Chronic parking constraints in historic Huntington Village prompted the town’s business community to pursue funding for a new, multimillion dollar parking garage. The town wanted an estimate on how soon parking fees would be able to pay off this expense.
Nelson\Nygaard pointed out that with on-street parking at just $0.25/hour, there was no demonstrated market for paid parking in Huntington, and thus no reliable means for determining what people would pay to use the new garage. Further, continuing to under-price these prime Village parking options would undermine demand for the new structure, at any price.
After studying the sufficiency of on- and off-street capacities to meet parking demand, Nelson\Nygaard recommended managing on-street spaces to relieve current parking frustrations. We suggested a tiered pricing system for on-street parking and shifting long-term and commuter demand into lots. Instead of a costly parking garage, we recommended low-cost investments in improved street crossings and more bike parking to meet a latent demand for better walking, cycling, and transit access to downtown.