PARKING

With implementation of the Specific Plan, there will be a significant addition of retail, restaurants, commercial office, residential and other uses that will increase the need for parking. Proximity to an intermodal station is a major benefit to the Plan Area, which helps reduce daily auto trips to commute in and out of Millbrae. It also serves as a viable transportation mode for visitors from other cities in the region. Additionally, the Millbrae Active Transportation Plan (2021) has outlined a clear set of guidelines and priority projects to create a safer and comfortable bicyclist and pedestrian environment for residents, employee and visitors which will further reduce the dependency on automobile for necessary trips. With these measures and regional transport infrastructure in place, the Specific Plan proposes a Plan Area-wide parking strategy that includes recommendation for:

1. Expanding capacity of city-owned parking lots;

2. Exploring a shared parking arrangement on both city-owned and privately land;

3.

Strategy 2: Shared Parking

4.

5.

6.

Strategy 1: City-Owned Parking Lots

City of Millbrae owns five parking lots in the downtown district at:

• 238 Broadway

• 446 Broadway

• Parking lots on the 200 and 400 blocks of El Camino Real

• 300 Magnolia

Currently these parking lots offer a cumulative of approximately 160 parking spaces which serve the businesses in the downtown and on El Camino Real. The city-owned parking lots can continue to serve the same function, and expand their capacity by using new parking technology such as vertically stacked parking stalls that are operated mechanically.

The City may offer city-owned parking lots for private development in return for provision of public parking integrated with the development. The city should consider establishing an Incentives Program to developers who are willing to build shared parking structures that offer some parking spaces for public use.

Strategy 3: Parking Management for On-Street Parking

The Specific Plan strongly recommends that a Parking Management Plan be conducted to identify projected parking demand in the Plan Area.

Strategy 4: Travel Demand Management (TDM)

The Specific Plan recommends that the City require private developers to put in place a Travel Demand Management Plan to minimize parking need within their development by providing shuttle connections to the inter-modal station and other transit options, providing parking for bikes and scooters, providing facilities for ride shares and bike/scooter docking stations.

Strategy 5: Prioritizing Micro-Mobility

Micro-mobility has gained popularity in recent times as a viable mode of transportation among different agegroups. It provides much needed first and last mile connection to local and regional transit networks to further reduce car-dependence. Prioritizing micro-mobility in the Plan Area and city-wide, will improve access to the inter-modal station, regional transit lines on El Camino Real and jobs and services in downtown and El Camino Real. The Specific Plan recommendations on this topic include:

• Integrating micro-mobility in streetscape design and in public spaces

• Requiring developments over 80 units or over 100,000 s.ft. to integrate micro-mobility docking stations in the development.

Strategy 6: Designing for RideShare and Car-Share

Ride-shares are a viable and sustainable alternative to single occupancy vehicles and minimize the need for car-ownership. Rising popularity of ride-shares indicates a strong need for curbside management and provision of dedicated pick-up/drop-off zones on public parking lots to minimize conflicts with pedestrian and vehicular circulation in street right-of-way. Similarly, integrating car-share stations within public and private parking facilities is strongly encouraged.

Strategy 7: Establishing OffStreet Vehicular Parking Standards

The Specific Plan includes development standards in Appendix C: Parking Standards for off-street vehicular parking to ensure that there is an adequate amount of parking provided as part of private development for automobiles as well as non-auto transportation such as bicycles and scooters to encourage reduced use of automobiles and minimize traffic impacts.

Public Parking Guidelines

• Public parking facilities shall have stalls fitted with EV charging stations.

• Public parking facilities, public plazas and parks shall be fitted with bike and scooter parking to encourage active transportation.

• Parking lots should be designed to minimize heat island effect and surface water run-off by using pervious paving material and effective storm-water management system.

Transportation Demand Management

This section has been adopted from the Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan (MSASP) in order to maintain consistency between the Station Area and the Downtown and El Camino Real Specific Plan Area. Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies and measures can be used to encourage future employees, residents, and visitors to the Millbrae Station area to walk, bicycle, use public transportation, carpool, or use other alternatives to driving alone when traveling to and from the Plan Area.

Near-Term TDM Strategies

The following TDM strategies incorporate design, infrastructure, and BART- or Caltrain-specific actions and should be incorporated into early stages of Plan Area development.

Building Design Elements

7. Amenities help reduce the number of trips an employee needs to make during the day and may include the following. These uses should be provided only if no existing or planned similar uses are within 400 feet of the building.

• A cafeteria

• Grab-and-go meals

• Fitness facility

• Coffee bar

• General store

• ATM

• Barbershop

• Sport courts

• Banking

• Dry cleaning

8. Passenger loading zones near the main entries to buildings are convenient for carpools and vanpools dropping off passengers. Building designs can also dedicate a location to casual carpooling.

Integrating micro-mobility infrastructure, such as docking stations for shared bike and scooters, in public realm design will encourage active transportation and provide first and last mile connectivity to regional transit.

9. Reduced building setbacks allow buildings to be located closer to pedestrian and transit facilities, which improve the pedestrian experience and encourage walking.

Rideshare Programs

1. Car share can be available for errands or meetings for employees who bike, walk, use transit, or use carpools or vanpools. This reduces concerns and inconvenience of not having a vehicle during the day. Car share parking spaces should be located in centralized locations and on-street to provide high visibility.

2. Last-mile connections can be provided through autonomous vehicles or pedi-cabs to get a group of people from a transit stop to an employer location. This eliminates the barrier or last-mile transportation for people who want to use transit.

Bicycle Programs

1. Bike share programs, either internal to the Plan Area or coordinated with Bay Area Bike Share, provide a first/last mile option for commuters, as well as for short trips throughout the day.

2. Electric bicycle charging stations. Electric bicycle charging stations should be encouraged in new development. Electric bicycles can be used for longer trips than standard bicycles.

TDM Strategies for ProjectSpecific Developments

The City of Millbrae requires all new development within the Specific Plan Area that generates more than 50 daily trips , or as required by C/ CAG or by California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to prepare and implement a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) to reduce peak single-occupancy vehicle trips and encourage use of transit, walking, and biking as transportation modes. These strategies can significantly enhance mobility for people accessing the Plan Area and will require close coordination among multiple agencies, including SamTrans, C/CAG, San Mateo County, and Caltrans. These TDM strategies will be most effective when they are provided for all user groups in the Plan Area, including residents, employees, and visitors.

TDM measures include providing subsidized transit passes, incentivizing non-vehicle transit modes and carpooling, parking pricing, car sharing, and participating in car-sharing programs. The measures identified in Table 7-2 are based on the current best practices for TDM programs. They should be regularly evaluated to ensure the widest range of options is available to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicle trips.

Plan Area TDM Coordinator

Each development project subject to the TDM requirement will include an on-site TDM coordinator that will manage and promote TDM programs and oversee monitoring to determine program effectiveness. A TDM coordinator provides information via flyers, posters, e-mail, and educational programs regarding non-auto access and circulation options. The TDM coordinator’s role may also include actively marketing alternative mode use, administering a neighborhood ride-matching program, and overseeing a Guaranteed Ride Home program (working with a local taxi service or rental car agency). A TDM coordinator could also help implement or support the following parking and vehicle management strategies described in this section.

TDM Monitoring

The project applicant shall submit annual reports to the City describing the specific TDM measures that are being implemented, the number of employees on-site, and the success of the measures expressed in AM and PM peak hour vehicle trips generated by the project. The report shall be prepared by an independent Cityapproved transportation planning/ engineering firm.