Central Atlanta ProgressParking Survey
November 2013
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Methodology
❖ Web survey of 400 metro Atlanta residents in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties
❖ Topics included:
❖ Reasons for coming/not coming Downtown
❖ Parking preferences
❖ Ratings for various aspects of Downtown parking
❖ Fielded October 2013
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All Residents
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On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the safety of each of the following? A 1 means you think it is not safe at all, and
a 10 means you believe it is very safe.
Downtown in general
Public parking garages Downtown
Street-level lots Downtown
On-street parking Downtown
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4.9
5.3
5.7
5.1
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Some leaders in Downtown are considering developing a standard brand for much of the public parking in Downtown. Many lots, garages, and on-street parking would be marked with the same consistent signage throughout Downtown, and there would be more accurate maps
available for parking. In your opinion, how helpful would an initiative like this be?
21%
37%
41%Extremely helpfulVery helpfulSomewhat helpfulNot helpful at all
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Do you live, work, or go to school in Downtown Atlanta? (select all that apply)
Yes, live there
Yes, work there
Yes, go to school there
No
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
73%
4%
22%
5%
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(if does not live, work, or go to school Downtown) How often do you go to Downtown Atlanta?
3%16%
35%
37%
10%
Several times a weekSeveral times a monthSeveral times a yearAbout once a year or lessNever
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Residents Who Rarely or Never Go Downtown
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(if goes Downtown once a year or less)
Below are a few reasons why someone might not go to Downtown Atlanta. Please indicate if each one plays a major role, a minor role, or no role at all
in your decision not to go Downtown.
Too much traffic
Parking Downtown is too expensive
It is not safe to park a car Downtown
Downtown does not feel safe in general
Too difficult to find any public parking in general
Too difficult to find parking near my destination
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
15%
17%
17%
23%
15%
10%
44%
39%
37%
30%
26%
26%
41%
44%
46%
47%
59%
64%
Major role Minor role No role at all
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(if goes Downtown once a year or less)
Below are a few reasons why someone might not go to Downtown Atlanta. Please indicate if each one plays a major role, a minor role, or no role at all
in your decision not to go Downtown. (continued)
Getting around inside Downtown is too difficult
Cars receive parking tickets too quickly
Cars are booted or towed too quickly
Nothing there interests me
Not enough signs to lots or garages
Too difficult to get there with public transit
Too far away
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
35%
51%
31%
36%
30%
30%
24%
45%
22%
37%
28%
31%
29%
33%
21%
28%
32%
36%
39%
41%
43%
Major role Minor role No role at all
10
Residents Who EverGo Downtown
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What are the main reasons you tend to go Downtown?(select all that apply)
Attractions
Special events
Dining
Sporting events
Work there
Work-related events
Conferences
Go to school there
Live there
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
4%
5%
12%
22%
23%
46%
49%
57%
60%
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When you go Downtown, how long do you typically stay?
4%
27%
46%
20%
3%
Less than an hour1-2 hours3-4 hours5-10 hoursMore than 10 hours
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How do you normally get to and from Downtown?
15%
20%63%
Drive aloneCarpoolMARTA trainMARTA busWalk
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(if does not typically drive alone to Downtown) Below are few reasons why someone might not drive to and from Downtown Atlanta. Please indicate if each one plays a major role, a minor role, or no
role at all in your decision not to drive to and from Downtown.
Too much traffic on the way
Parking Downtown is too expensive
Parking too difficult – hard to find a place
Getting around in Downtown is too difficult
Parking too difficult – some other reason
Driving Downtown is too expensive
No access to a car
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
81%
48%
47%
21%
16%
16%
16%
6%
37%
31%
41%
37%
33%
30%
13%
15%
22%
38%
48%
50%
54%
Major role Minor role No role at all
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(if does not typically drive alone to Downtown)
Do you ever drive to Downtown Atlanta?
15%
85%
YesNo
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(if does not typically ride MARTA bus or train to Downtown) Below are few reasons why someone might not use MARTA buses or trains to get to and from Downtown Atlanta. Please indicate if each one plays a major role, a minor
role, or no role at all in your decision not to ride MARTA to and from Downtown.
Not convenient to where you live
Takes too long
Safety concerns
Cleanliness
Too expensive
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
65%
30%
30%
29%
21%
28%
47%
38%
38%
20%
7%
23%
32%
33%
59%
Major role Minor role No role at all
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When you are Downtown, how do you normally get to other destinations in the Downtown area?
(select all that apply)
Walk
Drive
MARTA train
MARTA bus
Bicycle
Don’t usually need to
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
16%
1%
4%
14%
53%
64%
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Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about
the cost of parking in Downtown Atlanta.
deal
expect
expensive
not an issus
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
26%
25%
11%
9%
30%
30%
26%
19%
30%
25%
45%
51%
11%
15%
13%
19%
Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagreeStrongly disagree Not sure
The price of parking is high, but it is just something I deal with when I am Downtown
For a city like Atlanta, the price of parking is about what I would expect
The price of parking is too expensive, and sometimes I don’t go Downtown
because of the cost of parking
The cost of parking in Downtown is not really an issue for me
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How familiar are you with PARKatlanta?
55%33%
12%
Very familiarSomewhat familiarNot familiar at all
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(asked of all respondents – those unfamiliar with PARKatlanta were provided a description) On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the job that
PARKatlanta does? A 1 means you think they do a poor job, and a 10 means you believe they do an excellent job.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4.7
21
Residents Who Ever Drive Downtown
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When you go Downtown, do you typically know ahead of time where you are going to park, or do you just
look for parking when you get there?
5%
16%
30%33%
16%
Know ahead of time – alwaysKnow ahead of time – usuallySometimes know ahead of time, sometimes look when get thereLook when get there – usuallyLook when get there – always
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50%
35%
15%
When you are Downtown, do you typically park on the street, in a street-level parking
lot, or in a parking garage?
On-streetStreet-level lotParking garage
83%
17%
DesignatedGeneral public
Is that designated parking for your workplace, school, or home, or is it
a general public lot/garage?
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On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate each of the following aspects of parking Downtown? A 1 means you think that aspect
is poor, and a 10 means you consider that aspect to be excellent.
Ease of garage payment system
Availability of spaces in garages
Number of signs directing you to parking
Clarity of signs directing you to parking
Ease of lot payment system
Ease of street payment system
Ease of finding open spaces
Availability of spaces in lots
Availability of spaces on street
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3.6
4.9
5.0
5.2
5.5
5.5
5.6
6.2
6.6
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Tools to help you learn more about your parking options when you know you will be parking in Downtown
(select all that apply)
Website of your destination
Online map site
CAP website
Other website
Mobile parking app
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
38%
9%
20%
43%
49%
5%
5%
5%
37%
51%
Have used Would prefer to use
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GroupThe
On a scale of 1 to 10, how helpful would each of the following types of information be when you are parking Downtown? A 1
means you think that they would not be helpful at all, and a 10 means you believe they would be extremely helpful.
The cost of parking
Number of spaces open
Where garages are located
Where lots are located
Where street parking is located
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7.4
7.7
8.0
8.2
8.3
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Have you ever been caught in Downtown traffic or had trouble parking Downtown as a result
of the Downtown Streetcar construction?
14%
45%
41%YesNoNot sure
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Summary
❖ The main reasons people choose not to go Downtown are that there is too much traffic and parking is too expensive.
❖ Three-quarters of respondents believe that a consistent public parking brand would be very or extremely helpful.
❖ Respondents do not rate the safety of Downtown parking or Downtown in general very highly. Parking garages are considered to be the safest places to park.
❖ The top reasons people go Downtown are attractions, special events, dining, and sporting events.
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Summary❖ Most people drive alone to Downtown, followed by carpooling and
riding MARTA trains.
❖ The main reasons someone might not drive are that there is too much traffic on the way, parking is too expensive, and parking is too difficult to find.
❖ The main reason someone might not ride MARTA is that it is not convenient to their home.
❖ Half of respondents usually or always know in advance where they are going to park. About one in five usually or always looks for a spot when they arrive.
❖ A strong majority of drivers park in either garages or on-street lots, most of which are for the general public.
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GroupThe
Summary❖ The only aspects of Downtown parking to receive a rating of more
than 6 out of 10 are the ease of garage payment systems and the availability of spaces in garages. The lowest rated item is the availability of spaces on the street.
❖ Respondents are most likely to use the website of their destination and online map sites to learn about their parking options. Many more would prefer to use the CAP site and a mobile app than currently use those sources.
❖ All types of parking information tested would be considered useful.
❖ There are several differences among the different demographic subgroups (presented in separate addendum).
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Demographics
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53%47%
Gender
MaleFemale
12%
17%
13%31%
16%
12%
18-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465 or older
Age
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21%
39%
40%
Race
WhiteBlackOther
72%
28%
YesNo
Children 18 or under
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24%
28%
20%
21%7%
What county do you live in?
Clayton CobbDeKalb FultonGwinnett
64%
36%
InsideOutside
Do you live inside or outside of the I-285 Perimeter?
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