Central Atlanta ProgressParking Survey

November 2013

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Methodology

❖ Web survey of 400 metro Atlanta residents in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties

❖ Topics included:

❖ Reasons for coming/not coming Downtown

❖ Parking preferences

❖ Ratings for various aspects of Downtown parking

❖ Fielded October 2013

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All Residents

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On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the safety of each of the following? A 1 means you think it is not safe at all, and

a 10 means you believe it is very safe.

Downtown in general

Public parking garages Downtown

Street-level lots Downtown

On-street parking Downtown

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4.9

5.3

5.7

5.1

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Some leaders in Downtown are considering developing a standard brand for much of the public parking in Downtown. Many lots, garages, and on-street parking would be marked with the same consistent signage throughout Downtown, and there would be more accurate maps

available for parking. In your opinion, how helpful would an initiative like this be?

21%

37%

41%Extremely helpfulVery helpfulSomewhat helpfulNot helpful at all

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Do you live, work, or go to school in Downtown Atlanta? (select all that apply)

Yes, live there

Yes, work there

Yes, go to school there

No

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

73%

4%

22%

5%

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(if does not live, work, or go to school Downtown) How often do you go to Downtown Atlanta?

3%16%

35%

37%

10%

Several times a weekSeveral times a monthSeveral times a yearAbout once a year or lessNever

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Residents Who Rarely or Never Go Downtown

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(if goes Downtown once a year or less)

Below are a few reasons why someone might not go to Downtown Atlanta. Please indicate if each one plays a major role, a minor role, or no role at all

in your decision not to go Downtown.

Too much traffic

Parking Downtown is too expensive

It is not safe to park a car Downtown

Downtown does not feel safe in general

Too difficult to find any public parking in general

Too difficult to find parking near my destination

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

15%

17%

17%

23%

15%

10%

44%

39%

37%

30%

26%

26%

41%

44%

46%

47%

59%

64%

Major role Minor role No role at all

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(if goes Downtown once a year or less)

Below are a few reasons why someone might not go to Downtown Atlanta. Please indicate if each one plays a major role, a minor role, or no role at all

in your decision not to go Downtown. (continued)

Getting around inside Downtown is too difficult

Cars receive parking tickets too quickly

Cars are booted or towed too quickly

Nothing there interests me

Not enough signs to lots or garages

Too difficult to get there with public transit

Too far away

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

35%

51%

31%

36%

30%

30%

24%

45%

22%

37%

28%

31%

29%

33%

21%

28%

32%

36%

39%

41%

43%

Major role Minor role No role at all

10

Residents Who EverGo Downtown

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What are the main reasons you tend to go Downtown?(select all that apply)

Attractions

Special events

Dining

Sporting events

Work there

Work-related events

Conferences

Go to school there

Live there

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

4%

5%

12%

22%

23%

46%

49%

57%

60%

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When you go Downtown, how long do you typically stay?

4%

27%

46%

20%

3%

Less than an hour1-2 hours3-4 hours5-10 hoursMore than 10 hours

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How do you normally get to and from Downtown?

15%

20%63%

Drive aloneCarpoolMARTA trainMARTA busWalk

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(if does not typically drive alone to Downtown) Below are few reasons why someone might not drive to and from Downtown Atlanta. Please indicate if each one plays a major role, a minor role, or no

role at all in your decision not to drive to and from Downtown.

Too much traffic on the way

Parking Downtown is too expensive

Parking too difficult – hard to find a place

Getting around in Downtown is too difficult

Parking too difficult – some other reason

Driving Downtown is too expensive

No access to a car

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

81%

48%

47%

21%

16%

16%

16%

6%

37%

31%

41%

37%

33%

30%

13%

15%

22%

38%

48%

50%

54%

Major role Minor role No role at all

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(if does not typically drive alone to Downtown)

Do you ever drive to Downtown Atlanta?

15%

85%

YesNo

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(if does not typically ride MARTA bus or train to Downtown) Below are few reasons why someone might not use MARTA buses or trains to get to and from Downtown Atlanta. Please indicate if each one plays a major role, a minor

role, or no role at all in your decision not to ride MARTA to and from Downtown.

Not convenient to where you live

Takes too long

Safety concerns

Cleanliness

Too expensive

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

65%

30%

30%

29%

21%

28%

47%

38%

38%

20%

7%

23%

32%

33%

59%

Major role Minor role No role at all

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When you are Downtown, how do you normally get to other destinations in the Downtown area?

(select all that apply)

Walk

Drive

MARTA train

MARTA bus

Bicycle

Don’t usually need to

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

16%

1%

4%

14%

53%

64%

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Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about

the cost of parking in Downtown Atlanta.

deal

expect

expensive

not an issus

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

26%

25%

11%

9%

30%

30%

26%

19%

30%

25%

45%

51%

11%

15%

13%

19%

Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagreeStrongly disagree Not sure

The price of parking is high, but it is just something I deal with when I am Downtown

For a city like Atlanta, the price of parking is about what I would expect

The price of parking is too expensive, and sometimes I don’t go Downtown

because of the cost of parking

The cost of parking in Downtown is not really an issue for me

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How familiar are you with PARKatlanta?

55%33%

12%

Very familiarSomewhat familiarNot familiar at all

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(asked of all respondents – those unfamiliar with PARKatlanta were provided a description) On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the job that

PARKatlanta does? A 1 means you think they do a poor job, and a 10 means you believe they do an excellent job.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4.7

21

Residents Who Ever Drive Downtown

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When you go Downtown, do you typically know ahead of time where you are going to park, or do you just

look for parking when you get there?

5%

16%

30%33%

16%

Know ahead of time – alwaysKnow ahead of time – usuallySometimes know ahead of time, sometimes look when get thereLook when get there – usuallyLook when get there – always

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50%

35%

15%

When you are Downtown, do you typically park on the street, in a street-level parking

lot, or in a parking garage?

On-streetStreet-level lotParking garage

83%

17%

DesignatedGeneral public

Is that designated parking for your workplace, school, or home, or is it

a general public lot/garage?

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On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate each of the following aspects of parking Downtown? A 1 means you think that aspect

is poor, and a 10 means you consider that aspect to be excellent.

Ease of garage payment system

Availability of spaces in garages

Number of signs directing you to parking

Clarity of signs directing you to parking

Ease of lot payment system

Ease of street payment system

Ease of finding open spaces

Availability of spaces in lots

Availability of spaces on street

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3.6

4.9

5.0

5.2

5.5

5.5

5.6

6.2

6.6

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Tools to help you learn more about your parking options when you know you will be parking in Downtown

(select all that apply)

Website of your destination

Online map site

CAP website

Other website

Mobile parking app

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

38%

9%

20%

43%

49%

5%

5%

5%

37%

51%

Have used Would prefer to use

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On a scale of 1 to 10, how helpful would each of the following types of information be when you are parking Downtown? A 1

means you think that they would not be helpful at all, and a 10 means you believe they would be extremely helpful.

The cost of parking

Number of spaces open

Where garages are located

Where lots are located

Where street parking is located

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.4

7.7

8.0

8.2

8.3

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Have you ever been caught in Downtown traffic or had trouble parking Downtown as a result

of the Downtown Streetcar construction?

14%

45%

41%YesNoNot sure

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Summary

❖ The main reasons people choose not to go Downtown are that there is too much traffic and parking is too expensive.

❖ Three-quarters of respondents believe that a consistent public parking brand would be very or extremely helpful.

❖ Respondents do not rate the safety of Downtown parking or Downtown in general very highly. Parking garages are considered to be the safest places to park.

❖ The top reasons people go Downtown are attractions, special events, dining, and sporting events.

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Summary❖ Most people drive alone to Downtown, followed by carpooling and

riding MARTA trains.

❖ The main reasons someone might not drive are that there is too much traffic on the way, parking is too expensive, and parking is too difficult to find.

❖ The main reason someone might not ride MARTA is that it is not convenient to their home.

❖ Half of respondents usually or always know in advance where they are going to park. About one in five usually or always looks for a spot when they arrive.

❖ A strong majority of drivers park in either garages or on-street lots, most of which are for the general public.

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Summary❖ The only aspects of Downtown parking to receive a rating of more

than 6 out of 10 are the ease of garage payment systems and the availability of spaces in garages. The lowest rated item is the availability of spaces on the street.

❖ Respondents are most likely to use the website of their destination and online map sites to learn about their parking options. Many more would prefer to use the CAP site and a mobile app than currently use those sources.

❖ All types of parking information tested would be considered useful.

❖ There are several differences among the different demographic subgroups (presented in separate addendum).

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Demographics

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53%47%

Gender

MaleFemale

12%

17%

13%31%

16%

12%

18-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465 or older

Age

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21%

39%

40%

Race

WhiteBlackOther

72%

28%

YesNo

Children 18 or under

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24%

28%

20%

21%7%

What county do you live in?

Clayton CobbDeKalb FultonGwinnett

64%

36%

InsideOutside

Do you live inside or outside of the I-285 Perimeter?

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