1987 Regional Center Parking Study - City of Indianapolis, Indiana
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1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ES-1
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
BACKGROUND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
SCOPE OF STUDY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
STUDY AREA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PREVIOUS REPORTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PARKING IN THE MILE-SQUARE 1987. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
PARKING SUPPLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
PARKING UTILIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
PARKING DEMAND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Data Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Land Use Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Parking Demand Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
PARKING ADEQUACY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
PARKING CONDITIONS, AUGUST 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
MILE-SQUARE FUTURE PARKING CONDITIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
FUTURE LAND USE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
PROJECTED PARKING SUPPLY, 1992. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
PROJECTED PARKING DEMAND, 1992. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
PROJECTED PARKING ADEQUACY, 1992. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
SUB-AREA ANALYSIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
MILE-SQUARE FRINGE AREA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
MERIDIAN STREET CORRIDOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Parking Supply and Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Land Use and Parking Demand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Parking Adequacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
HISTORIC DISTRICTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Lockerbie Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Chatham-Arch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Parking Utilization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
IUPUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
WHITE RIVER PARK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
HOOSIER DOME/CONVENTION CENTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND CONTROLS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
CITY ORDINANCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Central Business District Zoning Ordinance . . . . . . .34
Commercial Zoning Ordinance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
License and Business Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Page
PARKING FOR THE HANDICAPPED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Indianapolis Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ORDINANCE CHANGES . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
PARKING POLICY ALTERNATIVES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
PRICING TACTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
ENFORCEMENT AND ADJUDICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
MARKETING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
ON-STREET SUPPLY TACTICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
OFF-STREET SUPPLY TACTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
BENEFITS OF PARKING MANAGEMENT TACTICS. . . . . . . . . . . .48
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page iii
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1: Mile-Square Parking Supply, 1987. . . . . . . . .ES-1
Figure 2: Parking Occupancy By Zone . . . . . . . . . . . .ES-3
Figure 3: Parking Adequacy, January 1987. . . . . . . . . .ES-5
Figure 4: Projected Parking Adequacy, 1992. . . . . . . . .ES-7
Figure 5: Mile-Square Parking Supply vs. Demand . . . . . .ES-7
Figure 6: Meridian Street Corridor Parking Supply . . . . .ES-8
Figure II-1: Parking Supply, January 1987. . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Figure II-2: Parking Occupancy, January 1987 . . . . . . . . . . 6
Figure II-3: On-Street Hourly Occupancy, January 1987. . . . . . 8
Figure II-4: Average On-Street Occupancy, January 1987 . . . . . 8
Figure II-5: Average Length of Stay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Figure II-6 On-Street Parking Turnover Rate . . . . . . . . . .10
Figure II-7 Employee and Customer Driving Percentage. . . . . .11
Figure II-8: Employee Density Per 1000 Square Feet of Gross
Floor Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Figure II-9: Distance Walked After Parking . . . . . . . . . . .11
Figure II-10: Maximum Distance Would Walk After Parking . . . . .11
Figure II-11: Parking Demand by Land Use Type and Zone, 1987. . .13
Figure II-12: 1987 Parking Adequacy With Perimeter Parking. . . .15
Figure III-1: Future Parking Supply, 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Figure III-2: Future Parking Demand By Land Use Type. . . . . . .20
Figure III-3: Future Parking Adequacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Figure III-4: Mile-Square Parking Supply vs. Demand . . . . . . .22
Figure IV-1: Meridian Street Corridor Parking Supply . . . . . .25
Figure IV-2: Meridian Street Corridor Parking Occupancy,
June 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Figure IV-3: Meridian Street Corridor Parking Demand By
Land Use Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Figure IV-4: Meridian Street Corridor Parking Adequacy . . . . .26
Figure IV-5: Historic Neighborhoods On-Street Parking
Occupancy, June 1987. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page iv
LIST OF MAPS
Page
Map 1: Indianapolis Regional Center. . . . . . . . . . .ES-2
Map I-1: Indianapolis Regional Center. . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Map II-1: Parking Supply, 1987. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Map II-2: Observed Parking Occupancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Map II-3: Parking Duration And Turnover Sample. . . . . . . . 9
Map II-4: Parking Adequacy, 1987. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Map III-1: Future Parking Supply, 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Map III-2: Future Parking Adequacy, 1992 . . . . . . . . . . .21
Map IV-1: Mile-Square Fringe Area Parking . . . . . . . . . .24
Map IV-2: Meridian Street Corridor Parking Adequacy . . . . .27
Map IV-3: Historic Neighborhood District. . . . . . . . . . .29
Map V-1: Central Business District Zones In The
Mile-Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Map VI-1: Monthly and Reserved Parking Rates. . . . . . . . .43
Map VI-2: Average Daily Parking Rates . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Map VI-3: Average Hourly Parking Rates. . . . . . . . . . . .45
LIST OF TABLES
Page
TABLE 1: Parking Adequacy, 1987. . . . . . . . . . . . . .ES-5
TABLE 2: Future Parking Adequacy, 1992 . . . . . . . . . .ES-6
TABLE II-1: Parking Adequacy, 1987. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
TABLE III-1: Future Parking Conditions, 1992 . . . . . . . . . .20
TABLE V-1: Recommended Parking Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . .36
TABLE VI-1: Potential Impacts Of Parking Management Tactics . .49
TABLE VI-2: Public Sector Parking Development Alternatives. . .50
TABLE VI-3: Private Sector Parking Development Alternatives . .52
TABLE VI-4: Comparison Of Alternatives. . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page v
APPENDIX
Page
Table A-1: Parking Supply, January, 1987 . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Table A-2a: Off-Street Occupancy, December, 1986. . . . . . . A-4
Table A-2b: Off-Street Spot Occupancy, January, 1987 -
North Quadrants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
Table A-2c: Off-Street Spot Occupancy, January, 1987 -
South Quadrants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
Table A-2d: Off-Street Spot Occupancy, January, 1987 -
State Capitol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-7
Table A-3a: On-Street Occupancy, December, 1986 . . . . . . . A-8
Table A-3b: On-Street Spot Occupancy, January, 1987 -
North Quadrants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-9
Table A-3c: On-Street Spot Occupancy, January, 1987 -
South Quadrants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-10
Table A-3d: On-Street Spot Occupancy, January, 1987 -
State Capitol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-11
Table A-4a: On-Street Hourly Occupancy, January, 1987 -
Areas A and B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-12
Table A-4b: On-Street Hourly Occupancy, January, 1987 -
Areas C and D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-13
Table A-4c: On-Street Hourly Occupancy, January, 1987 -
Areas E and F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-14
Table A-4d: On-Street Hourly Occupancy, January, 1987 -
Areas G and H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-15
Table A-5a: On-Street Duration and Turnover Summary -
Areas A and B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-16
Table A-5b: On-Street Duration and Turnover Summary -
Areas C and D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-17
Table A-5c: On-Street Duration and Turnover Summary -
Areas E and F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-18
Table A-5d: On-Street Duration and Turnover Summary -
Areas G and H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-19
Table A-6: Customer and Employee Interview Summary . . . . .A-20
Table A-7: Primary Demand Ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-22
Table A-8: Estimated Parking Demand, 1987. . . . . . . . . .A-23
Table A-9: Estimated Parking Adequacy, 1987. . . . . . . . .A-26
Table A-10: Future Parking Supply, 1992 . . . . . . . . . . .A-29
Table A-11: Future Parking Demand, 1992 . . . . . . . . . . .A-32
Table A-12: Future Parking Adequacy, 1992 . . . . . . . . . .A-35
Table A-13: Meridian Corridor Parking Supply and
Utilization, 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-38
Table A-14: Meridian Corridor Parking Demand. . . . . . . . .A-39
Table A-15: Meridian Corridor Parking Adequacy. . . . . . . .A-40
Table A-16: Historic Neighborhoods Parking Supply and
Utilization, 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-41
Map A-1: Regional Center Block Numbering System. . . . . .A-42
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The downtown areas of most midwestern cities have faced a multitude
of problems in the last 25 years that have caused an erosion or
reversal of the traditional role of the downtown as a center of
activity in the community. Outlying developments, particularly
those with retail, are providing competition. Traffic congestion
and lack of parking are often perceived as reasons to avoid the
downtown.
The downtown area of Indianapolis, Indiana, known as the Regional
Center, has experienced a loss of much of its retail base. A
strong commitment by both local and state leaders has, however,
kept the office sector strong. Moreover, there has been a
reemergence of the Regional Center as a viable residential and
entertainment area. This, in turn, has encouraged a return of
retail activity and the most densely developed section of the
Regional Center--known as the Mile-Square--is once again thriving.
In light of the continued growth and revitalization of the
Indianapolis Regional Center, the City has recognized the need for
an update of the City's parking policies.
WALKER Parking Consultants has been commissioned by the City of
Indianapolis to develop a Regional Center Parking Plan. In order
to develop a truly implementable plan, a comprehensive study of the
parking supply, demand, and adequacy in the entire Mile-Square area
has been conducted. Projections for the future parking needs of
the Mile-Square through 1992 have also been made in accordance with
an agreement dated December 12, 1986. 'Sub-areas' of the Regional
Center which lie outside the Mile-Square have been studied to
determine the interrelationship with Mile-Square parking needs and
concerns and/or any parking problems that require municipal action.
Parking policies have been reviewed and changes that would further
the goals of reducing traffic and congestion and/or encouraging
healthy economic growth have been recommended.
The study area encompasses the area known as the Indianapolis
Regional Center, with the major focus on the Mile-Square area as
illustrated in Map 1. For analysis purposes, the Mile-Square area
has been divided into four quadrants and a State Capitol Zone.
The remaining sections pertain to areas outside the Mile-Square:
the Meridian Street Corridor to the north, the Historic
Neighborhoods to the northeast, IUPUI and White River Park to the
west, and the Hoosier Dome area to the south.
PARKING IN THE MILE-SQUARE, 1987
Parking Supply
An inventory of all on-street and off-street parking in the Mile-
Square was conducted during the month of January, 1987 by WALKER
and city personnel to determine the existing parking supply. The
series of articles "Who Owns the Block" published in the
Indianapolis Business Journal and various downtown maps denoting
parking were used to help verify the field counts. A total parking
supply was established at 35,945 spaces distributed as shown in
Figure 1.
Click HERE for graphic.
-Street parking accounts for 92% of the total supply.
Commercial garages and lots make up about 60% of the off-street
spaces. Private spaces reserved for the parkers of a specific
building or complex make up the remainder of the off-street supply.
About two-thirds of the on-street spaces (which comprise 8%5 of the
total supply) are metered; the remainder are reserved for specific
users such as the police.
Walker Parking Consultants
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1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-3
It is important that the parking supply include a sufficient
"cushion" in excess of the necessary spaces to allow for the
dynamics of vehicles moving in and out of parking stalls and to
reduce the time to search for the last few available spaces. This
cushion also allows for vacancies created by restricting lots to
certain users, misparked vehicles, snow cover, and minor con-
struction. Thus, a supply of parking operates at peak efficiency
when occupancy is 85% to 90%. When occupancy exceeds this level,
there may be delays and frustration in finding a space. The
parking supply may be perceived as inadequate even though there are
spaces available in the system.
As a result, the "effective" parking supply is used for analysis of
the adequacy of the parking system, rather than the total supply or
inventory of spaces. In Indianapolis, downtown employees are the
major parking users. Most of these employees do not search for a
parking space; they park in relatively the same location every day.
They know where to find an available space at a rate they are
willing to pay. Transient parking demand is minimal compared with
the employee need in the area. At the same time, occupancy counts
found that many of the private lots are being underutilized.
Therefore, the "effective" parking supply is assumed to be 75% of
the private surface lot spaces and 95% of all commercial surface
lots and on-street spaces. A factor of 90% has been applied to
private parking structures since the majority of these are for
employees only, and to transient spaces in commercial structures.
Monthly and reserved parking spaces in commercial parking
structures have been considered 100% "effective', due to high
occupancies, as have any state employee lots. These factors
include adjustments for the fact that some parking facilities are
attended or have valet parking and often operate above capacity
(for example, 320 vehicles in 240 marked spaces). Therefore, the
current "effective" parking supply is established at 32,760 parking
spaces. The overall effective supply factor is 91%of the total
supply.
Parking Utilization
Extensive data was collected in order to document the actual
current parking needs of the Mile-Square. Hourly parking
accumulation counts and license plate surveys were conducted in
selected areas to determine parking occupancy, duration, and
turnover levels. The occupancy of all spaces was recorded during
the inventory process. Furthermore, in order to determine the
ability of the supply to meet peak retail needs, occupancy counts
were taken the week before Christmas 1986 in a selected area.
Figure 2 summarizes on-street and off-street occupancy counts which
were taken during December, 1986 and January 1987.
Click HERE for graphic.
A turnover and duration study of short-term parking was conducted
in selected areas. All parking was best utilized between 12:00
noon and 1:00 p.m.
The parking duration, representing the average length of stay per
vehicle, ranged from 0.82 hours in the Northeast Quadrant to 1.91
hours in the area near Union Station. Overall the two-hour time
limit for on-street spaces appears to be sufficient. However, ap-
proximately 15% of the vehicles observed stayed over 2 hours. Some
stayed more than seven hours; this usually indicates that an area
employee is using the space.
Parking turnover represents the average number of vehicles parked
per space throughout the observation period. Turnover is a measure
of utilization that must be used carefully. It reflects the
overall utilization of each space and is quickly affected by low
occupancy; a vacant space is obviously not "turning over".
Turnover rates of 3 to 5 are considered very good, while those
exceeding five are unusually high. The turnover rate observed
ranged from 1.39 times in the Northwest Quadrant to 6.99 times in
the Union Station area.
It has therefore been concluded that the meters with a two-hour
limit are generally serving their intended purpose of providing
short-term convenience parking in areas where retail/entertainment
activity is strong but that there is less need for and more
violation of meters in areas without substantial retail uses.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-4
Parking Demand
Parking demand is defined as the number of spaces which should be
provided for employees, shoppers, and business visitors that park
within the study area. A direct relationship between building use
and the parking demand it generates has been established in many
studies by various disciplines over the years. The parking demand
for the Mile-Square has been calculated by multiplying the square
feet of building space by a "demand ratio" which is the number of
spaces required per 1,000 square feet of generating land use such
as retail, office, etc. The ratios represent a busy day in a peak
month, rather than a true or once a year peak since it would be
unrealistic to expect every tenant and every use in the Mile-Square
to have peak activity on the same day. In order to reasonably
develop parking demand ratios to reflect local conditions, an
extensive analysis of employee and customer needs was conducted.
Surveys determined local employee driving ratios, the number of
employees per 1000 square feet, and captive market adjustments.
The latter factor accounts for patronage of businesses by employees
of other Mile-Square businesses, which do not add to the parking
demand. Parking demand was calculated for a peak daytime need
between noon and 1:00 p.m. December was chosen as the peak month
because of the higher level of retail activity (increased staff and
customer volumes) and decreased usage of alternate modes of
transportation (bus, walk, or bicycle).
Land use information was gathered and compiled for every building
in the Mile-Square. The Indianapolis Business Journal was a major
source for square footage information. Discussions with property
owners and businesses determined the type of use and the breakdown
of uses within a building in terms of the square footage occupied.
A total of 23,945,053 square feet of gross floor area was
identified. A 7.0% vacancy rate has been applied to all office
space where no vacancy information was available.
The existing parking demand for the Mile-Square is estimated to be
37,998 spaces. The average demand ratio for all land uses,
excluding vacant space, is 1.74 spaces per 1,000 gross square feet.
This ratio is reasonable compared to a range of average ratios of
1.3 to 3.0 per 1,000 square feet as calculated by WALKER in recent
years in a number of other midwestern cities.
The total demand equates to 106% occupancy of the existing parking
supply. During the occupancy studies in January of 1987, overall
occupancy was around 90%. However, January would likely represent
a lower demand condition than the assumed peak in December. Also,
no events were taking place at the Hoosier Dome/Convention Center
or at Market Square Arena at the time the data was collected, and
the total demand of 37,998 includes 1,140 spaces for these uses.
Parking Adequacy
Parking adequacy is defined as the ability of the parking supply to
accommodate the parking demand. This is measured by comparing the
total parking demand to the "effective" parking supply. The Mile-
Square area is estimated to have a current deficit of 5,237 spaces
as of January 1987. As seen in Table 1, some zones show large
parking deficits indicating localized parking shortages while
others have a surplus of spaces. It should be recognized that the
deficit (or surplus) is a comparison of the "effective" parking
supply and demand solely within that zone, without consideration of
the use of the spaces in or by neighboring zones. It is also
important to note that many of the surplus spaces are privately-
owned for individual business's employees and customers.
A certain percentage of the total parking demand is satisfied
outside of the study area. An analysis was therefore made of the
usage of spaces outside the Mile-Square by persons with
destinations within the Mile-Square as seen in Table 1.
A deficit of 1,988 parking spaces still exists as of January 1987
in the parking system when perimeter parking is included in the
analysis. It appears that this is a portion of
the"cushion"required to relieve the perception of a shortage of
parking in the system. That is, the parking system is currently
saturated. In order to provide a comfortable parking situation for
all users, this "cushion" must be provided in the system.
It is concluded that as of January 1987 a need for additional spar-
es existed, particularly in the Northeast Quadrant, as illustrated
in Figure 3. The Southwest Quadrant also had a rather large deficit
which is primarily due to the retail area along Illinois Street and
Union Station. However, the Northwest Quadrant shows a surplus of
308 spaces and the State Capitol Zone had a surplus of 656 spaces
which is not available for any other users. The Southeast Quadrant
also shows a surplus of 147 spaces.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-5
Click HERE for graphic.
"Approximately 200 of the 458 commercial spaces in the Meridian
Corridor area north of the Mile-Square are available for Mile-
Square business.
Click HERE for graphic.
As of August 1987, approximately 3,400 more spaces have become
available for use. Approximately 88% of these spaces are for
commercial use. In light of this addition to the parking system
inventoried in January, an update of the parking conditions in the
Mile-Square is also shown in Table 1 for August.
With these new spaces it can be seen that there has been a marked
shift from an overall deficit of nearly 2,000 spaces to a surplus
of about 600 spaces. Parking conditions have substantially
improved in all areas except the State Capitol, where the surplus
has been reduced, and the Northeast Quadrant, where parking
conditions have not been affected.
Such fluctuations must naturally occur when large projects which
either add many spaces or create significant demand are brought on
stream. For example, the August supply includes the new parking
facility at the Pan Am Plaza but several of the projects it is
intended to serve are not yet complete.
MILE-SQUARE FUTURE PARKING CONDITIONS
In order to determine the future parking needs in the Mile-Square
it is necessary to consider the many proposed development projects
and their impact on the parking supply and demand. A number of
developments are already under construction; others appear likely
to occur in the next few years. Other projects are proposed for
development and construction in the long-term future but in some
cases in very limited detail. All known proposals have been
included in the projections in order that planning for the future
be able to accommodate an aggressive rate of growth.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-6
Click HERE for graphic.
"Approximately 200 of the 458 commercial spaces in the Meridian
Corridor area north of the Mile-Square are available for Mile-
Square business.
Projected Parking Supply, 1992
As projected, the various projects proposed will result in a total
future parking supply of 49,309 spaces. As before, this supply
must be adjusted to reflect the "cushion" needed for a parking area
to operated at optimum efficiency levels. Therefore, the projected
"effective" parking supply is 45,131 spaces, a net gain of 12,371
effective spaces by 1992.
Projected Parking Demand, 1992
All parking ratios, except one, used to calculate current parking
demand have been employed to calculate future demand. The retail
parking demand ratio for the Circle Centre Mall has been adjusted
for a much lower captive market, from 52% to 30%. A key factor to
the success of this project is to broaden the market area and
develop the mall as "destination" shopping in strong competition
with suburban malls. The resulting ration is 2.8 spaces per 1000
square feet of retail space.
Table 2 summarizes changes to parking demand by zone. The parking
demand is expected to increase to varying degrees in all quadrants
and zones. The Northeast Quadrant is expected to have an increase
in parking demand of 3,903 spaces (37%) by 1992, due primarily to
new office development and secondly, housing development. An
increase in parking demand of 2,629 spaces (34%) is projected for
the Northwest Quadrant by 1992 due primarily to new housing
development and some office and retail development. The State
Capitol Zone is expected to experience an increase in parking
demand of 2,399 spaces (68%) by 1992. The Circle Centre Mall will
have a greater impact than any other single development in the
Mile-Square. Parking demand in the Southwest Quadrant is projected
to increase by 5,318 spaces (82%) primarily due to this project.
In the Southeast Quadrant, the parking demand is projected to
increase by only 377 spaces (4%).
A total increase in parking demand of 14,627 is projected resulting
in a total parking demand within the Mile-Square of 52,624 spaces
(an overall increase of 39%) by 1992.
Projected Parking Adequacy, 1992
It must be recognized that projections for future parking demand
have been based on some committed projects and some optimistic but
likely developments for 1992. Further, the development of
commercial parking facilities independent of but in response to
other development is not represented. Therefore, the future
scenario tends to be a "worst case" scenario.
Overall, the parking deficit within the Mile-Square is projected to
increase to 7,493 spaces by 1992. This compares to deficits of
5,237 spaces in January of 1987
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-7
and 2,648 in August of 1987.
The January 1987 parking deficit in the Northeast Quadrant is
projected to increase from 2,621 spaces to 5,279 by 1992. The
Northwest Quadrant parking surplus is projected to change from a
surplus of 108 spaces to a deficit of 964 spaces by 1992. Although
over 5,000 spaces will be added to the parking supply in the
Southwest Quadrant, new developments will fill the spaces as soon
as they are built. the parking deficit in this quadrant is
estimated to increase from 2,552 spaces to 1,692 spaces by 1992.
The 102 space parking deficit in the Southeast Quadrant is expected
to change to a significant surplus of 789 spaces.
Figure 4 illustrates the projected adequacy of the 1992 parking
system when perimeter parking is included in the analysis. The
full capacity of the shuttle lot south of South Street has been
included for this analysis. A deficit of nearly 5,200 parking
spaces is projected, compared to a deficit of about 2,000 spaces in
January, 1987 and a surplus of about 600 spaces in August, 1987.
Again, it is concluded that a need for additional spaces will still
exist, particularly in the Northeast Quadrant.
Click HERE for graphic.
It appears that some attempt has been made to provide adequate
parking for future development projects, particularly for retail,
residential, and hotel uses. Parking is not being provided at an
adequate rate for office developments. Figure 5 shows that the
parking supply and the parking demand are expected to diverge at an
increasing rate over the next few years. However, the private
sector's response to the growing market is not reflected in this
picture.
It is likely that deficits such as those projected for 1992 would
cause market parking rates to rise, which in turn would encourage
the development of additional parking. Substantially higher rates,
however, may slow or halt economic development.
Click HERE for graphic.
SUB-AREA ANALYSIS
It was apparent throughout the study of the Mile-Square that many
parkers were parking outside the Mile-Square. Therefore, a more
complete understanding of the parking needs of the Mile-Square
required that the following sub-areas also be taken into
consideration: the Mile-Square Fringe Area, the Meridian Street
Corridor, the Historic Neighborhoods, Indian University-Purdue
University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), White River Park, and the
Hoosier Dome/Convention Center. These sub-areas were chosen to
represent the sections of the Regional Center that have the
greatest interaction with the Mile-Square and are shown in Map 1.
Mile-square Fringe Area
The fringe of the Mile-Square, as shown in Map 1, is defined as the
two-block wide perimeter of the Mile-Square. Based on the demand
analysis of the Meridian Street Corridor, approximately 200 of the
458 commercial spaces in that zone are available for use by
businesses within the Mile-Square. To the east of the Mile-Square,
Bank One provides a private employee lot with 181 spaces. Located
on the same block is a 68 space private lot used by the Department
of Education. To the south of the Mile-Square, a new surface lot
located at Senate Avenue provides 1,129 commer-
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-8
cial spaces; for an additional fee, shuttle service into the Mile-
Square is also provided. However, utilization of this lot has not
yet reached capacity.
An additional 1,726 spaces were identified as reserved for state
employees west of West Street; however, the State of Indiana has
indicated that plans have been made to relinquish all of its
perimeter parking upon completion of their new garages. These lots
will be used as parking for White River Park or used for other park
development.
The above referenced spaces were included in the analysis of the
perimeter parking impact on Mile-Square adequacy condition.
Meridian Street Corridor
The Meridian Street Corridor is a three block wide area running
from the north central boundary of the Mile-Square to 1-65 (see Map
1). Geographically, it is bounded by 12th Street Oust north of 1-
65), North and Pennsylvania Streets, and Capitol Avenue.
Parking Supply and Utilization
For descriptive purposes, the Corridor was subdivided into two
parts--north and south of 9th Street. This was done to reflect the
fact that much of the commercial parking south of 9th Street is
used by persons destined for the Mile-Square as well as the unusual
concentration of public facilities in the area.
A total parking supply of 3,839 spaces was identified. Off-street
parking accounts for 86.8% of the total parking supply. Private,
off-street parking intended for customers, employees, or business-
related visitors of a specific building or business accounts for
863% of the total off-street parking supply. The remaining 13.7%
is commercial parking, that is, available to the public for a fee.
The same factors used for the Mile-Square were applied to the
Meridian Street Corridor parking supply for an 'effective" supply
of 3,096 spaces.
Parking occupancy of all off- and on-street parking was recorded
once between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. during the inventory process.
It was found that south of 9th Street 70.1% of the private spaces
and 82.8% of the commercial spaces were occupied. In comparison,
Landmark Center's lots displayed an overall occupancy of 80.2%,
while the remaining private lots north of 9th Street had only 65.8%
observed occupancy.
Click HERE for graphic.
Land Use and Parking Demand
The parking ratios developed for the Mile-Square have been used to
determine parking demand. The principal land uses south of 9th
Street are: the American Legion, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the
Marion County Public Library, and Indiana Business College.
The principal land uses north of 9th Street are office, storage,
and service. In addition, there are 553 residential units. By far
the major land occupant is the Landmark Center and its related
parking lots.
The parking demand for the entire Meridian Street Corridor is 2,483
spaces.
Therefore, the Meridian Street Corridor is estimated to have a
current surplus of 612 spaces.
Historic Districts
The Chatham-Arch and Lockerbie Square Historic Neighborhoods are
situated within the northeast corner of the Regional Center shown
in Map 1.
Lockerbie Square
The current mix of land uses in Lockerbie Square is indicative of a
residential area in an urbanized setting. Commercial land use is
largely confined to the periphery of the Lockerbie Square Historic
District, where its impact on the residential core is limited.
Particularly heavy commercialization, however, has occurred along
the 300 block of College Avenue, the 600 block of Michigan Street,
and the 400 block of East Street.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-9
The interior streets are limited to two-hour parking between 6 a.m.
and 6 p.m. which was imposed in response to neighborhood residents'
concerns of all-day parking by downtown commuters. The Lockerbie
Square People's Club has worked out an informal agreement with the
Department of Transportation and with the Indianapolis Police
Department giving the Club permission to distribute parking permits
at no cost to residents of Lockerbie Square. Anyone with such a
permit on his or her car may then park on street without regard to
the two-hour limit.
Neighborhood perceptions are that the residential permit system
adequately meets daytime needs. Residents indicated, however, that
they often have problems finding parking spaces in the evening--
when neither time restricted parking nor the residential permit
system are in effect.
Chatham-Arch
Unlike Lockerbie Square, the renovation or restoration of most of
the residential core of the Chatham-Arch Historic Area--bounded by
10th, St. Clair, and East Streets, and College Avenue--has yet to
start.
There are no posted restrictions on Broadway, 9th, and Arch
Streets, and Park Avenue. Some on-street parking is permitted
during off-peak traffic flow periods along the periphery of the
neighborhood.
Parking Utilization
Parking occupancy of the on-street spaces in the Historic Districts
was observed by WALKER personnel on Friday and Monday, June 19 and
22,1987.
Less than 20% of the on-street spaces in Chatham-Arch were
occupied, indicating that currently there is more than sufficient
parking. An examination of the residential core of Lockerbie
Square indicated that 52.0% of the on-street spaces were occupied.
Moreover, almost all of these vehicles displayed a residential
parking permit. Both of these observations are consistent with
resident's comments indicating that the residential permit system
is having the desired effect of restricting daytime parking to
Lockerbie Square residents.
The enforcement of this program should be continued in order to
maintain the image of these historic districts. It is, however,
recommended that the City work With the Lockerbie Square People's
Club in adopting a more formal residential parking policy, and that
the evening parking problems be addressed.
Indianapolis University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
IUPUI is the third largest college campus in Indiana. The
immediate vicinity also contains several health-related
institutions.
Historically, IUPUI has provided for all of its own parking needs.
Localized shortages do occur, requiring longer walking distances
than may be desired by the parking patron. OveralL sufficient
spaces are provided on campus to accommodate the University's own
parking demand. This pattern is expected to continue into the
future, as the campus continues to develop.
White River Park
The area of the White River Park as shown generally on Map 1,
includes the new Indianapolis Zoo which is currently under
construction as well as existing Military Park at New York and West
Streets.
A preliminary parking feasibility study for the park was prepared
in early 1983. While the plans for various elements of the park
and their timing have changed dramatically in the intervening four
years, no formal revision of the parking analysis has been
undertaken.
The overall strategy for parking, however, is to provide within the
confines of the park enough parking spaces to satisfy the park's
own peak weekday parking needs in the peak season (Summer). Since
weekend daytime parking demand exceeds weekday demand, off-site
spaces will be required in peak seasons on weekends. The most
notable candidate to provide nearby, convenient, off-site weekend
parking is the 3,000 space State of Indiana garage currently under
construction immediately across West Street from the park. Infor-
mal discussions to this end have taken place between
representatives of the State and the White River Park Commission.
The new Indianapolis Zoo will have its own surface parking lot, and
also has an arrangement with the General Motors site south of the
zoo to handle overflow parking on weekends via a shuttle system.
Although the zoo is therefore theoretically self-sufficient, it
seems likely that some visitors will visit both the zoo and the
park, and thus park in the park's lots or garages.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-10
As additional plans for the park become firm, it would appear
advisable to analyze in detail the interrelated parking needs and
resources of the major land uses in the area, namely IUPUI, the
State of Indiana, White River Park, Indianapolis Zoo, and the
Hoosier Dome and Convention Center. With the exception of the
State, each of the others will generate parking demands with large
fluctuations on a seasonal or special event basis. A level of
confidence should be established that overlapping of these peak
needs will not cause failure of the parking system.
Hoosier Dome/Convention Center
The Dome/Convention Center area shown in Map 1 identifies the
immediate impact area of this complex. A parking analysis was
conducted for this complex by Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff
in 1980. Based on that analysis, but adjusting for current parking
at and to the south of the Hoosier Dome, a capacity weekend event
at the Dome would generate a demand for approximately 11,500 more
spaces in the Southwest Quadrant or at White River Park. As of
August 1987, therefore, event parkers would have to park four
blocks north and five blocks east of the Dome, employing all
commercial and on-street spaces to find enough parking. Needless
to say, other businesses will require parking concurrently which
would suggest the event parkers are parking even further away.
However, when new parking development expected by 1992 is taken
into consideration, this demand could be satisfied within two
blocks north and three blocks east of the Dome on a weekend. The
latter analysis assumes that on-street and commercial parking will
be used entirely by event parking, except for that directly
associated with hotels, Circle Centre Mall and Union Station.
For a major weekday or evening event 40% of the demand could be
satisfied within the Dome area forcing 60% or nearly 3,000 parkers
into the surrounding parking system. This can be easily
accommodated in the evening, if the starting time is late enough to
avoid overlap with office hours. However, during the day, the
southwest quadrant and in fact the Mile-Square will continue to
have a deficit in parking similar to the current magnitude through
1992; thus the additional parking of a major weekday event will
likely continue to overload the system.
Typical weekday events held at the Convention Center can be
accommodated in the 800 parking spaces provided at the Convention
Center with any remaining demand being satisfied in surrounding
commercial and on-street facilities.
PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND CONTROLS
The City/County Government can influence the market and moderate
the "downside" swings of the economic growth cycle for the Regional
Center without abandoning its reliance on the private sector to
meet parking needs. Before determining what programs and policies
should be adopted, it is important to understand what controls are
currently in place, and what modifications, if any, to those
controls are desirable in light of the information and insights
gained in the previous supply/demand analysis.
The analysis of three current ordinances--the Central Business
District Zoning Ordinance, the Commercial Zoning Ordinance, and the
Licensing and Business Regulations--recommended that a number of
improvements be made.
A complete set of design standards applicable to all parking
facilities in all zoning districts should be adopted. The
required dimensions should reflect the downsizing of vehicles.
Specific changes are also recommended for certain design re-
quirements now in the license ordinance that should be
transferred to the zoning ordinances.
A "shared use" clause that is more flexible and manageable
than a blanket 10% reduction should be adopted for common, or
shared, parking facilities.
Modifications to the definitions and determination of capacity
in the License Regulations are recommended, to reflect current
design practices.
The City Controller's office should be required to report
information from license application for off-street parking
facilities to the Division of Planning for incorporation into
the Parking Data Base. Likewise the DOT should be required to
report changes made to the on-street parking supply.
While the City has no control over state regulations, WALKER
has recommended that either the State regulations for
handicapped parking be updated or local ordinances be expanded
to reflect current American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) and The National Parking Association (NPA) Consultants
Council'S recom-
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-11
mended handicapped parking standards and be applied to all
parking facilities in the absence of locally derived data on
the actual demand for such spaces.
PARKING POLICY ALTERNATIVES
One key policy decision which requires further study is whether or
not the City should modify the requirements (or exemptions) for
providing parking in the Mile-Square. There is a variety of
parking management tactics currently employed by cities to
alleviate parking and related transportation problems. The five
main categories of strategies or tactics pertain to: pricing,
marketing, enforcement and adjudication, on-street supply, and off-
street supply. Some of these strategies have been quickly
discarded for failure to meet local goals and objectives. Others
require more detailed consideration.
There is no one tactic that can simultaneously achieve all the
desired goals (minimize auto usage and traffic congestion, maximize
transit patronage, provide adequate parking, and foster economic
growth). This is partly due to some fundamental conflicts in the
goals-for example, tactics which increase the parking supply are
likely to reduce the incentive to use mass transit.
While marketing/promotional activities will not have a direct
impact on achieving the Regional Center goals, publicizing the
positive steps and programs being implemented will be invaluable.
Therefore it is recommended that public relations/marketing
activities be considered a high priority in the overall plan.
The only parking spaces which the city directly controls are the
on-street spaces, which comprise 7.7% of the total supply. While
strong enforcement programs are important to insuring that the
spaces are available for intended users, such programs will not
markedly affect parking adequacy in the Mile-Square.
Several tactics were found to further the progress toward the
Regional Center goals and have been selected for further study of
the cost and benefits of the program, including:
Differential pricing carpools;
Development of a park-n-ride facility;
Construction of municipal parking facilities;
Joint public/private development of parking facilities, and,
Modified zoning requirements to require parking for new
developments in the Mile-Square.
Financial Implications
The analysis identified a number of actions or policies that could
help achieve the goals of the Regional Center Plan and ease parking
shortages in the Mile-Square. In order to select the most cost
effective tactics, a comparison of the revenues and expenses for
each alternative has been prepared.
The carpool program appears to be self-supporting and among the
most desirable alternatives. The gain in equivalent spaces,
however, is small compared to expected growth in parking demand.
If the City or other government agency already owned a core site,
development of parking would be economical at today's rates.
However, no such sites are owned and land acquisition will require
a subsidy from other funds.
An unexpected, although not unusual, Finding in this analysis was
that the subsidy for land acquisition and a new core area structure
would be less expensive than the subsidy for the park-n-ride
program. Therefore, if the City chooses to subsidize a parking
program, it is more cost-effective to acquire land for a core area
structure than to develop a park-n-ride program. There are, of
course, other considerations than cost which will influence
selections of the 'best" alternative for the City.
It appears that a private developer could have difficulty
assembling a reasonable site to develop new parking and could
likely not achieve the return considered necessary to attract
investors and financing. However, this does not take into account
the overall benefits of providing parking to a developer; a
developer might be willing to accept a lower return on the parking
portion or guarantee leases of spaces in an independent facility,
thereby lowering the risk and required return for that developer.
Even so, it does not appear likely that developers will provide
significant numbers of spaces under current market conditions. A
developer of an office building could make a reasonable return with
tax abatement on the parking portion of a project and thus be
encouraged to provide parking. Another type of assistance that the
municipality could provide would be to purchase land via its
redevelopment powers and then package it for sale to a developer
for
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page ES-12
parking. The financing package may have to delay repayment of
principal for a few years until a project is self-sustaining.
Comparison Of Alternatives
A matrix has been prepared to provide a method to evaluate and
compare each alternative and summarize the relative advantages and
disadvantages of each alternative.
Based on the matrix as weighted herein, WALKER recommends the
following overall priority of schemes.
The most desirable option is the implementation of the carpool
preferential parking program. It ranked high in all criteria
except effectiveness, as it will provide a limited effective gain
in spaces. The park-n-ride program ranked second, with its
required public subsidy being outweighed by the other benefits.
The existing but dormant Off-Street Parking Commission may be able
to take the responsibility for capital costs and operation of the
park-n-ride program, with the burden of the subsidy spread over a
relatively large special assessment district encompassing the
shuttle routes.
Private development of parking structures in core areas is the most
desirable option for gaining large number of spaces, even though
this does not further the transportation goal of reducing vehicle
trips within the Mile-Square. Three separate alternatives for
achieving private parking in core areas - construction on land by
current owners, above grade parking within development projects and
acquisition of property for construction - ranked 3,4 and 4
respectively. The likelihood of implementation of all three,
however, is judged to be only fair without further government ac-
tion.
The most effective tactic for causing expansion of the parking
supply appears to be requiring parking as part of new developments.
The current requirement for approximately one space per 1000 square
feet gross floor area (GFA) in CBD-2 zoning districts outside the
Mile-Square could be extended to cover the Mile-Square. It is also
important to require replacement of any existing spaces.
Developers could be given the option of meeting the requirements by
a combination of:
Restriping existing facilities;
Carpool incentives;
Park-n-ride incentives;
Construction of new spaces; and,
Lease commitments for other new commercial facilities.
Securing lease commitments from existing facilities should not be
considered a means of meeting the parking requirement, as this
merely transfers the deficit burden to others. It appears,
however, that this provision might discourage further development
in the Mile-Square unless certain other incentives are made by the
municipality. Those which seem to bold the most benefit are as
follows:
The City can assemble land through its redevelopment authority
and then sell it to a private developer for parking
development. In some cases, the financing package may have to
be structured to allow a slow payback of principal during the
early years, allowing the facility to build patronage and
market rates to rise to a level that is profitable. Such
parking development projects should be competitively bid so
that all interested developers can submit proposals.
The City can provide financial incentives for private
development of parking. One of the most "painless" incentives
is to abate taxes on the parking facility portion of a
project, especially if that parking is to be required. This
would bring up the return on equity to a reasonable level on a
facility in a larger development. It is likely that such
abatements would only need to be continued for a few years as
market parking rates increase to profitable levels.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
In summary, it appears that enhancement of the existing carpool
program with preferential, low-cost parking; developing the
proposed park-n-ride facility; assembling land and selling it for
parking development; and requiring some parking in new developments
with a few incentives, such as a limited period of tax abatement,
are the most desirable means for encouraging the expansion of the
parking supply in the Mile-Square.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 1
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
The downtown areas of most Midwestern cities have faced a multitude
of problems in the last 25 years that have caused an erosion or
reversal of the traditional role of the downtown as a center of
activity in the community. Outlying developments, particularly
those with retail, are providing competition. Traffic congestion
and lack of parking are often perceived as reasons to avoid the
downtown.
The downtown area of Indianapolis, Indiana, also known as the
Regional Center, has experienced a loss of much of its retail base.
A strong commitment by both local and state leaders has, however,
kept the office sector strong. Moreover, there has been a reemer-
gence of the Regional Center as a viable residential and
entertainment area. This, in turn, has encouraged a return of
retail activity and the most densely developed section of the
regional center--known as the Mile-Square--is once again thriving.
In light of the continued growth and revitalization of the
Indianapolis Regional Center, the City has recognized the need for
an update of the City's parking policies.
SCOPE OF STUDY
WALKER Parking Consultants has been commissioned by the City of
Indianapolis to develop a Regional Center Parking Plan. In order
to develop a truly implementable plan, a comprehensive study of the
parking supply, demand, and adequacy in the entire Mile-Square area
have been conducted. Projections for the future parking needs of
the Mile-Square through 1992 have also been made in accordance with
an agreement dated December 12, 1986. "Sub-areas" of the Regional
Center which he outside the Mile-Square have been studied to
identify parking deficiencies that require municipal action and/or
the interrelationship with Mile-Square parking needs and concerns.
Parking policies have been reviewed and changes that would further
the goals of reducing traffic and congestion and/or encouraging
healthy economic growth have been recommended. The following
paragraphs describe the detailed herein:
Initial Tasks:
1. Meet with the appropriate officials and the Technical Advisory
Committee to identify study sub-areas and gather pertinent reports
and statistical data regarding the study area.
With the guidance of the Technical Advisory Committee, conduct the
study according to the attached Schedule of Tasks. Document the
progress of the study in a series of Task Reports which will be
distributed to the Technical Advisory Committee a minimum of five
working days prior to a scheduled meeting.
Mile-Square Sub-Area:
2. Prepare an inventory of existing spaces in the Mile-Square,
including breakdown by parking facility type (including commercial
lots, private lots, private garages, commercial garages, metered
parking, and special parking). Document hourly, daily, and monthly
parking fees for each type of facility.
3. Study the occupancy of all parking spaces at preselected times,
and perform license plate surveys at selected facilities to
determine parking characteristics such as parking duration and
turnover.
4. With the guidance and input of the Division of Planning,
identify and verify detailed land use data for the Mile-Square.
This will include existing square footage for each land use type
and trip generation factors.
5. Determine existing parking characteristics through employee
questionnaires, tenant interviews and visitor/shopper interviews at
three office buildings, three large retail establishments, one
group of smaller retail shops, and representative restaurants.
Data from WALKER studies at the State Capitol Complex and the City-
County Building will provide information on governmental users.
6. Analyze the land use and parking data and present it in tabular
and graphic form. Parking demand factors will be identified in
terms of spaces per square foot of each land use category.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 2
7. Analyze on a block-by-block basis the data collected to
determine the existing parking demand and adequacy of the existing
supply.
8. Review possible development activity anticipated within the
next five to ten years, as supplied by the City, and compare future
supply and demand conditions to determine the impact of proposed
developments on the parking situation. Identify potential sites
for increasing the available parking supply, including expansion of
existing facilities.
9. Identify and evaluate alternatives to the provision of new
parking facilities which relate to demand management. Such
alternatives include, but not necessarily limited to, such measures
as remote parking/shuttle service, and the modal shifts to transit
and ridesharing due to increasing parking costs.
10. Provide a computer model for the City's use in maintaining and
monitoring the land use, parking supply, and parking demand
information. Review the City's current. administrative
recordkeeping procedures and recommend improvements to keep parking
information current for the computer model. Written procedures
will be provided to fully describe the utilization of this model.
11. Document current City parking policies (both legislative and
administrative) and evaluate current and alternate parking
standards within the zoning ordinances.
12. Evaluate the present and near-term parking market in the Mute-
Square and the feasibility of additional private parking
development. Identify potential funding sources and available
financial incentives which could be used to encourage necessary
additional parking development.
13. Recommend public policy changes, if any, with regard to
provision of parking in the Mile-Square, and develop an
implementation program for both public and private actions.
Other Sub-Areas:
14. In conjunction with the Technical Advisory Committee, identify
the remaining sub-areas to be studied. These sub-areas should be
contiguous and have unifying characteristics such as current land
use and potential for future development.
15. Assemble and review past studies and plans for each sub-area
and interview key officials with regard to current and expected
future conditions.
16. Identify and summarize land use and parking characteristics in
each sub-area, their expected future development, and any
recommended near-term actions to be taken, including the need for a
parking permit system in the residential areas near the Mile-
Square.
Final Report:
17. Prepare 15 copies of the draft report. Following in-
corporation of all review comments provide 20 copies of the final
report. The final report will be submitted in photo-ready form,
including all associated graphics and an executive summary.
18. Make one or two formal presentations of the study's findings
to the Technical Advisory Committee, or other groups.
STUDY AREA
The study area encompasses the area known as the Indianapolis
Regional Center, with the major focus on the Mile-Square area as
illustrated in Map 1-1. The first three sections of this report
address the area known as the Mile-Square while the following
sections pertain to areas outside the Mile-Square: the Meridian
Corridor to the north; the Historic Neighborhoods to the east; the
State owned property, IUPUI, and White River Park to the west; and
the Hoosier Dome to the south. To assist in understanding patterns
of supply and demand, the Mile-Square area has been divided into
four quadrants and a State Capitol Zone.
PREVIOUS REPORTS
The Mile-Square has been the subject of several studies in the past
seven years, each of which has been reviewed in preparation of this
report. The following list identifies the report, the firm who
prepared the study, and the completion date.
INDIANAPOLIS URBAN PARKING STUDY and PLAN
Simpson & Curtin - December, 1980
PARKING SUPPLY/DEMAND/and FINANCIAL ANALYSIS for INDIANA BELL
TELEPHONE
WALKER Parking Consultants - May 1982
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 3
DOWNTOWN RETAIL MALL and APARTMENT COMPLEX
WALKER Parking Consultants - March, 1983
WHITE RIVER PARK - PARKING FEASIBILITY STUDY
WALKER Parking Consultants - April, 1983
INDIANA CAPITOL COMPLEX MASTER PLAN: 1984 - 1995
Archonics with WALKER Parking Consultants -1984
UPDATE OF PRELIMINARY PARKING STUDY FOR DOWNTOWN MALL
WALKER Parking Consultants - January, 1984
PARKING STUDY FOR THE MALL BLOCK & SQUARE 88
WALKER Parking Consultants - October, 1984
CITY-COUNTY BUILDING PARKING STUDY
WALKER Parking Consultants - February, 1986
Click HERE for graphic.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 4
PARKING IN THE MILE-SQUARE 1987
PARKING SUPPLY
An inventory of all on-street and off-street parking in the area
known as the Mile-Square was conducted during the month of January,
1987 by WALKER and city personnel to determine the existing parking
supply. The series of articles "Who Owns the Block" published in
the Indianapolis Business Journal and various downtown maps
denoting parking were used to help verify the field counts. A
total parking supply was established at 35,945 spaces. This figure
represents a "snapshot in time" which will be compared to a similar
snapshot of demand. Of course, the ongoing development in the
Mile-Square results in almost month to month changes in supply and
demand. A discussion of this phenomenon will follow the
determination of the adequacy of parking in January, 1987. A
detailed, block-by-block breakdown is included in the Appendix
(Table A-1). Figure II-1 illustrates the breakdown of on-street
and off-street parking in the Mile-Square.
Off-street parking accounts for 92.3% of the total parking supply.
Private off-street spaces intended for customers, employees, or
business-related visitors of a specific building or business
account for 32.8% of the total off-street parking supply.
Off-street parking spaces reserved for state employees accounts for
another 7.5%. Commercial parking, defined as facilities available
to the general public for a fee, accounts for the remaining 59.7%.
Approximately one-half of all off-street spaces are located in
parking structures or garages. The remaining spaces are located in
surface parking lots.
On-street short-term parking spaces account for the remaining 2,579
spaces (7.7% of the total supply) of which approximately 67.5% are
metered. Map II-1 shows the on-street, commercial, and private
parking supply on each block. State employee spaces are included
as part of the private parking supply. Quadrant and zone totals
are also shown.
It is important that the parking supply include a sufficient
"cushion" in excess of the necessary spaces to allow for the
dynamics of vehicles moving in and out of parking stalls and to
reduce the time to search for the last few available spaces. This
cushion also allows for vacancies created by restricting lots to
certain users, misparked vehicles, snow cover, and minor
construction. Thus, a supply of parking operates at peak
efficiency when occupancy is 85% to 90%.
When occupancy exceeds this level, there may be
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Walker Parking Consultants
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Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 6
delays and frustration in finding a space. The parking supply may
be perceived as inadequate even though there are spaces available
in the system.
As a result, the "effective' parking supply is used for analysis of
the adequacy of the parking system, rather than the total supply or
inventory of spaces. Typically, WALKER has used 95% of the on-
street spaces, 90% of commercial and public surface lot spaces, and
85% of all private and structured spaces as the "effective" parking
supply in many central business districts.
However, in Indianapolis, downtown employees are the major parking
generators. The strong service oriented anchors located in the
downtown, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, American United Life, In-
diana Bell, and the many governmental facilities, house thousands
of employees who drive to the downtown every day. Most of these
employees do not search for a parking space; they park in the same
location every day. They know where to find an available spare at
a rate they are willing to pay. Transient parking demand is
minimal compared with the employee need in the area.
Occupancy studies, as discussed later in this report, have been
employed to modify the "typical" effective supply factors to
reflect actual parking practices and conditions in the Mile-Square.
Therefore, the "effective" parking supply is assumed to be 75% of
the private surface lot spaces and 95% of all commercial surface
lots and on-street spaces. A factor of 90% has been applied to
private parking structures since the majority of these are for
employees only, and to transient spaces in commercial structures.
Monthly and reserved parking spaces in commercial parking
structures %ill be considered 100% "effective", due to high
occupancies, as have any state employee lots. These factors
include adjustments for the fact that some parking facilities are
attended or have valet parking and often operate above capacity
(for example, 320 vehicles in 240 marked spaces). Therefore, the
"effective" parking supply as of January,1987 is established at
32,760 parking spaces.
PARKING UTILIZATION
Extensive data has been collected in order to document the actual
current parking needs of the Mile-Square. Hourly parking
accumulation counts and license plate surveys were conducted in
selected areas to determine parking occupancy, duration, and
turnover levels. The occupancy of all spaces was recorded during
the inventory process. Furthermore, in order to determine the
ability of the supply to meet peak retail needs, occupancy counts
were taken the week before Christmas 1986 in a selected area.
Occupancy counts were taken at three different periods: (1)
Saturday, December 20, 1986; (2) the week of January 12, 1987; and,
(3) Monday and Tuesday, January 27 and 28, 1987.
The first study was concentrated in the Retail Area south of
Washington Street (Map 11-2). The low occupancy (55.9%) observed
in the commercial parking spaces reflects the typical Saturday
transient shopper who prefers not to pay high hourly rates for
short-term parking; and being Saturday, the even lower occupancy
(30.7%) of the private spaces is due to the lower presence of
office employees. However, as shown in Figure II-2 below, the
occupancy of the on-street parking spaces was extremely high
(111.5%) with many vehicles illegally parking in no parking zones.
On-street parking spaces that are available on Saturday, Sunday,
and holidays, but are posted as no parking areas during the week,
have been included as available spaces in this analysis.
Click HERE for graphic.
It is clear from our observations that on Saturdays a shortage of
parking in this area is not a problem, even during the week before
Christmas. However, it appears that a very high demand exists for
convenient, inexpensive, short-term parking for weekend shoppers.
It further appears that these shoppers are resistant to paying
commercial off-street rates.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 7
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Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 8
The second study encompassed the entire Mile-Square which has been
divide into quadrants and zones in order to illustrate a more
refined picture of parking utilization in the study area (Map II-
2). Occupancy of all off-street parking was recorded once between
the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. during the week of January 12,
1987. Figure II-2 also illustrates the observed occupancy of on-
and off- street parking by zone. The occupancy of the off-street
spaces ranged from 79.6% in the Southeast Quadrant to 87.3% in the
Northwest Quadrant and 94.2% in the State Capitol Zone. However,
many facilities had occupancy levels of 95% to over 100%.
The occupancy of the on-street spaces ranged from 51.5% in the
Northeast Quadrant to 106.2% in the Southwest Quadrant and 109.2%
in the State Capitol Zone. This pattern reflects the density of
retail/entertainment uses in that the greatest demand for on-street
parking is in those areas with significant retail/restaurant
activity. Again, many vehicles were observed parked in no parking
areas which account for many block faces having occupancy levels of
over 100%.
In the third study, a turnover and duration study of on-street
parking was conducted in selected areas. License plate numbers of
each vehicle were recorded on an hourly basis in these areas and
the data has been used to determine the peak parking occupancy, the
average length of stay for parkers, and the parking turnover. Map
II-3 highlights the routes observed during the study. The letters
A through H on the map
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correspond to the areas labeled in Figure II-3 which summarizes the
peak occupancy of these spaces from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Figure
II-4 depicts the average on-street occupancy trend during the
survey day.
Click HERE for graphic.
As shown in Figure II-5, the parking duration, representing the
average length of stay per vehicle, ranged from 0.82 hours in Area
C to 1.79 hours in Area F. Overall the two-hour time limit appears
to be sufficient. However, approximately 15% of the vehicles
observed stayed over 2 hours. Some stayed more than seven hours;
this usually indicates that an area employee is using the space.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 9
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Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 10
Click HERE for graphic.
Parking turnover represents the average number of vehicles parked
per space throughout the observation period. Turnover is a measure
of utilization that must be used carefully. It reflects the
overall utilization of each space and is quickly affected by low
occupancy; a vacant space is obviously not "turning over".
Turnover rates of 3 to 5 are considered very good, while those
exceeding five are unusually high. The turnover rate observed
ranged from 1.39 times in Area F to 7.68 times in Area H as shown
in Figure II-6.
Click HERE for graphic.
A more detailed analysis of the parking occupancy, turnover, and
duration can be found in the Appendix (Tables A-2a through A-5d).
PARKING DEMAND
Parking demand is defined as the number of spaces which should be
provided for employees, shoppers, and business visitors that park
within the study area. A direct relationship between building use
and the parking demand it generates has been established in many
studies by various disciplines over the years. Therefore, the
parking demand for the Mile-Square has been calculated by
multiplying the square feet of building space by a "demand ratio"
which is the number of spaces required per 1,000 square feet of
generating land use such as retail, office, etc. The ration
represent a busy day in a peak month, rather than a true or once a
year peak. In order WALKER to reasonably develop parking demand
ratios to reflect local conditions, an extensive analysis of
employee and customer needs was conducted.
Data Collection
Customer interviews were conducted at eleven locations during the
week of January 12, 1987 throughout the Mile-Square area. This
survey provided information regarding modes of transportation
(driving percentage) and distances walked by customers after
parking. Table A-6 in the Appendix tabulates the results of this
survey. A "captive market" adjustment was also established that
indicates the percentage of business patrons who are also CBD
employees.
These patrons are already parked and do not contribute to parking
demand; 52.3% of retail patrons have been determined to be CBD
employees and considered a captive market and 64.1% of the
restaurant patrons are captive. The captive market factor have
been found to be 82.8% for office visitors and 45.8% of the
patrons interviewed at miscellaneous businesses. These captive
ratios are not unusual for a service and government-oriented
business district such as the Mile-Square.
Each person interviewed was asked how they travelled to the
downtown area. The analysis of this information found that 73.8%
of the employees drive to work. The Urban Transportation Planning
Package (UTPP), based on 1980 census data for the Regional Center,
states that 87.1% of downtown employees arrive by automobile.
However, UTPP also states an average of 1.25 persons per vehicle.
Taking this into account, the driving ration for the UTPP data is
69.7%. For the purposes of this report, a rounded 70% driving
factor for
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 11
the Mile-Square employees has been employed.
As shown in Figure II-7, the percentage of customers and visitors
who drove ranged from 38.6% (shoppers) to 67.5% (business visitors)
for an average of 55.1%.
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The estimated average length of stay for the non-captive market
visitor was 3.48 hours. This is a relatively long stay but
represents the service/business orientation of the current land
uses in the Mile-Square rather than retail.
To determine other characteristics of demand, interviews were
conducted with downtown employers concerning employee presence
levels and parking needs. Figure 11-8 summarizes the employee
levels per 1000 square feet for each type of land use. The level
of employees per 1000 square feet was found to be typical compared
to other municipalities recently surveyed by WALKER.
Click HERE for graphic.
As shown in Figure 11-9, the employee and customer interviews
revealed that 7.4% of the respondents walked rive or more blocks to
their destination and another 21.0% walked three or four blocks.
Approximately 46.9% walked one or two blocks, while 24.6% of those
responding parked on the same block as their destination.
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A second question was asked to determine how many blocks away
employees and patrons would park to come to the downtown.
Surprisingly, as shown in Figure 11-10, 23.7% of the respondents
stated that they would walk five or more blocks if the cost of
parking
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Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 12
was reasonable. On the other hand, many respondents stated that
they would not accept longer walking distances.
The demand ratios were developed to reflect local conditions found
as a result of the survey analysis, using the employee driving
ratio, the number of employees per 1000 square feet, and the
captive market adjustments. Based on ULI's Shared Parking Study
and occupancy count results a mid-day peak (between noon and 1:00
p.m.) adjustment factor was applied. December was chosen as the
peak month because of the higher level of retail activity
(increased staff and customer volumes) and decreased usage of
alternate modes of transportation (bus, walk, or bicycle). The
parking demand ratio for office use is 2.3 spaces per 1,000 square
feet, derived as follows:
Office Employees:
3.61 employees per typical day shift per 1,000 square feet
7.1% use auto to commute
1.25 persons per auto
0.90 presence at noon to 1:00 p.m. (ULI's Peak Hour Factor)
1.00 intensity for the months of December
Ratio = (3.61) x (871) x (.90) x (1.00)/(1.25
= 2.27 spaces per 1,000 square feet
Office Visitors:
0.18 visitors per 1,000 square feet (.05 x 3.61)
55.1% driving ration (includes persons per vehicle)
0.17 non-captive market
0.90 presence at noon to 1:00 p.m.
1.00 intensity for the month of December
Ratio = (.18) x (.551) x (.17) x (.90) x (1.00) x (.25)
= .02 spaces per 1,000 square feet
Total Gross Office Demand Ratio:
Ratio = 2.27 (employee) + 0.02 (visitor)
= 2.29 or 2.3 spaces per 1,000 square feet
In the Appendix (Table A-7) is a list of parking ratios used
nationally and the final ratio used for all land use types. The
primary ration such as retail, restaurant, financial, and
governmental were calculated similarly to the office use ration
shown above. Parking demand ratios for other land uses were
derived using data from the Shared Parking report published by the
Urban Land Institute, the Parking Generation Report published by
the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and Parking Allocation
Techniques, Record 395 published by the Highway Research Board.
This data was adjusted for local captive market and driving
percentages. Following is a summary of the parking ratios used for
this study. The ration are expressed as spaces per 1,000 square
feet GFA unless noted otherwise.
Retail 2.1
Office 2.3
Restaurant 1.3
Financial 2.0
Industrial 0.4
Government
City/County 3.9
State/Federal 3.0
Residential
Single-Family 0.8
Multi-Family 0.8
Elderly/Subsidized 0.4
Hotel
Rooms 0.2/unit
Meeting Rooms 1.3/1,000 sq ft
Convention 2.2/1,000 sq ft
Land Use Summary
Land use information was gathered and compiled for every building
in the Mile-Square for the "snap-shot in time" during January,
1987. The Indianapolis Business Journal was a major source for
square footage information. Discussions with property owners and
businesses determined the type of use. The breakdown of uses
within a building were identified in terms of the square footage
occupied. A total of 23,945,053 square feet of gross floor area
was identified. A 7.0% vacancy information was available.
Following is a breakdown of the major land uses:
Retail 1,769,729 7.4%
Office 8,801,392 36.8%
Restaurant 405,724 1.7%
Service 321,484 1.3%
Financial 81,599 0.3%
Ind'l/Storage 686,619 2.9%
Residential 1,369,078 6.7%
Units 1,617
Hotel 1,436,481 6.0%
Units 2,109
Government 2,227,700 9.3%
Miscellaneous 4,750,620 17.3%
Vacant 2,094,427 8.8%
TOTAL 23,945,053
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 13
Parking Demand Summary
By multiplying the ratios by the quantity of each land use present,
the existing parking demand for the Mile-Square is estimated to be
37,998 spaces for the land uses present as of January, 1987. The
average demand ratio for all land uses, excluding vacant space, is
1.74 spaces per 1,000 square feet GFA. This ratio is reasonable
compared to a range of average ratios of 1.3 to 3.0 per 1,000
square feet GFA as calculated by WALKER in recent years in a number
of other midwestern and western cities. A detailed analysis of the
parking demand by block and land use type can be found in the
Appendix (Table A-8).
This demand reflects average peak conditions--that is a busy day in
December but not the busiest possible day at all businesses. The
total demand equates to 106% occupancy of the parking supply
existing in January, 1987. During the occupancy studies the
average occupancy overall was around 90%. Those counts represent
January activity levels for the land uses present, while demand is
projected for December activity levels. Also, no events were
taking place at the Hoosier Dome/Convention Center or at Market
Square Arena at the time the data was collected. A typical daytime
event generates a parking demand for approximately 1,140 spaces.
Therefore, the demand projection is deemed reasonable.
Figure II-11 illustrates the density of different types of demand
(for example, office, retail, hotel etc.) within each zone.
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PARKING ADEQUACY
Parking adequacy is defined as the ability of the parking supply to
accommodate the parking demand. This is measured by comparing the
total parking demand to the "effective" parking supply. The Mile-
Square is estimated to have a deficit of 5,237 spaces as of
January, 1987. Some zones show large parking deficits indicating
localized parking shortages while others have a surplus of spaces.
It should be recognized that the deficit (or surplus) is a
comparison of the "effective" parking supply and demand solely
within that zone, without consideration of the use of the spaces on
or by neighboring zones. It is also important to note that many of
the surplus spaces are privately-owned for individual business's
employees and customers. Map II-4 highlights and compares the
existing parking demand and the "effective" parking supply.
Approximately 48% of this parking deficit is found in the two north
quadrants, 30% in the Southwest Quadrant, 21% in the State Capitol
Zone, and only 2% in the Southeast Quadrant.
A certain percentage of the total parking demand will be satisfied
outside of the study area. An analysis of both commercial and
privately-owned parking facilities located outside the Mile-Square
perimeter was conducted as part of the "Sub-Area" analysis to be
discussed later. Approximately 1,137 commercial and/or private
spaces were identified as being used by persons within the North
Quadrants. Another 1,726 spaces were identified as reserved for
state employees west of West Street. Two private lots east of the
Mile-Square provide 249 spaces. A new surface lot located south of
South Street at Senate Avenue provides 1,129 commercial spaces and,
for an additional fee, shuttle service into the Mile-Square is
available. However, because this lot has not yet reached capacity,
only 350 spaces, which reflects observed occupancy, have been
included in the analysis of the parking situation. A total of
3,249 perimeter spaces are therefore considered available to Mile-
Square parkers.
A deficit of 1,988 parking spaces still exists when perimeter
parking is included in the January analysis. However, it appears
that this is a portion of the cushion" of s aces required to
relieve the perception of a shortage of parking in the system.
That is, the parking system is saturated and, while available
spaces exists, they are difficult to find. In order to provide a
comfortable parking situation for all users, this " cushion" needs
to be incorporated into the system.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 14
Click HERE for graphic.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 15
As Figure II-12 illustrates, it is concluded that the greatest need
for additional spaces--1,897--is in the Northeast Quadrant. The
Southwest Quadrant also has a rather large effective deficit of
1,202 spaces which is primarily due to the retail area along
Illinois Street and Union Station. However, the Northwest Quadrant
shows a surplus of 308 spaces and the Southeast Quadrant shows a
surplus of 147 spaces. The State Capitol Zone has a surplus of 656
spaces which is not available for any other users.
Click HERE for graphic.
A detailed analysis of the existing parking adequacy by block is
included in the Appendix (Table A-9).
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PARKING CONDITIONS, AUGUST 1987
As of August 1987, approximately 3,400 more spaces have become
available for use. Table II-1 summarizes the changes in supply.
Approximately 88.0% of these spaces are for commercial use.
With the addition of the new spaces, a marked shift from an overall
deficit (January 1987) to an overall surplus (August 1987) is
apparent. In terms of "effective" supply, 2,857 spaces have been
added to the parking system. The Southwest Quadrant gained 1,998
spaces but only had an increase in demand of 267 spaces. The
opening of the Pan Am Plaza Garage thus appears to have eased
parking problems in the Southwest Quadrant, but substantial
development is underway in this quadrant that will absorb the
surplus in the near future. Denison's new 884 space garage on
Illinois Street is located in the Northwest Quadrant, but will also
serve the Northeast Quadrant which has a very large deficit. It is
reported that many of the spaces in this facility have been pre-
leased by developments in the area that are under construction but
not yet com-
January 1987
Effective January Available Adjusted
Parking Parking Parking Perimeter Parking
Supply Demand Adequacy Parking Adequacy
NORTHEAST 7,827 10,448 (2,621) 724 (1,897)
NORTHWEST 7,782 7,674 108 200 * 308
STATE CAPITOL 2,483 3,553 (1,070) 1,726 656
SOUTHWEST 4,921 6,473 (1,552) 350 (1,202)
SOUTHEAST 9,748 9,849 (102) 249 147
TOTAL 32,760 37,998 (5,237) 3,249 (1,988)
August 1987
Effective August Available Adjusted
Parking Parking Parking Perimeter Parking
Supply Demand Adequacy Parking Adequacy
NORTHEAST 7,827 10,448 (2,621) 724 (1,897)
NORTHWEST 8,578 7,674 904 200 * 1,104
STATE CAPITOL 2,221 3,553 (1,332) 1,726 394
SOUTHWEST 6,919 6,741 178 350 (1,202)
SOUTHEAST 10,073 9,849 223 249 147
TOTAL 35,617 38,265 (2,648) 3,249 601
* Approximately 200 of the 458 commercial spaces in the Meridian
Corridor area north of the Mile-Square business.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 16
pleted. Therefore, the improved parking conditions existing in
August of 1987 are expected to be relatively short-lived.
The comparison of parking conditions in January and August of 1987
is particularly instructive in that it illustrates the fluctuations
that occur when large projects "come on stream", especially with
the strong development climate in the Mile-Square. The opening of
two major parking facilities has substantially shifted the
supply/demand balance. The opening and occupancy of several
demand-generating projects now under construction will cause the
balance to shift again. It is therefore important to project what
conditions would exist if and when all currently proposed projects
are completed and occupied. This will give a more accurate
understanding of whether or not the private sector is keeping up
with the growth in demand generated by development in the Mile-
Square than either of the "snapshots" taken in 1987.
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 17
MILE-SQUARE FUTURE PARKING CONDITIONS
In order to determine the future parking needs in the Mile-Square
it is necessary to consider the many proposed development projects
and their impact on the parking supply and demand. A number of
developments are already under construction, while others appear
likely to occur in the next few years. Following is a brief
description of the projects which are presumed to be in place by
1992. A 7% vacancy rate will be applied to all new office
development in the Mile-Square.
Block 9: The Kuhn House is currently under renovation; 6500 square
feet of office space will be provided upon completion.
Block 12b: This entire block has been vacated for a new
residential project known as the Canal Overlook. Approximately 121
apartments are to be constructed and a 141 space parking garage is
planned.
Block 17: An additional 45,000 square feet of office space is
being added on this block as well as the renovation of 55,000
square feet of vacant space for office use. An 80 space private
lot on Delaware will be forfeited for a 350 car commercial garage.
Block 19b: Lockerbie Inn will provide 10 new housing units on this
block.
Block 26: Denison is constructing a 884 space commercial garage on
Illinois Street.
Block 29: The Canal Commons project on this block includes a hotel
with 225 rooms; an apartment complex with 216 apartments; and
28,000 square feet of retail space as well as a 500 space parking
garage. A 320 space commercial lot will be displaced. The Emilie
Building is currently being renovated; 13,480 square feet of office
proposed with approximately 6,740 square feet of retail on the
first floor.
Block 30: Land has been cleared on this block for the Sycamore
Group project. Approximately 50,000 square feet of retail space,
352 apartments and a 1,500 space parking garage is proposed; 96
state employee parking spaces will be displaced at this location.
Block 33: The State of Indiana has plans for a new judicial
building on this block including an underground garage with
approximately 1,000 parking spaces. However, this project will
displace 552 existing parking spaces and an existing building.
Block 44: Construction of the First Indiana Building on this block
is already in progress. This new facility will house approximately
400,000 square feet of office space, 16,000 square feet of retail
space, and 9,000 square feet of restaurant. A 400 space commercial
garage is also part of this development.
Block 45: Construction of the Bank One Tower is expected to begin
in the near future. This new facility will house approximately 1.3
million square feet of office space and a 700 space parking garage.
Block 46: The new Market Tower will provide approximately 500,000
square feet of office space and 75,000 square feet of retail. A
150 space parking garage is also proposed.
Block 47: The new 101 West development on this block will house
259,000 square feet of office space, 1000 square feet of retail,
3000 square feet of restaurant, and 34,000 square feet of auxiliary
and storage areas.
Block 51: The State of Indiana has proposed a new 600,000 square
foot State Office Building on this block which will displace 68
parking spaces. It should be noted that the State plans to
consolidate its agencies now located outside the State Capitol Zone
but not necessarily outside the Mile-Square. Therefore, as the
agencies relocated, other facilities in the Mile-Square will be
available for new tenants or redevelopment.
Block 54: This block is part of the proposed Circle Centre Mall
Project, planned by Melvin Simon and Associates. All existing
buildings will remain and 170,000 square feet of office will be
added to Block's Building.
Block 55: The Circle Centre Mall will radically change this block.
Three buildings will remain. Retail, office, restaurant, and
vacant space will be replaced by 225,000 square feet of retail
space, 160,000 square feet of office, and 15,000 square feet of
restaurant/entertainment. Approximately 557 parking spaces will be
provided in an underground parking facility that will span four
blocks; 38 private parking spaces will be lost. Block 56: A 42-
story apartment building, known as Symphony Towers, will be erected
on this block. Nine floors of parking will provide approximately
766 parking spaces for 401 apartments and 18,095 square feet of
retail space.
Block 66: The Circle Centre Mall will also dominate this block.
Ayres' buildings and two others will remain; other retail and some
vacant space will be replaced by 256,700 square feet of retail
space, 600,000 square feet of office, and 19,300 square feet of
restaurant/entertainment. Approximately 1,026 parking spaces will
be provided in the underground parking facility on this block but
110 private parking spaces will be displaced.
Block 67: Approximately 16,000 square feet of retail space will be
constructed to connect Merchants Plaza with the Circle Centre Mall.
The parking supply is projected to decrease by approximately 28
spaces.
Block 68: The new Westin Hotel is expected to have 600 rooms and a
1,070 space parking garage.
Block 70: The State of Indiana has proposed a 3,000 space parking
facility on this block. The garage will cover approximately 85% of
the block leaving the remaining land for future development. This
garage will displace 262 existing state employee parking spaces.
Block 74: Two parking garages, housing 662 spaces, will be
demolished and replaced by 200,000 square feet of office, 49,300
square feet of retail, 300 hotel rooms, 120 apartments, a 1,400
seat theater, and 2.013 underground parking spaces as part of the
Circle Centre Mall.
Block 75: Two vacant buildings on Maryland will be untouched by
the Mall Project. The Cantebury Hotel and other buildings on
Illinois will also remain. Other office and restaurant space will
be replaced by 200,000 square feet of office space, 205,900 square
feet
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 18
of restaurant/entertainment, and 500 additional hotel rooms.
Approximately 1,535 parking spaces will be provided in the
underground parking facility; 760 parking spaces, both private and
commercial will be displaced.
Block 77: A 400 space parking garage has been demolished and is
being replaced by a new 700 space facility; 550 spaces will be
reserved for Jefferson National Bank employees.
Block 88: Pan Am Plaza, now under construction, will provide
125,00 square feet of office space and an 1,150 space parking
garage that became available for use in April, 1987.
Perimeter: The State of Indiana has indicated that plans have been
made to relinquish all of its perimeter parking, 1,726 spaces west
of West Street, upon completion of their new garages.
Other projects are proposed for development and construction in the
long-term future but in some cases in very limited detail. The
impact of these projects has not been included.
FUTURE LAND USE SUMMARY
The proposed projects will add substantially to the quantities of
land uses present in the Mile-Square. Following is a summary of
the changes in major land uses categories.
Retail 2,303,235 +30.1%
Office 12,474,552 +41.7%
Restaurant 619,424 +52.7%
Service 372,884 +16.0%
Financial 84,599 +3.7%
Ind'l/Storage 694,536 +1.2%
Residential 1,937,323 +41.5%
Units 2,838
Hotel 1,586,481 +10.4%
Units 3,734
Government 3,157,700 +41.7%
Miscellaneous 4,631,688 -2.5%
Vacant 1,949,600 -6.9%
TOTAL 29,812,022 +24.5%
PROJECTED PARKING SUPPLY, 1992
The previously listed projects will result in a total future
parking supply of 49,309 spaces, a net gain of 13,364 spaces by
1992. The breakdown of spaces is shown in Figure III-1.
The on-street supply is not expected to change substantially; if
anything, spaces are occasionally removed for traffic control
reasons or at the request of the developer of a major project.
Therefore, as the total supply increases, on-street parking will
become a smaller proportion of the total--5.6% compared to 7.7% as
of January 1987. The state's construction program will add a
substantial number of spaces within the Mile-Square, increasing the
percentage of total supply from 7.5% to 11.2%. It should be noted
however that the state will give up approximately 1,700 spaces that
it now uses to the west of the Mile-Square. Minor adjustments in
proportion of total supply will also occur in the other two primary
categories. Commercial parking facilities will increase from 53.6%
of the supply to 57.7% while private parking will decrease from
30.2% to 25.5%.
Click HERE for graphic.
As before, this supply must be adjusted to reflect the 10% to 15%
"cushion" needed for a parking area to operate at optimum
efficiency levels. Therefore, the projected "effective" parking
supply is 45,131 spaces. Map III-1 illustrates the projected
effective parking supply by block and resulting quadrant totals.
For further details, see Table A-10 in the Appendix.
PROJECTED PARKING DEMAND, 1992
Figure III-2 depicts parking demand with both committed and
proposed new projects in place. All parking ratios, except one,
used to calculate current parking demand have been employed to
calculate future demand. For the Circle Centre Mall only, the
retail parking demand ratio has been adjusted for a much lower
captive market, 30% compared to 50%. A key factor to the success
of this project is to broaden the market area and develop the mall
as "destination" shopping
in strong competition with suburban malls. The resulting ratio 2.8
spaces per 1000 square feet GFA of retail space.
As shown in Table III-1, the parking demand is expected to increase
to varying degrees in all quadrants and zones. The Northeast
Quadrant is expected to
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 19
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Walker Parking Consultants
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have an increase in parking demand of 3,902 spaces (37%) by 1992,
due primarily to new office development and secondly, housing
development. An increase in parking demand of 2,629 spaces (34%)
is projected for the Northwest Quadrant by 1992 due primarily to
new housing development and some office and retail development.
The State Capitol Zone is expected to experience an increase in
parking demand of 2,399 spaces (68%) by 1992. The Circle Centre
Mall will have a greater impact than any other single development
in the Mile-Square. Parking demand in the Southwest Quadrant is
projected to increase by 5.319 spaces (82%) primarily due to this
project. In the Southeast Quadrant, the parking demand is
projected to increase by only 378 spaces (4%).
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A total increase in parking demand of 14,626 is projected resulting
in a total parking demand within the Mile-Square of 52,624 spaces
(an overall increase of 39%) by 1992 (see Table A-11 in the
Appendix).
PROJECTED PARKING ADEQUACY, 1992
It must be recognized that projections for future parking demand
have been based on some committed projects and some optimistic but
likely developments for 1992. As shown in Table III-1, the overall
parking deficit is projected to increase to 7,493 spaces by 1992.
A detailed analysis of the future parking conditions by block can
be found in the Appendix (Table A-12).
The January 1987 effective parking deficit in the Northeast
Quadrant is projected to increase from 2,621 spaces to 5,279 by
1992. The Northwest Quadrant parking surplus is projected to drop
from a surplus of 108 spaces to a deficit of 964 spaces by 1992.
The State Capitol Zone is projected to accommodate most of its
expected growth, decreasing its parking deficit to 348
Table III-1: Future Parking Conditions, 1992
1987
Effective Existing Available Adjusted
Parking Parking Parking Perimeter Parking
Supply Demand Adequacy Parking Adequacy
NORTH EAST 7,827 10,448 (2,621) 724 (1,897)
NORTH WEST 7,782 7,674 108 200* 308
STATE CAPITOL 2,483 3,553 (1,070) 1,726 656
SOUTH WEST 4,921 6,473 (1,552) 350 (1,202)
SOUTH EAST 9,748 9,849 (102) 249 147
TOTAL 32,760 37,998 (5,237) 3,249 (1,988)
1992
Effective Future AvailableAdjusted
Parking Parking Parking PerimeterParking
Supply Demand Adequacy Parking Adequacy
NORTH EAST 9,072 14,350 (5,279) 724 (4,555)
NORTH WEST 9,340 10,303 (964) 200* (764)
STATE CAPITOL 5,605 5,952 (348) 0 (348)
SOUTH WEST 10,100 11,792 (1,692) 1,129 (563)
SOUTH EAST 11,016 10,227 789 249 1,038
TOTAL 45,131 52,624 (7,493) 2,302 (5,191)
* Approximately 200 of the 458 commercial spaces in the Meridian
Corridor area north of the Mile-Square are available for Mile-
Square business.
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1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 21
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Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 22
spaces by 1992. Although over 5,000 spaces will be added to the
parking supply in the Southwest Quadrant, new development will fill
the spaces as fast as they are built. The parking deficit in this
quadrant is estimated to increase from 1,552 spaces to 1,692 spaces
by 1992. The 102 space parking deficit in the Southeast Quadrant
is expected to change to a significant surplus of 789 spaces. Map
III-2 illustrates the future parking supply, demand and adequacy by
block.
Also shown in Table III-1 is the adequacy of the parking system
when perimeter parking is included in the analysis. The full
capacity of the shuttle lot south of South Street has been included
for this analysis. A deficit of 5,191 parking spaces still would
exist under the assumption herein. This is in comparison to the
January 1987 adjusted deficit of 1,988 spaces and the August 1987
surplus of 601 spaces. Figure III-3 summarizes the conditions by
quadrant.
Click HERE for graphic.
It appears that some attempt has been made to provide adequate
parking for future development projects, particularly for retail,
residential, and hotel uses. However, parking is not being
provided at an adequate rate for office developments, and a
substantial parking deficit will occur. Figure III-4 illustrates
that the parking supply and the parking demand are expected to
diverge at an increasing rate over the next few years.
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The private sector's response to the growing market may not be
fully reflected in this picture. It is likely that deficits such
as those projected for 1992 would cause market rates for parking to
rise, which in turn would encourage the development of more
parking. It is also possible that economic development would be
discouraged if not halted without new, convenient, and affordable
parking.
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1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 23
SUB-AREA ANALYSIS
It has been apparent throughout this study that many parkers were
crossing the Mile-Square boundaries. Therefore, a more complete
understanding of the parking needs of the Mile-Square requires that
the following sub-areas also be taken into consideration: The Mile-
Square Fringe Area, the Meridian Street Corridor, the Historic
Neighborhoods, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
(IUPUI), White River Park, and the Hoosier Dome/Convention Center.
These sub-areas were chosen to represent the sections of the
Regional Center that have the greatest interaction with the Mile-
Square and are shown in Map 1-1 (Introduction Section).
A numbering system was developed to assist in the
identification/coding of blocks. Specifically, this involved
dividing the Regional Center into zones which were both
geographically and logically meaningful. A map designating both
the location and code of each block is included in the Appendix
(p.A-29).
MILE-SQUARE FRINGE AREA
The Mile-Square Fringe Area, as shown in Map IV-1, is defined as
the two-block wide perimeter of the Mile-Square. This area
contains a number of commercial and private parking facilities
which have been identified as being primarily used by businesses
inside the Mile-Square. It was noted in the analysis of parking
adequacy in the Mile-Square that parkers were willing to walk a
distance of three to five blocks for a reasonably priced parking
space. However, field observations indicated that persons within
the Mile-Square were not walking more than two blocks past North,
South, East, or West Streets simply because no commercial parking
is available further out.
Map IV-1 shows the location of the lots used to satisfy part of the
demand generated from within the Mile-Square. It must be noted
that the parking demand for commercial spaces generated from
outside the Mile-Square must also be satisfied in these lots. A
total of 821 commercial spaces were identified north of North
Street; 458 of these spaces are in the Meridian Street Corridor.
Based on the demand analysis of the Corridor, only 200 of the
commercial spaces in the Corridor are available for use by
businesses within the Mile-Square for a total of 563 commercial
spaces north of North Street. Bank One provides a private employee
lot located just east of East Street (Block ES1) with 181 spaces.
Located on the same block, is a 68 space private lot used by the
Indiana Department of Education. A new surface lot located south
of South Street at Senate Avenue provides 1,129 commercial spaces;
for an additional fee, shuttle service into the Mile-Square is also
provided. However, utilization of this lot has been noticeably low
possibly due to influx of new spaces in the Southwest Quadrant in
the spring and summer of 1987.
Another 1,726 spaces were identified as reserved for state
employees west of West Street; however, the State of Indiana has
indicated that plans have been made to relinquish all of its
perimeter parking upon completion of its new garages. These lots
will be used as parking for White River Park or used for other park
development.
Observations of parking patterns in the fringe areas indicated that
parking is generally adequate for the uses present. Certain areas
that overlap with the fringe areas, however, have special needs
that merit a more detailed analysis herein.
MERIDIAN STREET CORRIDOR
The Meridian Street Corridor is a three block wide area running
from the north central boundary of the Mile-Square to 1-65 (see Map
I-1). Geographically, it is bounded by 12th Street Oust north of
I-65), North and Pennsylvania Streets, and Capitol Avenue. The
high volume of north/south commuter traffic that flows through the
Corridor has led to its partitioning by primary arterials.
Briefly, Meridian Street, a two-way arterial from which the
Corridor takes its name, conveys both morning and evening rush hour
traffic from the north and from the south respectively. The
remainder of the traffic is moved along one of three one-way
arterials: Capitol Avenue, morning traffic one-way south; Illinois
Street, evening traffic/one-way north; and Pennsylvania Street,
morning traffic/one-way south.
Parking Supply and Utilization
An inventory of all parking and land use within the Meridian Street
Corridor was conducted from June 15 to 25, 1987 by WALKER
personnel. Off-street park-
Walker Parking Consultants
1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 24
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1987 Regional Center Parking Study Page 25
ing one block east and west of the Meridian Street Corridor was
included whenever it was determined to be used by a business
located in the Corridor. Finally, for descriptive purposes, the
Corridor was subdivided into two parts--north and south of 9th
Street. This was done to reflect the fact that much of the
commercial parking south of 9th Street is used by persons inside
the Mile-Square.
Figure IV-1 illustrates the breakdown of the parking supply in the
Meridian Street Corridor. A total parking supply of 3,858 spaces
was identified. Off-street parking accounted for 86.8% of the
total parking supply. Private, off-street parking intended for
customers, employees, or business-related visitors of a specific
building or business accounts for 86.3% of the total off-street
parking supply. Commercial parking, available to the public for a
fee, accounts for the remaining 13.7%.
Click HERE for graphic.
In the area south of 9th Street, a total parking supply of 1,807
spaces was established. Of the 1,429 off-street parking spaces,
32.1% were identified as commercial, and 67.9% were identified as
reserved for private usage. The remaining spaces are located on-
street.
For analysis purposes, the blocks occupied by Landmark Center and
its related parking have been tallied separately from the area
north of 9th Street. Landmark Center provides 1,027 private
parking spaces in seven different lots on surrounding blocks.
(These include all or parts of the following blocks: NE19, NE26,
NE26, NE27, NE28, NF-29, NW17, and NW25.)
A parking supply of 1,017 spaces was found north of 9th Street
(excluding Landmark Center and its related parking). Of these,
88.1% were private off-street spaces and the remaining 11.9% were
on-street spaces. No identifiable commercial off-street parking
was found north of 9th Street.
As was discussed previously, a supply of parking operates most
efficiently at 85% to 90% occupancy. Therefore an "effective'
supply is used to analyze the adequacy of a parking system. The
same factors used for the Mile-Square were applied to the Meridian
Street Corridor parking supply for an "effective" supply of 3,096
spaces.
Parking occupancy of all off-street and on-street parking was
recorded once between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. during
the inventory process. As shown in Figure IV-2, an overall
occupancy of 70.4% was observed; 82.8% of the commercial off-
street, 72.0% of
the private off-street and 44.6% of the on-street spaces were full.
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When analyzed by area, it was found that south of 9th Street 70.1%
of the private spaces and 82.8% of the commercial spaces were
occupied. In comparison, Landmark Center's lots displayed an
overall occupancy of 80.2%, while the remaining private lots north
of 9th Street had only 65.8% observed occupancy. A more detailed
breakdown of the parking supply and utilization can be found in the
Appendix (Table A-13).
Land Use and Parking Demand
At present, the Meridian Street Corridor is zoned for 1987
Walker Parking Consultants
Regional Center Parking Study Page 26
Central Business District usage. Therefore the park ing ratios
developed for the Mile-Square (Table A-7) have been used to
determine parking demand. The principal land uses south of 9th
Street are: the American Legion, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the
Marion County Public Library, and Indiana Business College. The
unique mix of land use in this area generates a parking demand for
961 spaces.
The principal land uses north of 9th Street are office, storage,
and service. In addition, there are 553 residential units. By far
the major land occupant is the Landmark Center and its related
parking lots. Parking demand for the northern portion of the
Corridor is 1,522 spaces of which a demand for 660 spaces is
generated by Landmark Center. A more detailed analysis of the land
use and parking demand can be found in Table A-14 in the Appendix.
Click HERE for graphic.
In sum, the parking demand for the entire Meridian Street Corridor
is 2,483 spaces as reflected in Figure IV-3.
Parking Adequacy
As defined previously, parking adequacy is defined as the ability
of the parking supply to accommodate the parking demand. This is
measured by comparing the total parking demand to the "effective"
parking supply. Figure IV-4 shows the adequacy of the existing
parking system in the Meridian Street Corridor.
As can be seen, some areas display parking deficits indicating
localized shortages while others have a surplus of spaces. It
should be recognized that the surplus (or deficit) is a comparison
of the "effective" supply and demand solely within that area,
without
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consideration of the use of spaces on or by neighboring areas. It
is also important to note that many of the surplus spaces are
privately-owned for individual business' employees and customers.
This creates greater inefficiencies in utilization of the parking
supply than commercial facilities that serve multiple buildings.
Map IV-2 highlights and compares the existing demand for parking
and the "effective" parking supply. Table A-15 in the Appendix
lists parking adequacy by block for the Meridian Street Corridor.
It is worth noting that the Meridian Street Corridor is estimated
to have a current overall surplus of 612 spaces. When specific
locations within the Corridor are examined, the area south of 9th
Street was found to have an overall surplus of 571 spaces. The
parking demand for this area is 961 spaces, with an observed
occupancy of 1,164 cars. This would suggest that approximately 200
drivers who parked in the southern portion of the Meridian Street
Corridor were destined elsewhere (for example, the Mile-Square).
When the area north of 9th Street is examined, the Landmark Center
was found to have an effective supply of 777 spaces, providing it
