January 3, letter, predicted revenue increase can be estimated from (Meters) The Ideal Source of Local Public Revenue published by Professor Donald Shoup in 2004 Regional Science and Urban Economics. Dr. Shoup reported, in this paper, on page 778, that Pasadena collected an average of $1,826 per meter, including evenings and Sundays, at a dollar an hour. If the data showed the total collected along with the number of dollar per hour meters we could estimate the increase for the increased hours, recommended in our January 3, letter. The Shoup paper also shows, on page 754, that when curb side meter rates are lower than nearby parking garages people cruise for cheaper parking which causes congestion which impedes Muni service. Ron Szeto has a copy of this paper. This supports our January 3, recommendation for higher meter rates near downtown garages. 2) Show the History of Sales Tax Collection over Time: Sales tax is an essential revenue source for Muni capital spending and City services. There are those who claim that more and cheaper parking is essential for retail sales. If this history, over a long period of time, after adjustment for rate changes and inflation along with comments about employment levels, shows steady or increasing sales tax revenue than we can safely conclude that increasing parking fees has not harmed the business climate in San Francisco. Anecdotally we see that the Ferry building is prospering without their desired garage and that Bloomingdale will soon open without new parking. We also know that millions of square feet of office were constructed in San Francisco with little additional parking and in spite of steadily increasing parking fees. 3) Show the History of Net Revenue for Garages over a few Years: Similar to the above a couple of years data is not enough to make a decision on viable parking fees. A spread sheet showing parking fees for each garage and parking utilization, by long and short term parkers, over time will be useful. Prop E requires the MTA to follow parking policies to encourage travel by public transit and alternative transportation and therefore even if garage revenue is not greatly increased with higher fees, the may be good policy if sales tax revenues remain at least steady, because this means that people are using transit to get to places to spend their money. The last time the MTA raised parking fees the data included more complete information on long and short term utilization. History in this area is important because of congestion impacts during peak hours and will also be useful for more entrepreneurial operation. 4) Show Annual Operating Expenses and Parking Tax Collection for Garages: The December 7, information showed that some of the City garages have very low net income per space. Additional information may show operating problems or lead the MTA to replace some parking with commercial or residential space in order to increase net income. 5) Show Parking Fees for Nearby Private Garages: Thanks to your Interim Director of the Parking Authority, the writer has already accumulated some of this data for the MTA and will soon provide this information in a separate letter. We believe that all of the additional information requested is already available somewhere within the MTA or the City and we look forward to its release in an orderly format so the public and the Directors can make decisions that will increase revenue while bring San Francisco closer to Transit First. Very truly yours, Howard Strassner, Chair Transportation Committee 419 Vicente, San Francisco CA 94116, 661-8786, (h,w,fx) email: ruthow@juno.com cc: Michael Burns and Ron Szeto ¡ €Ð/¥à=Š § š© ª !"Ià ! 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