| |  | |  | | Preferential Parking Permit Program |
Preferential Residential Permit Parking (PRPP) is a City program that allows residents of qualified neighborhoods to obtain special permits which exempt them and their guests from certain on-street parking time limits or prohibitions in their areas.
| PRPP Eligibility Requirements
| An area must meet the following basic requirements, in addition to any others deemed necessary by the City's Transportation Administrator: - 67 percent of the area's residents must request the program.
- 80 percent of the property in the area must be residential.
- 80 percent of the on-street parking spaces in the area must be occupied during peak parking periods, and at least 25 percent of the vehicles that are parked during the peak periods must belong to non residents of the area.
- The area's boundaries are such that designating it for PRPP will not shift the parking problem to an adjacent area.
| The Permit Parking Process
| Residents circulate and submit a petition from 67% of the proposed area residents. Staff reviews the area eligibility. The Transportation Commission schedules a public hearing. (Notice of the hearing is posted 10 days prior to the hearing on all block fronts proposed to be included in the program area.)
If the area is still deemed to be eligible for the permit program after the hearing, the Transportation Commission submits its recommendations to the City Council. The Council may either adopt, change or reject the proposed resolution designating a neighborhood as a residential permit parking area.
| Types of Parking Restrictions
| | 1. Parking time limits - these set a time limit, such as two hours, for vehicles without permits. 2. Parking prohibitions - these prohibit parking during specified time periods by vehicles without permits.
| Number of Permits Available
| Residents of each household can apply for and receive a maximum of three resident permits and two guest permits, that are good for the entire permit year. Special one-day guest permits (for parties, etc.) are also available. Non-resident property owners are entitled to one annual guest permit.
| Cost to Residents
| - Annual resident and guest permits cost $5.00 each.
- The first twenty one-day permits per day are free but there is a $1 fee for each additional permit.
| Advantages of a Residential Permit Parking area
| - Long-term parking by non-residents is reduced or eliminated.
- The amount of on-street parking available to residents and their guests is increased.
- Litter, noise and traffic created by non-residents are decreased.
| Disadvantages of Living in a Permit Area
| - Vehicles without permits are subject to parking restrictions, even if they belong to residents or their guests.
- Each year, residents must apply or reapply for permits.
- Signs on which the area's parking restriction is prominently indicated must be posted in the area, creating "visual blight."
- The program does not reserve or guarantee a parking space to any resident of a permit area.
| Alternatives to PRPP
| | An area can be signed for parking prohibitions or time limits during problem periods of the day. Prohibiting parking for as short a time as two hours a day can effectively eliminate all-day parking by non-residents and make unrestricted parking available during the remainder of the day to residents and their guests. This method of restricting parking is in effect in several neighborhoods in Walnut Creek. For more information, send e-mail to Julie Iamele | |
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