Study: Downtown San Antonio parking is better than you think
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A largely empty parking lot at the Alamodome last year. Photo: Lance King/Getty Images
Parking in downtown San Antonio is available even during peak busy periods like Fiesta, a new study finds.
Why it matters: People love to complain about downtown parking. But it's largely just perception, the study commissioned by Centro San Antonio and the city says.
- It's the first full analysis of downtown parking in a decade.
The big picture: The study could have implications for how much new parking the city might add as downtown undergoes major transformations.
- A new Spurs arena at Hemisfair and Minor League Baseball stadium for the Missions are expected to bring thousands more people to the city's core during games and events.
State of play: Peak parking occupancy during Fiesta last year was just 53% on a given Saturday night.
Between the lines: People don't think there will be parking downtown, or they think it will be hard to find, even if it's available, according to the study.
Yes, but: The city's parking technology is outdated, per the study — so people aren't getting the best experience they could.
- Recommendations to better that experience include real-time availability tools to help people find parking options, and license plate recognition technology — like what's in place now at the airport.
- That, and other updates, could cost $10 million to $15 million.
By the numbers: The study also looked at parking needs related to the forthcoming Missions stadium and Spurs arena.
- It found plenty of parking near the planned baseball stadium — more than 6,000 surplus spaces within walking distance, per a summary of the study shared with Axios.
- But the worst-case scenario near a future Spurs arena and surrounding district could see a deficit of more than 6,600 parking spaces. That's if major nearby venues all sell out at the same time.
Reality check: Parking in private lots and garages downtown can get pricey. But city-owned garages are typically much more affordable.
- The city also offers free parking in its garages after 5pm every Tuesday.
What they're saying: "Downtown is on the rise, and we want people to know that parking is not a barrier for them to enjoy the urban core," Trish DeBerry, president and CEO of Centro San Antonio, said in a statement.
What's next: The city is already seeking new technology to make parking easier to find, Shanon Miller, the city's chief downtown officer, said in a statement.
💠Megan's thought bubble: I regularly hear from friends and acquaintances that they didn't attend an event because they didn't want to deal with downtown parking.
- I've certainly been guilty of not wanting to face it either. But I'm close enough to downtown that I usually take a ride-app or bus instead.
- Still, I struggle to think of a time I couldn't find parking when I wanted it, even if it did take a little longer than expected.