Downtown Parking Management Plan

The intent of the Downtown Parking Management Plan is to better utilize available parking for higher efficiencies and to promote the appropriate use of parking in high demand parking locations within the Village. Earlier studies identified actions to address the key parking issues in Del Mar, particularly in the Village. The Parking Management Plan is the tool to implement these priority actions in a comprehensive manner.

The Downtown Parking Management Work Program was initiated at the October 22, 2012 City Council meeting and the following two reports were produced by Walker Parking Consultants and KOA Corporation:

At the January 5, 2015 City Council meeting, City staff presented a draft Downtown Parking Management Plan for Council review, comment, and direction. The recommendations and any related actions will be discussed at subsequent City Council and committee meetings as directed by City Council. The report can be viewed by clicking the link below:  

Key Findings

Parking has long been perceived as a significant issue in Del Mar, and has therefore been studied numerous times. Surveys over the last 14 years have consistently found that on-street public parking is often fully occupied, or nearly fully occupied, in certain commercial and residential areas (i.e. 15th Street, 1300-1400 blocks of Camino del Mar, Stratford Court, Coast Boulevard, Luneta Drive) at peak times on peak days, while private on-site commercial parking areas show vacancies throughout peak periods. The Downtown Parking Management Plan puts forth strategies to address the following six long-standing challenges:

  • Lack of accessible and convenient parking inventory in high-demand areas;
  • Overall lack of general on-street parking inventory in the Commercial corridor (1000-1500 blocks of Camino Del Mar and 15th Street);
  • Surplus of private off-street parking inventory that is underutilized due to a lack of coordination/management;
  • Impact of visitor, patron and employee parking on residential areas adjacent to the Commercial corridor;
  • Planning for future parking needs today, when the opportunity presents itself, through efforts such as the Camino del Mar Streetscape Plan, Parking Master Plan and City Hall project; and
  • Funding the selected solutions and strategies – for both present and future.

The proposed strategies are primarily focused on solutions in the commercial area, instead of relying on continued encroachment into residential neighborhoods to accommodate commercial parking needs.

  1. Parking Management – Expand parking availability through management programs, time limits, shared and valet parking, etc.
  2. Parking Supply – Increase inventory through new on-street and structure parking, identification of peripheral parking lots, and increased bicycle parking.
  3. Parking Standards – In-lieu programs; proposed parking code modifications to help optimize parking.
  4. Financial and Technological Solutions – Improve parking turnover and increase revenue through implementation of new technologies

Implementation of Key Recommendations

Since the acceptance of the Parking Management Plan in January, 2015, the City of Del Mar has implemented the following actions to improve Downtown parking:

  • Built 140 public parking stalls at the Civic Center
  • Added Bicycle Parking throughout the city, including bicycle repair stations
  • Revised the Del Mar Municipal Code sections to increase the opportunities for On-Site Paid Parking, In-Lieu Parking, Valet Parking, and Shared Use Parking
  • Improved sidewalks and bicycle lanes at various locations in the City
  • Amended the Del Mar Municipal Code to allow Site-Specific Parking Management Plans
  • Installed EV charging stations in the Civic Center parking structure
  • Implementing the Downtown Streetscape project