HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupplemental Communications from Council Member Steele - Comment Parking Survey May 2024Survey Results:
Opinions About Paid
Parking in Seal Beach
Prepared by Jonathan Rich, PhD for
Councilman Nathan Steele
Sampling
A LIST OF ALL SEAL BEACH REGISTERED VOTERS WAS OBTAINED FROM THE OC REGISTRAR OF VOTERS, N =
19,113.
INDIVIDUALS WHO SUPPLIED EMAIL ADDRESSES WERE EXTRACTED FROM THE LIST, N = 7,946.
A survey was emailed to all these individuals. The survey was sent 5/1/2024 (Wednesday) and closed
5/2/2024 (Thursday). Completed surveys were returned by 747 Seal Beach residents.
Margin of error for percentages is ±3.4%.
Sample
Demographics
•N = 747
•Age: 20 to 99, average 61 years old.
•51% F, 49% M
•Median income: $100K - $199K
•Seal Beach residency:
•Less than 6 years: 24%
•6 to 20 years: 46%
•More than 20 years: 30%
First survey question:
“Expansion of paid parking is being
considered for downtown Seal
Beach. How do you feel about
additional paid parking in downtown
Seal Beach (at the curb on Main
Street)?”
Background Information:
“The city of Seal Beach is facing the same economic pressures as everyone else. The city’s costs
are increasing 7+% a year while revenues are increasing 2% or less. The 5-year forecast for the
city’s budget is $15 million deficit and could actually be worse. This is the largest deficit forecast
the city has ever seen. The forces causing this shortfall are the same for everyone: the city costs
have seen a 20% to 30% increase and inflation continues to be problematic even though the
“headline number” has been going down. Prices have already gone way up.
“The city has 2 different ways to close the gap; increase revenues and decrease costs. Costs are
already being cut at the department level and more cuts will have to be made.
On the revenue side, one of the potential sources of new revenue is charging for parking on Main
Street. (See Seal Beach Adopted Budget FY 2023-24, Page 324)
Second survey question:
“Given the (background) information
above, how do you now feel about
additional paid parking in downtown
Seal Beach (at the curb on Main
Street)?”
Respondents were presented with the following paid parking proposal
Paid parking could be implemented with these conditions:
1.Resident advantage: Seal Beach residents would pay nothing for
the first 2 hours of parking on Main Street. Then they would pay the
same as everyone else.
2.Business Development District: Spend a portion of the new parking
revenues on Main Street improvements and upgrades by forming a
committee of Main Street merchants and restaurants to direct the
investments and improvements.
3.Employee exemption: Provide a program allowing employees of
Main Street businesses to park for free in Beach lots or somewhere
else and/or provide a free bus pass.
Third Survey Question:
“With these conditions, and keeping in mind
the economic pressures mentioned above, how
do you now feel about additional paid parking
in downtown Seal Beach (at the curb on Main
Street)?
29%
43%
59%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
No information Budget information Proposal (resident exemption)
Percent supporting paid parking
30%28%
22%
32%
37%37%
49%
32%
42%
60%
49%
60%
53%
63%
76%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5
Percent Supporting Paid Parking, by District
No info Budget Budget + Proposal
•Districts do not differ significantly when asked if they
support paid parking when no additional information is
given.
•When given information about budget and a proposal
exempting residents, there are significant differences in
support across districts, with District 5 most supportive.
54%
43%
39%
36%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Up to 5 years 6 to 10 years 11 to 20 years Over 20 years
Support for Paid Parking when Informed of Budget Deficit,
by Years as a Seal Beach Resident
Longer-term residents of Seal
Beach are less supportive of paid
parking as a way to address the
budget issue.
25%
21%
28%
32%35%
28%
33%
38%37%
43%
52%
46%
39%
56%
52%
62%
67%67%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Under 40 40s 50s 60s 70s 80+
Support for paid parking, by age
No info Budget Budget + Proposal
Support for paid parking does not differ by age
group when no additional information is given.
However, when informed of the budget deficit
and the proposal for residents to be
exempted, older residents are more
supportive than younger residents.