02 Curbside Management Plan — original pdf

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Curb Management Plan Briefing Austin Transportation & Public Works | October 6, 2026 Agenda • Overview • Accomplished in the Plan Process • Key Challenges and Findings • Curb Typologies • Recommended Curb Management Strategies & Pilots Implementation Roadmap • • Staff Next Steps 2 Overview The Curbside Management Plan (CMP) is:  A citywide, policy-informed operational framework.  Provides City staff  common language,  a typology for classifying curb segments, and  a repeatable decision-making process and consistent framework for managing competing curb demands.  Goal: for the City to use curb space in ways that improve safety, support mobility choice, enhance access, and make more effective use of limited public right-of-way The CMP is NOT a regulatory document and is NOT a block-level redesign of the public right-of-way. 3 Accomplished in the Plan Process: Tasks  Literary Review  Community and Stakeholder Engagement  Develop Curb Typology Framework  Inventory of Existing Conditions & Analyze Utilization Data Final deliverable was a comprehensive Curb Management Plan document. 4 Accomplished in the Plan Process : Engagement Engagement Takeaway Operational Implication Location and Time Matters: Participants mention lack of spaces in downtown, entertainment districts, etc., especially during evenings, weekends, and special events. Curb management needs to support context-specific and time-based decision- making. Pick-up/Drop-off and Delivery Creates Pressure Points Increase curb allocation for short-duration activity and clarify these regulations. Confusion caused by unclear or inconsistent signage and uneven enforcement Flexibility and coordination are needed to manage changing conditions Curb management decisions should emphasize legibility, consistency, and enforceability, even where tradeoffs are necessary. The CMP should support coordinated decision-making and adaptable curb management practices, rather than rigid prescriptions. Safety and accessibility are core curbside concerns Curbside decisions should be evaluated through a safety and accessibility lens. 5 Accomplished in the Plan Process : Data Collection Collected Observations at 8 Locations • Representing a range of land uses, street types, and activity levels. • Transportation modes • Commercial deliveries • Passenger pick-up/drop-off (“PUDO”) • Parking trends (Turnover, occupancy, duration) • Verify paid parking transaction data to visual data • Violation trends 6 Blue Line = Weekday Orange Line = Weekend Green Line = Friday Key Challenges and Findings Focus Area Allocation vs. demand mismatch Static rules, dynamic demand Why It Matters Most curb space is dedicated to parking storage (77%), while loading/PUDO* (1%) and micromobility (<1%) drive a growing share of activity and conflict. Curb demand varies significantly by time of day and day of week, but regulations mostly don't. Conflicts cluster in hot spots Downtown, entertainment districts, and mixed-use corridors see the most competition for space, especially evenings, weekends, and events. Regulatory complexity Enforcement capacity Overlapping signage and permit types reduce compliance and make enforcement harder. Manual enforcement can't keep pace with high-volume, short-duration activity like PUDO and deliveries. Fragmented data Curb inventory, permits, transactions, and enforcement data live in separate systems, limiting performance monitoring. Cross-department coordination Curb decisions impact numerous City departments and programs; there's no single coordination forum today. *PUDO = Pick-Up and Drop-Off 7 Curb Typologies • Context-based approach • Prioritizes curb function • Block-by-block flexibility • Network-oriented planning • Data-driven and repeatable • Framework for evaluating options and guiding curb decisions Typologies do not automatically prescribe regulations for every block. 8 Curb Typologies The typology framework can be applied citywide to consistently evaluate and assign curb types. Sample Area: N Lamar Blvd at W 15th Street Shades represent different land use --> different curb use 9 Curb Typologies 10 Curb Typologies Process to define curb typologies when analyzing specific locations. 11 Recommended Curb Management Strategies Focus Area Tool or Strategy Primary Need Addressed Data Fundamentals Convert the digital curb inventory to a standard data specification Build the data backbone needed for every other recommendation Pricing & Managing Demand Aligning Curb Allocation to Demand Standardize process for expanding paid parking • • Work toward block-level performance-based pricing • Coordinate on-/off-street pricing & wayfinding • Expand Hybrid Parking Zones • Consolidate & expand loading zones • Coordinate further with Austin Resource Recovery to reduce bike lane conflicts Enforcement to Support Better Curb Management Implement License Plate Reader (LPR) technology to identify parking violations, require mandatory human review before any citation, aligned with City’s TRUST resolution Improve availability in high-demand areas; better use of existing off-street supply Right-size number of spaces for short- duration activity (loading, PUDO, deliveries); improve efficiency of waste collection and remove mobility obstructions Expand enforcement capacity without a proportional increase in staff, appropriate solution for short-duration but high-frequency activities 12 Implementation Roadmap efficiency 13 Implementation Roadmap – Next Steps Tentative Timeline Focus Area Key Milestones Data and Contracts • • • Begin transition to curb data specification Procure third-party data aggregator Procure data collection hardware September – December 2026 Site Implementation • Determine locations to test/pilot (from plan’s • Create department stakeholder working group • 8 study locations) Implement curb-level changes at chosen locations January – February 2027 Pilots / Testing / Evaluation • Collect data from the changes made in the pilot/test locations Gain experience and lessons learned, apply to future locations in Spring 2027. 14 Thank you 15