Downtown Parking Management Plan

In 2016, the City initiated the preparation of a comprehensive Downtown parking study in the form of a prepared Downtown Parking Management Plan ("Plan") for Downtown San Bruno. The City of San Bruno received a $110,000 grant to prepare the Plan from the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG), funded through the Priority Development Area Parking Policy Technical Assistance Program. This Plan served to implement the City's General Plan (2009) and Transit Corridors Plan (TCP) and to support the City Council's on-going efforts and interests in development and revitalization of San Bruno's Downtown while respecting the existing residential neighborhoods and parking demand in the City. It is anticipated that significant changes in parking demand and needs will occur over time resulting from new development allowed in the Transit Corridors Plan.

The Plan identifies appropriate supply, distribution and management of parking within the Downtown to meet current and future parking demands and minimize spillover into residential areas. The Plan projects future parking demand based on build out projections of the TCP, which anticipated that the increased densities allowed by the TCP will result in changing parking needs. It identifies parking strategies to meet parking needs in the near-term, medium-term and long-term timeframes, and recommends priorities based on the input of decision makers, stakeholders, and City staff.

The study area for the Plan includes the portion of San Bruno from San Mateo Avenue between Walnut Street to the north and El Camino Real and Taylor Avenue to the south, including two to three blocks to the east and west of this corridor.

A highlight of the key items in the plan include:

Existing Conditions

The existing conditions analysis included an occupancy and duration survey of parked vehicles within the study area, to establish a baseline understanding of current parking conditions. Overall, the study finds that parking facilities near San Mateo Avenue are well used during the day on both weekdays and weekends, while the residential street blocks are more heavily used in the evenings and overnight, with total overnight parking occupancy close to capacity. In certain instances, individual blocks were observed to be exceeding the capacity of spaces on those blocks. A detailed analysis of occupancy and duration by time of day and location, along with the methodology for data collection, are described in the Plan.

Specifically, the Plan finds:

  • On-street parking on San Mateo Avenue is heavily used during the weekday midday, but other areas are well below capacity at this time. On the weekend, midday parking occupancy is heavier and is sustained throughout the afternoon along both San Mateo Avenue and nearby side streets
  • Off-street parking supply experiences extended periods of occupancies above the 85% practical capacity level on both the weekdays and weekends
  • In the evening on both weekdays and weekends, including the overnight count, off-street parking in residential areas is near or over capacity, implying that there is very high demand for residential parking
  • Public off-street facilities are less well-used during the day, when primarily employees and short-term visitors are in the area. On the weekend, they are well used by visitors who are staying for longer durations or are possibly less familiar with parking options in the area
  • Vehicles on San Mateo Avenue tend to stay for longer durations on weekends than on weekdays, with many vehicles exceeding the 2-hour time limits on the weekend

Parking Management Strategy Recommendations

A set of phased parking management recommendations were developed to manage the high afternoon and evening parking demand, help users find and use available parking, improve parking availability for residents, and potentially increase the parking supply. Specifically, this Plan recommends that the City:

  • Adjust enforcement hours to better manage the heavy-use evening period
  • Adjust time restrictions, primarily to convert 5-hour spaces to 10-hour spaces for employee use
  • Install improved signage to help drivers locate available parking
  • Improve parking lot maintenance and security
  • Explore temporary use of the Sylvan Avenue Caltrain Station as additional public parking
  • Explore converting parallel parking on San Mateo Avenue to diagonal parking to increase capacity
  • Install parking meters on San Mateo Avenue to encourage short-term parking and direct long-term parkers into lots
  • Formalize overnight parking arrangements in public lots to increase supply available to residents
  • Begin process of planning and securing funds for a parking garage

Parking Plan

The Downtown Parking Management Plan (PDF) was accepted by the City Council on January 22, 2019. Implementation of key strategies is underway or being studied further.