TO: Chair and Members of the City Traffic Commission
FROM: Larry Tay, City Traffic Engineer
1. Subject
title
Time limits and curb restrictions related to paid parking in Old Towne
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2. Summary
City Council approved a paid parking ordinance that affects eight square blocks near and around Plaza Square Park. To achieve the desired parking turnover, paid parking must be accompanied by time limits. The City Council directed staff to present time limits and other curb restrictions within the paid parking footprint to the City Traffic Commission (“CTC”) for approval.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
1. Approve the following:
a. Time- limited parking restrictions as described in Resolution No. TC 02-2025.
b. Yellow-curb (cargo loading zones) as described in Resolution No. TC 02-2025.
c. Passenger loading zones as described in Resolution No. TC 02-2025
d. Parking time limits in city-owned parking lots and on city streets identified in Chapter 10.40.030 of the Orange Municipal Code to be effective from 9 AM to 6 PM every day, including Sundays and holidays.
2. Adopt Resolution No. TC 02-2025. A Resolution of the Traffic Commission of the City of Orange for the establishment of parking time limits, loading zones and curb restriction on public streets and City owned lots identified in Chapter 10.40.030 of the orange Municipal Code
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4. Fiscal Impact
None.
No appropriation is required at this time. The cost of implementing the recommended changes is approximately $25,000. Upon CTC approval, staff expects to utilize a combination of in-house resources and contractual services, funding for which is either already approved in the FY 25 budget or included in the proposed FY 26 budget. Any future appropriation requests, if necessary, would be presented to City Council for approval.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 5: Improve Infrastructure, Mobility and Technology
Objective 5.4: Develop and implement Old Towne parking management program
6. Discussion and Background
Background
At their January 28, 2025, meeting, City Council approved a series of recommended actions related to implementing and supporting a paid parking program, including introducing and conducting the First Reading of Ordinance No. 02-25 (parking meters), approving and funding consulting services needed to procure a parking operator/manager, and expanding the city’s Neighborhood Permit Parking Program to include residential areas susceptible to commercial parking displacement. The sixth and final action directed staff to:
(1) Identify appropriate curb restrictions including time-limited parking and loading zones; and
(2) Present to City Traffic Commission for approval.
Discussion
The aforementioned paid parking program affects the eight square blocks closest to Plaza Park. These eight square blocks, bounded by Maple Avenue to the north, Almond Avenue to the south, Grand Street to the east, and Lemon Street to the west, are hereafter referred to as the “commercial core”. Moreover, the individual streets and parking lots that are contained within the commercial core and made a part of the paid parking program are delineated in Chapter 10.40.030 of the Orange Municipal Code.
In order for paid parking to achieve the intended effect of facilitating parking turnover and discouraging long-term parking, parking time limits must be reviewed, implemented, and regularly enforced. To that end, the recommendations in this report are intended to:
1. Rely upon existing conditions as a starting point.
2. Enact the necessary changes/additional parking restrictions to complement the paid parking program.
3. Preserve existing passenger loading zones where they are still needed.
4. Provide cargo loading zones where currently utilized.
5. Do the above in a manner that promotes enforceability and is easy for motorists to understand.
6. Work within the confines established by the vehicle and municipal codes.
Existing Curb Restrictions
Time Limits and Effective Hours
City Streets
Within the commercial core, several city streets and all city-owned lots currently have designated parking time limits. While the parking time limits are generally “2-hour parking” on city streets and “3-hour parking” in city lots, there are a few exceptions where the allowable time increment is a lesser duration, e.g. 15 or 30 minutes. These exceptions appear be legacy restrictions that were presumably made for abutting businesses at the time and no longer represent the best use of the curb space. Moreover, there are also inconsistencies in the effective hours of the time limits, and time limits do not currently apply on Sundays and Holidays.
City-Owned Lots
With some exceptions, city lots are currently designated 3-hour parking from 6AM to 6PM, Sundays and holidays exempt.
Cargo and Passenger Loading Zones
There are seven existing loading zones (generally delineated with yellow curb) in the commercial core as follows:
1. West side of Grand Street between Chapman and Maple avenues, in front of the Grand Gimeno, 146 N Grand Street.
2. East side of Orange Street between Chapman and Maple avenues, abutting the Presbyterian School addressed at 180 N Grand Street.
3. East side of Orange Street approximately 75 feet north of Chapman, south of Contra Coffee and Tea, 115 N Orange Street.
4. West side of Orange Street approximately 100 feet south of Chapman, north of the Assistance League side entrance, 120 S Orange Street.
5. North side of Maple Avenue approximately 100 feet west of Orange Street, in front of The Richland, 137 E Maple Street.
6. East side of Olive Street south of Chapman Avenue, side frontage of Bosscat, addressed at 118 W Chapman Avenue.
7. East side of Lemon Street south of Chapman Avenue, side frontage of Snooze, addressed at 240 W Chapman Street.
In accordance with the Orange Municipal Code (OMC), these loading zones are in effect from 7AM to 6PM, excluding Sundays and holidays.
Passenger Loading Zones
There are three passenger loading zones (generally delineated with white curb or signs) as follows:
A. East side of Orange Street between Almond and Chapman avenues, adjacent to First United Methodist Church/School, 161 South Orange Street (30 minute maximum, 6AM to 9AM, Monday through Friday).
B. West side of Olive Street approximately 100 feet north of Almond Avenue, in front of the Senior Center, 170 S Olive Street (5 minute maximum, “24/7”).
C. West side of Lemon Street approximately 125 feet south of Chapman Avenue, serving the US post office and mailbox, 130 S Lemon Street (5 minute maximum, “24/7”).
Proposed Curb Restrictions
The following restrictions are proposed in the commercial core:
1. 2-hour time-limited parking, from 9AM to 6PM, everyday, unless in a parking-by-permit zone, permit parking opportunity area, or otherwise marked or signed as a no-parking or loading zone.
2. 3-hour time-limited parking, from 9AM to 6PM, everyday, in all city-owned parking lots.
These time limits (described in 1 and 2 above) will apply to all streets and lots in the commercial core, with the effective hours coinciding with those of the paid parking program. Also consistent with the paid parking program, any existing Sunday and holiday exemptions are eliminated.
Time intervals less than 2 hours (on public streets) and 3-hours (in city lots) are also eliminated for consistency in visitor expectations and ease of enforcement.
3. Provide for cargo loading zones as follows:
• Preserve Loading Zone 1 (approximately 180 feet long)
• Preserve Loading Zone 5 (approximately 40 feet long)
• Preserve Loading Zone 6 (approximately 73 feet long)
• Extend Loading Zone 7, from approximately 30 feet to 82 feet in length
• Eliminate Loading Zones 2, 3, and 4, as they appear to be legacy installations that are no longer necessary.
Loading Zones 1,5,6, and 7, respectively, will be renumbered as Loading Zones 1,2,3, and 4, respectively, on the attached Resolution No. TC 02-2025. The effective hours of these cargo loading zones will continue to be in accordance with the OMC, e.g., 7AM to 6PM, except Sundays and holidays.
4. Provide for passenger loading zones as follows:
• Preserve Loading Zone A (approximately 200 feet long, 30 minute maximum, 6AM-9AM, Monday through Friday). No change from existing conditions.
• Preserve Loading Zone B and modify restriction to exclude weekends. (Approximately 67 feet long, 5 minute maximum, Monday through Friday). This loading zone serves the Orange Senior Center, which is closed Saturday and Sunday.
• Preserve Loading Zone C (approximately 25 feet long, 5 minute maximum, “24/7”). No change from existing conditions.
Outside of the specified loading times, curb spaces designated as loading zones would revert to either paid, time-limited parking (if in effect,) or unrestricted parking (otherwise.)
All other parking restrictions, including, but not limited to, overnight parking or street sweeping, previously approved, shall remain in place.
Lastly, while there may be competing interests and differing preferences for the use of curb space in certain parts of the commercial core, it can be difficult to anticipate all changes that might become necessary to optimize curb management. Therefore, staff recommends an iterative approach. Specifically, this proposed curb management plan, which (1) achieves consistency throughout the commercial core and (2) carries forward critical loading zones, would be deployed prior to the implementation of paid parking (expected to occur around Fall 2025,) with the understanding that any post-implementation needs could considered and addressed through future CTC action.
The proposed curb restrictions for the entire commercial core are depicted in the attached Curb Management Map and described in Resolution No. TC 02-2025. Two notification letters, attached for reference, were sent to property owners and tenants within the commercial core.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• Jan 28 CC Staff Report on Paid Parking_without attachments
• Commercial Core Curb Management Map
• Resolution No. TC 02-2025
• Notification Letters (2)