Image Source: Diego Mazz/Unsplash

Evergreen Line Public Parking Management Strategy
In the spring of 2015, the City of Coquitlam embarked on a project to develop a strategy for managing public parking near the future Evergreen Line Stations.

Our team undertook inventory and parking demand surveys of over 8,000 on-street parking stalls within 800m walking distance of the future stations. We developed a GIS inventory with supply and parking demand information, researched best parking management practices, forecasted the potential commuter demand overlay at each station, and developed a parking strategy.

Kamloops Parking Management Study
The City of Kamloops’ comprehensive and effective Parking Management Study supports the development of vibrant, growing, and attractive destinations for shopping, working, living, recreating, and entertaining in the City’s Downtown and Tranquille Corridor on the North Shore.

When developing the plan, our team considered the inter-relationships between several factors, such as parking supply and demand, parking utilization, off-street and curbside parking management, and parking policies.

Vancouver Parking Bylaw Update
The Vancouver Parking Bylaw is a frequently referenced resource used to guide the transportation assessments of infrastructure projects in the City.

Our team conducted travel and parking behaviour surveys, developed recommended parking supply rates, researched developments with zero on-site parking, and investigated supply rates and dimensions for accessible parking. Our work led to substantial updates to the Parking Bylaw, including a Transportation Demand Management policy and removing minimum parking requirements for developments in Downtown Vancouver. Subsequently, the City also introduced accessible parking standards for accessible vans.

Spruce Grove City Centre Parking Management Plan
The City of Spruce Grove is investing in the City Centre’s revitalization as a focal point of the city. As part of implementing the area’s Redevelopment Plan, the city sought a Parking Management Plan to support the area’s short- and long-term parking requirements.

Our team gained a thorough insight into current conditions and limitations/opportunities related to future conditions and recommended specific improvements and supporting strategies. The plan will allow the City to determine appropriate responses to current and future parking considerations affecting parking across the City Centre.

The Orange Hub Intercultural & Inter-Agency Hub Parking Impact Assessment
The Orange Hub was redeveloped from a single-tenant building to a multi-tenant intercultural and inter-agency hub. Due to those changes, the City of Edmonton needed a Parking Impact Assessment to determine the appropriate amount of off-street parking for the building.

Our team estimated the parking demand based on parking demands generated by existing tenants, future tenants, and activities within rental spaces. We also recommended parking strategies to prevent any new parking facility from becoming a park-and-ride lot and discourage long-term parkers’ use of adjacent streets.

Image Source: RNDSQR & FAAS

Missing Middle Housing Right-Sizing Parking Supply
Missing middle housing is a range of housing types that bridge the gap between single-family homes and large-scale apartment buildings. Examples of missing middle housing include rowhouses, courtyard apartments, bungalow courts, and small-scale apartment buildings.

Our team advocated for parking reductions required to accommodate 33 missing middle housing projects in Calgary comprising 445 residential units. Due to our work, City Council directed Administration to change the Land Use Bylaw to support missing middle housing developments. These updates have resulted in a significant increase in missing middle housing projects.

Image Source: RNDSQR

Flyover Block Zero Parking Study
Flyover Block is a mixed-use development located at 634 McDougall Road NE in Calgary and adjacent to the 4 Avenue Centre City flyover. The building has 65 zero parking multi-family units and ground-floor commercial space.

Our team identified the off-site impact of the site’s bylaw variance. We evaluated the appropriateness of zero residential parking, identified Transportation Demand Management measures to support active transportation, and provided necessary parking mitigation measures.

Image Source: Strategic Group

Barron Building Conversion Parking Study
The Barron Building is a mixed-use residential conversion that will include 118 residential rental units and street-level retail. Constructed in 1949, the office building had zero on-site parking, a significant bylaw parking variance would occur with the conversion.

Our team’s findings supported the limited parking supply because the area offers significant active transportation and off-site parking opportunities. Upon reviewing our Parking Study, City Council approved the required rezoning for building conversion.

Image Source: Ivanhoe Cambridge

Premium Outlet Collection, Edmonton International Airport – Traffic & Parking Accommodation Strategy & Special Event Management Plan
The Grand Opening week of the Premium Outlet Collection Edmonton International Airport was a significant event that saw 118,000 patrons and 40,000 vehicles entering and exiting the site on opening day.

Our team developed a comprehensive plan that addressed anticipated traffic and parking congestion to ensure that traffic was proactively managed and controlled. Our work minimized the impacts on the surrounding transportation infrastructure, developments, and airport operations.

East Village Condominium Zero Parking Study
The N3 project (New Attitude, New Living, New Vision) is a ‘car-less condo’ for a new generation of young urbanites in the East Village community of Calgary.  This was the first “Zero Parking” residential project in the City of Calgary.

Our team conducted a research/literature review and parking analysis to determine the feasibility and impact of not supplying parking stalls on-site for residents and visitors. The resulting study obtained City Council approval and paved the way for changes in the City land use bylaw related to parking supply for inner city residential projects.

Image Source: Flickr/Ted McGrath

Telus Sky Transportation & Parking Study
Telus Sky is a 60-storey building in downtown Calgary incorporating a blend of office, retail and residential. The building’s location next to an existing LRT station provided an opportunity for significant reductions in parking supply ratios, which in turn resulted in reduced traffic volumes.

Our team worked with the City of Calgary to achieve a balanced parking allocation amongst users to ensure that appropriate parking supply is available during peak demand periods. One significant outcome of our Transportation and Parking Study was the successful application of a 30% reduction in residential parking supply. This led to other large mixed-use developments in the downtown core to pursue similar outcomes.