South Congress Parking Study
Connecting vibrant districts through mobility
We recognize that interconnectivity between the vibrant and active hubs of our city is critical for reducing parking demand and enhancing the ability to easily get around.
The City has contracted with the Downtown Alliance to coordinate the South Congress Parking Study. Data collected will be used to design actionable solutions that address the parking challenges in the area, reduce the burden on residents caused by increased parking demand, and ensure continued economic prosperity of local businesses.
Draft Recommendations for SoCo
The South Congress Parking Strategy has developed a package of draft recommendations to serve as a parking roadmap for SoCo. You can read the draft recommendations here.
Community Engagement
We collected feedback from the public on the draft recommendations through a survey. We are currently analyzing the survey data and will publish the results once these are available.
Austin SoCo Parking Study
The City has contracted with the Downtown Alliance to coordinate a study of parking and mobility along the South Congress corridor, a continuation of our Downtown Parking Strategy contract with nationally-renowned transportation experts, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates.
The South Congress Parking Strategy will future-proof the district by linking parking supply and management solutions to ongoing mobility and development initiatives. This will ensure the continued economic prosperity of local businesses while reducing the burden on residents caused by increased parking demand in the area.
Phase I of the study focused on comprehensive data collection, resulting in a Fact Book to document the challenges and opportunities for enhancing parking and mobility.
We are now in Phase II, using the data to design actionable solutions that address the parking challenges facing residents, business owners, and visitors.
To receive updates on the South Congress Parking Study and opportunities to provide feedback, join our email list.
Phase I: Fact Book
The Fact Book is a summary of the comprehensive data collection and analysis from Phase I. It provides a shared understanding of the key issues and opportunities and offers a foundation for a collaborative and action-oriented set of recommendations in Phase II. No recommendations are proposed at this stage.
Review the Fact Book⟶Phase II: Strategy & Solutions
After more than a year of community engagement and comprehensive data collection, we have prepared this draft South Congress Parking Strategy recommendations. The report contains solutions co-developed by parking/mobility experts and the community to address parking challenges in the South Congress neighborhood. These strategies are designed to support a vibrant, equitable neighborhood and merchant district that will better meet the long-term parking and mobility needs of all users. See the draft recommendations to learn more about the new vision and approach for parking in SoCo.
See the Draft Recommendations⟶
Fact Book Key Findings:
- There are almost 5,400 parking spaces in the project study area. More than 60% of spaces are in off-street lots or garages.
- About 25% of on-street spaces are part of the residential parking permit (RPP) program. There are 13 different types of RPP restrictions in the study area.
- The peak occupancy observed for the overall study area was 61%. At peak, there are about 1,350 to 1,620 spaces under-utilized across the whole study area.
- Peak demand is much higher on South Congress Avenue, typically at or near 100% full in the heart of SoCo.
- Vehicles often park for extended periods of time, sometimes up to and beyond 8 hours, especially on South Congress Avenue.
- People get to SoCo in many ways. In fact, only 50% of people arrive by driving alone in a private vehicle.
- The parking “problem” is defined differently by residents, employees, and businesses. Solutions must comprehensively address multiple and related challenges.