Study: Everett should use paid parking

EVERETT — Washington residents and visitors could soon pay for parking in downtown Everett to combat the increasing lack of available on-street parking spots, according to a city analysis.

A $164,180 study presented to City Council last month also recommended more enforcement and hiring a city parking manager, the Everett Herald reported. The recommendations could generate about $1 million in revenue each year.

A similar study taken in 2016 identified the problem as people exceeding the time limits or moving to another on-street spot to avoid a ticket, city officials said.

“What we need to remind ourselves is parking problems in the downtown are a sign of success,” Barney & Worth consultant Clark Worth said.

The Portland-based consulting agency tallied more than 9,400 spaces downtown for parked vehicles along roads and in garages and lots. The study showed many blocks had on-street occupancy rates over 70 percent.

The Everett Police Department issued about 2,900 tickets or warnings for time-limit violations in 2019, according to city data. That rate dropped from 14.2 percent in 2015 to 10.7 percent last year.

City officials have taken previous efforts to manage parking, including standardizing time limits to either 30 or 90 minutes, upgrading enforcement technology and trying to target employees using on-street spaces.