What do you think of this new approach to managing parking issues in the Joaquin Neighborhood.

In the past 15 years alone, representatives and residents from the Joaquin Neighborhood have worked with Provo City three times to develop a residential parking permit program. In 2019, the Provo City Council created the Joaquin Parking Committee to find a solution. The committee found that 85% of respondents to a past Open City Hall survey feel there is a parking problem in Joaquin, and 60% regularly have trouble finding parking. City staff identified over 14,000 parking spaces in Joaquin, but only about three-quarters of those spaces were occupied at the time. 

Common parking problems in Joaquin:

• Demand for residential parking on-street exceeds supply (i.e., more demand for spaces than there are spaces)
• Parking is unpredictable
• Increased air pollution as drivers circle
• Vehicles parking in front of fire hydrants, driveways, and crosswalks
• Many older properties lack sufficient off-street parking

Past efforts in 1967 and 2007 included prohibiting overnight parking or regular permits, but they proved unsuccessful.

Now, after two years of research, surveys, and focus groups, the Parking Committee would like to propose a new approach to residential parking permits than what has been done in the past. Different areas of Joaquin have different parking needs. Rather than a more traditional permit (ex: University Gardens or Foothill Park), this new approach to parking would be more dynamic and flexible to address parking on a block-by-block basis.

New parking solution:

• Drivers would pay for on-street parking as they use it
• The cost of parking would be as low as possible and vary to meet demand (based on location, time of day, etc.), potentially as low as a few cents per hour
• The first half hour would be free to accommodate short visits, drop-offs, pick-ups, etc.
• Drivers would be able to pay by app, website, and phone
• The program could be applied overnight initially and expanded as needed to manage high-demand parking areas
• This program would be applied everywhere demand for parking exceeds a certain threshold, which has yet to be determined
• The program is adaptable to address parking demand by business customers

The Parking Committee’s goal with this new solution is to improve safety and quality of life, reduce the frustration of finding a parking spot, encourage more efficient use of off-street parking, and increase active modes of transportation.

This proposal has been presented to the Council, Mayor’s Office, Administration, Transportation and Mobility Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission and attendants at a Joaquin Neighborhood Meeting. Now we would love to hear from you! Please let us know what you think and share any suggestions you have.

Links to recordings of past presentations:

• Joaquin Neighborhood (14:58-1:16:30)
• Transportation and Mobility Advisory Committee (11:00-52:10)
• Planning Commission (Study Session) (7:20-51:30)
• City Council (Work Meeting) (14:55-54:40)