The Parma Targeted Parking and Transportation Analysis involves a focused review and analysis of parking along three business corridors within the City of Parma.
Parma Targeted Parking & Corridor Analysis
The Parma Targeted Parking & Corridor Analysis provides a review of available data, land use and zoning information, a parking inventory, a parking utilization analysis, and a set of recommendations.
Background
Older commercial sections on State, Pearl, and Ridge Roads in Parma were built during a time when there was less dependence on cars. Small, independently owned shops catered to the daily needs of the surrounding residential community and patronage predominantly occurred via pedestrian trips. As such, commercial parcels along these corridors are smaller, with shops oriented closer to the street and smaller parking areas compared to newer commercial areas built to accommodate automobiles.
Now that our society is more auto centric, some areas along these corridors face challenges to accommodate patrons using all manners of transportation. However, these traditional commercial areas on State, Pearl, and Ridge Roads also continue to contribute to the overall charm, character, and distinct identity of the Parma community.
In response to both parking pressures and the desire to sustain the character of these commercial corridors and the businesses located there, the City of Parma has contracted with County Planning to conduct a Targeted Parking and Transportation Analysis along these sections of State, Pearl and Ridge Roads.
This Analysis will document all available spaces along these corridors and identify how these spaces are being used. This information, along with an analysis of Parma’s zoning code as it relates to parking and feedback from city staff, officials, and the public, will inform the development of potential solutions to improve the overall experience of working, living, and visiting these areas.
Process
The Parma Targeted Parking and Transportation Analysis began in October 2021. Work has been divided into five tasks:
Parking Availability
An inventory on how many on- and off- street parking spaces exist in the target areas and the restrictions on the use of those spaces. In addition to the number of on- and off- street parking spaces, additional information gathered will include lot size, lot frontage, building footprint, impervious surface, and daily traffic counts.
Parking Utilization
A series of walking surveys to document parking utilization on each of the corridors on a ‘typical day’. Surveys will be conducted at regular intervals across weekdays and weekends to determine customer and residential parking demands, rush hour and off-peak parking demands. County Planning staff will also investigate corridor capacity and design of the streets to determine potential places for on-street parking, and well as transit ridership and resources along these corridors.
Regulation Review
A review of Parma’s zoning regulations that relate to parking and working with Parma staff to understand additional regulations that may exist beyond the zoning code. Regulation review will be used to understand how updates to parking requirements and other transportation solutions can not only help foster efficient parking design, but also help sustain and foster new economic and social investment along these corridors. These regulations will be compared to other local parking regulations as well as regional and national trends in parking requirements.
Recommendations
Using the information gathered from the analysis described above, County Planning will recommend a series of updates to the City’s parking requirements and will furthermore prepare a transportation strategy for the corridors. All recommendations and strategies will be presented to the City for review and feedback.
Final Document
Once all proposed regulation updates and elements of the transportation strategy are approved by the City, County Planning staff will prepare a final Corridor Transportation Strategy document for the City. The document will guide the future decisions regarding development, road investment, and transit in these corridors.
Contact Us
We welcome and encourage your questions, comments, and feedback about the Parma Targeted Parking Analysis. Please contact our project team with your thoughts:
Meghan Chaney
Senior Planner
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission
mchaney@cuyahogacounty.us