Editorial: Set parking rates for sustainability

There are good reasons why, especially in commercial and other high-traffic areas, there is a charge for parking. Given the current market realities, and a need for revenue, meter rates in Honolulu’s urban-core parking zones should go up, at least enough to make the city’s system more sustainable.

The question is, how high should it go? That is what city transportation officials, guided by the public and elected officials, will try to answer in the coming weeks. A plan to increase the rates, last boosted in 2019, is being hammered out by the Department of Transportation Services as part of its Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategy.

An increase of some kind seems inevitable. As with all limited resources, when demand outstrips supply, the price eventually goes up.

Charging a set amount of time for parking aligns with city TDM policy, which is now to cut the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips. The overall aims, according to the Honolulu TDM Plan, include providing the environmental and health benefits of a reduction in car trips and to “better match supply and demand to create a more resilient network.”

So the cost of city public parking could be increasing in an effort to incentivize using other forms of transportation besides cars, as well as recover lost revenue.

Additionally, whether at on-street meters or in public parking lots, a charge ensures that drivers will return to move their car on a timely basis, so that the limited resource will be shared. Venues in a busy area need customer churn: If someone grabs a free space for hours at a time, it’s not available to someone else who may have business to do or money to spend in the area.

Raise that price too high, however, and the city could reach a tipping point where customers avoid the business area altogether. The highest-priced parking now, at $3 hourly in areas such as downtown and Waikiki, could go up to $4.50 to $6, based on preliminary plans. The lower-rate zones, now at $1.50 hourly in places such as Kaimuki and Kakaako, could hit $2.50-$3.

If there is a gulp factor there, consider what the transportation department’s presentation to the Honolulu City Council indicated. According to the city’s TDM plan, city rates are anywhere from 15% to 80% below what private parking lots on Oahu charge.

Apart from the traffic management goals, there is a bottom-line problem. Chris Clark, department chief planner, told the Council the city is losing money in the deal. Each year, the city collects $6.7 million from on- and off-street parking, well below the city’s $11.4 million operational costs.

But raising the meter fee is not the only means of addressing that deficit. Drivers who return to their car late often find the Honolulu Police Department has put a ticket on the windshield, but the fines are paid into state coffers.

That’s a situation that should be revisited, said Councilmember Esther Kia‘aina, and she’s right. There is potential to offset the shortfall if the city would get a bill passed by the Legislature, and then ramp up enforcement.

To be fair to drivers, the city should use some of its revenue to increase the “smart” metering of the city, allowing parkers to add time to their meter through a remote cellphone connection. Many meters around town could use an upgrade.

There also are proposals to restrict parking in some areas and enable these spaces to be rented via permit for a longer term. But officials also need to hear from those in the public who can’t afford premium rates and would lose parking capacity.

In short, the city should take necessary steps to manage parking space well. If it’s to be done fairly, however, there’s much more discussion and public engagement ahead.