Signs went live today on e-Park, a new parking guidance system designed to improve the overall downtown experience. The program makes it easier for people coming downtown to shop, visit the doctor, or have dinner and a night out.
With the help of six parking garage partners and the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA), Mayor Mike McGinn flipped a giant switch to kick off e-Park. The system is a proactive effort to address upcoming changes in on-street parking spaces as a result of Alaskan Way Viaduct and seawall construction projects. e-Park is a program to help meet City goals of moving people and goods and contributing to vibrant neighborhoods. By improving information available to short-term parkers and helping them quickly find a space, e-Park makes it easier for people to visit our city, whether for business or pleasure. It also helps reduce congestion and pollution caused by motorists circling for parking.
“This new program will make it easier for people visiting downtown to park and enjoy all of the great things our city has to offer,” said Mayor Mike McGinn.
At key entrance points, dynamic and static e-Park signs will guide customers and visitors toward participating garages. The signs tell drivers how many spaces are available in each garage. Parking customers can also plan ahead by going to www.seattle.gov/epark and getting more information from new online, interactive citywide Seattle Parking Map. The map includes e-Park space availability, displays on-street parking information and garage and lot locations, rates, and hours of operation.
Six garages, participating in phase one of e-Park, are the Washington Athletic Club (WAC), Convention Center, Pacific Place, Puget Sound Plaza/Cobb Building, Pike Place Market and 3rd and Stewart. Collectively, these six garages have over 4,500 parking spaces. Parking rates for those spaces are determined by the individual garages.
“We’re always excited when the City and downtown businesses come together to create innovative programs like e-Park,” said Kate Joncas, president of the Downtown Seattle Association. “Accessible short-term parking is key to downtown’s transportation and economic infrastructures, and e-Park makes it easier than ever to find quick parking solutions in the downtown core.”
e-Park will be expanded into Pioneer Square and the Central Waterfront area in 2011 and 2012. The program is funded by the City of Seattle and Washington State Department of Transportation.
The e-Park guidance system is part of a larger strategy which includes working with employers to offer programs that support employees walking, biking, riding transit or carpooling to free up more off-street parking for short-term uses like shopping or doctor appointments.
Project website: www.seattle.gov/epark
For more information: Dawn Schellenberg, (206) 684-5189, dawn.schellenberg@seattle.gov
Media contact: Richard Sheridan, (206) 684-8540, richard.sheridan@seattle.gov
