Background

The College Hill Parking Task Force was created atthe request of the Providence City Plan Commissionin 2006 to examine parking and traffic issues onCollege Hill and to develop recommendations thatwould address the needs and concerns of all in thecommunity. The task force met monthly during2007, guided by consultants from Vanasse HangenBrustlin Inc., an engineering firm specializing intraffic and parking planning and design. A primarygoal of the task force was to offer recommendationsthat would be self-funding and could serve as amodel for other Providence neighborhoods.

Goals

The task force sought to build cooperation amongCollege Hill institutions, city government, and localresidents in order to reduce the number of carstraveling to and within the neighborhood on a dailybasis.

Specific concerns included:

The present system of limited-time on-street park-ing, both metered and unmetered, contributes totraffic congestion and detracts from productivity byforcing area employees and students to move theircars from one short-term space to another severaltimes a day.

The group was committed to increasing the useof public transportation to open up more on-streetparking spaces.

Thayer Street and other merchants would benefitfrom more short-term parking spaces in core busi-ness areas.

Better traffic-signal synchronization, pavementmarkings, and signage are needed in order toimprove the safety and efficiency of streets, inter-sections, and crosswalks.

Key Findings

Current on-street parking is adequate for theneighborhoods needs, but it requires a more effec-tive management program and the designation ofsome all-day, on-street parking areas.

Designating enough all-day, on-street parking willreduce traffic congestion.

Many intersections and some major streets sufferfrom unnecessary congestion, delays, and safetyissues.

Curb use and traffic-control signage is confusingand inconsistent.

Pedestrian behavior, such as jaywalking, exacer-bates congestion and safety concerns.

The neighborhood must more effectively accom-modate vehicles servicing local businesses andinstitutions.

college hill parking task force members

Arlington Street/Brown Stadium Neighbors

Brown University

College Hill Neighborhood Association

Fox Point Neighborhood Association

Jewelry District Association

Moses Brown School

Department of Planning and Development

Providence Police Traffic and Parking Enforcement

Providence Traffic Engineering

Department of Public Works

Rhode Island Judiciary (Licht Judicial Complex)

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA)

Rhode Island School of Design

Thayer Street District Management Association

Wheeler School

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc.

about metered parking

The installation of meters in some College Hill areaswhere they do not currently exist (see map) willmaximize the use of off-street parking and existingshuttle programs, and encourage better utilizationof public transportation, walking, biking, and car-pooling. The task force recommends that meters beinstalled in the core of College Hill where there isthe most demand for convenient all-day and short-term parking.

Metered parking rates have not yet been determined.The task force recommends hourly rates that areaffordable but also serve to make public transpor-tation and off-street lots attractive. Where possible,block meters are recommended to reduce visualclutter and for their ease of use. Such meters alsoprovide greater flexibility for payment options.

Parking and Trafficon College Hill

Recommendations of the

College Hill Parking Task Force

Providence, Rhode Island

Spring 2008

PCollege HillCollege Hill Parking Task ForceTo review the report and formore contact information,please visitwww.collegehillparking.org

s

Retail

Brown

RISD

Wheeler and Moses Brown

Government buildings

No parking loading zone

Short-term parking, somemetered

No parking

Long-term metered parking

Long-term parking

Long-term parking with restrictions

Area required to meet long-termparking demand. Assumes 3spaces in all east-west runningblocks outside the metered areadesignated as short-term park-ing for residential use. Specificlocations to be determined.

College Hill Parking Task ForceTo review the report and formore contact information,please visitwww.collegehillparking.org

N

benefit street

prospect street

waterman street

olney street

john street

angell str

eet

brow

n street

thayer street h

ope street

arling

ton

streetives street

s

Recommendations

Implement a comprehensive on-street parking plan.This will include street-by-street designation ofshort-term and all-day parking areas, provision ofshort-term spaces for guest and service daytimeuse, and installation of parking meters in the centralarea. Income from the latter may help fund othertraffic improvements. (See map.)

Increase the use of public transportation.The task force recommendations that local institu-tions strengthen their institutional support ofRIPTA. It urges an investigation of RIPTA stops androute changes to attract riders and the developmentof more shuttle options and incentives.

Increase promotion of measures to reduce parkingdemand.Measures include more support by institutions forcarpooling and ride-sharing programs, the reloca-tion of Brown undergraduate overnight permit park-ing off College Hill, more incentives and support forbicycle commuters, and educational outreach pro-grams to promote public transportation and apedestrian-friendly environment.

Improve safety and efficiency of streets.The task force recommends improving street mark-ings and signage for specific intersections andcrosswalks, enhancing center-line and lane mark-ings on Angell and Waterman Streets, creating yel-low curb zones to improve visibility at intersections,instituting a consistent and clear delivery schedulefor Thayer Street, and upgrading traffic-signal tim-ing along the Angell and Waterman corridors.

Enhance parking enforcement.The task force suggests that the city increase thenumber of parking patrols on College Hill andexplore technologies such as electronic boots andmobile license-plate photography. Local institutionsshould work with city government to ensure thatparking tickets are paid.

Proposed Parking Regulations and Metering

The target area is bounded tothe north by Olney Street, to theeast by Arlington and Ives streets,to the south by John Street, andto the west by Benefit Street.