Peccia & Associates/Streetscapeof Kalispell
Post Office Box 1997 • Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997 • Telephone (406) 758-7700 • FAX (406) 758-7758
REPORT TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jim Hansz, Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Downtown Parking and Speed Data, Presentation by RPA of Helena
MEETING DATE: March 27, 2000
BACKGROUND: As a part of the on -going effort to develop the parameters for a viable downtown
streetscape improvement project, last summer and during the Christmas shopping season the City
performed a survey of actual parking utilization in the downtown business district. The objective was to
determine the magnitude of the parking problem within this area in order to assess whether there is any
justification to press forward with MDT to develop diagonal parking on First Avenues East and West. This
data will also assist in deciding whether to move forward to develop additional off-street parking in the
area. The City also collected speed data for this area to determine whether the public perception of high
speeds is supported by actual measurements. Robert Peccia and Associates has analyzed this information
and prepared the attached graphical summaries. Doug Widmayer of RPA will attend the work session to
review the data, answer the City Council's questions and offer his professional opinion on the various
conclusions that can be drawn from the data. This information should lead us more easily toward some of
the decisions related to development of a viable downtown streetscape improvement project.
RECOMMENDATION: Consider the information and then provide further staff guidance on whether to
proceed with the project.
FISCAL EFFECTS: Additional costs for engineering, not quantified at this time.
ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Council
Respectfully
ai,pgX. Hansz, P.E. Chris A. Kukulski
Director of Public Works (iity Engineer City Manager
Report compiled March 24, 2000
Kalispell Downtown Streetscape Project
Speed and Parkine Analysis March 2000
Kalispell Downtown Streetscape Project
Speed and Parking Analysis
Spot Speed Analysis
Spot speed studies are designed to measure the speed characteristics of a specified traffic
sample at a particular location within the study area. Vehicle travel speed distributions
were plotted for each of the spot speed study locations. From these distributions, a
number of important travel speed characteristics were obtained. These characteristics
include: the 851h percentile speed, the average travel speed, and the pace.
The 851h percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85 percent of the traffic is
moving. This speed is the one characteristic of traffic speeds that is most indicative of a
safe and reasonable speed limit. The average travel speed is the average of all of the
speeds recorded and is typically the speed that is most commonly observed.
The pace of a sample represents the ten mile -per -hour range of speeds containing the
largest number of observations. A normal speed distribution will have approximately 70
percent of the sample within the pace and 15 percent above and below it. The average
speed of the total sample is always within the pace, while the 85`h percentile speed is
typically within two miles -per -hour of the upper limit of the pace.
It should be noted in the interpretation of the spot -speed data that the distribution of
vehicle speeds is a general indication of traffic patterns and driving habits. In cases
where the majority of the traffic is traveling within the pace, the potential for conflicts
with slower traffic is minimized. Alternatively, a distribution containing a wide range of
vehicle speeds with a larger percentage of the sample speeds outside the pace, indicates a
less desirable situation with a greater potential for conflicts between fast and slow -
moving vehicles.
The speed data was collected automatically by the city's speed trailer on weekdays in the
summer and fall of 1999. Most of the data was collected between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00
p.m. The speed data is presented in FIGURES 1 through 5 and TABLE 1.
Parking Analysis
A parking analysis was conducted by City Staff in August and December of 1999,
between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The number of vehicles parked along each block face
and selected off-street public parking areas was recorded each hour during the study
period. The parking utilization was calculated by comparing the number of parked
vehicles observed to the maximum capacity of each block face or parking area. Parking
utilization data is presented in FIGURES 6, 7, and 8.
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Legend % of Utilization
90%
- 100%
80%
- 90%
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- 70%
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- 50%
0%-25%
NOTE: The data represents the
average parking demand from
counts taken between 1:00 p.m.
and 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August
19, and Friday, August 20, 1999.
Figure 6
Parking Utilization
1:00 to 2:00 P.M. August
50%
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Legend % of Utilization
90% - 100%
80% - 90%
70% - 80%
50% - 70%
25% - 50%
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NOTE: The data represents the
average parking demand from counts
taken between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00
p.m. on Thursday December 21, and
Friday December 22, 1999.
Figure 7
Parking Utilization
1:00 to 2:00 P.M. December
1000
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200
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Figure 8
Average Parking Utilization*
Total Parking Utilization
August
Maximum Available Parking =
523 = 54%
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00
Parking includes all on -street and public off-street parking within the study area
Counts taken Thurday, Aug. 19 and Friday, Aug 20, 1999.
1000
800
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400
200
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Total Parking Utilization
December
Maximum Available Parking = 963
610 = 63%
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00
Parking includes all on -street and public off-street parking within the study area
Counts taken Tuesday, Dec 21 and Wednesday, Dec 22, 1999.
* Data represents the average utilization recorded by hour on two
weekdays in August and two week days in December.