Public Engagement & Survey Summary (October 2024)

Public Engagement Survey Summary ¶

Introduction

To enhance our community’s parking infrastructure and address the needs of residents, visitors, and local businesses, the City of Tampa conducted a comprehensive survey to aid in the development of the Parking Master Plan. By engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders, including commuters and visitors, the City sought to better understand the current landscape of parking and identify opportunities for improvement. The City partnered with several key organizations to facilitate fve public engagement events and a digital survey. Public engagement included a series of pop-up events that took place across four communities: Downtown Tampa, Hyde Park Village, Water Street, and Ybor City. The City also hosted a public open house at its new facility, the City Center at Hanna Avenue. These events and three digital surveys, coupled with two Facebook posts, reached over 1,000 unique individuals as seen in the figures below:

206 quick survey, 286 community engagement, 181 permit holder, 200 Facebook respondents.

This summary outlines the key fndings from the digital surveys and the invaluable feedback from in-person events and social media, highlighting community priorities and proposed recommendations for creating a more efcient and accessible parking environment. This input is crucial as the City works towards solutions that beneft everyone in our community.

*Facebook Post Figure includes 24 reactions, 6 shares, and 1 comment

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS & OUTCOMES ¶

The public engagement events for the City of Tampa Parking Master Plan captured the essence of our parking culture. The City’s project team designed each event to foster dialogue and collaboration within our community. Over the course of these events, various touch points such as interactive display boards, digital surveys administered through handheld tablets, and Vision Zero keepsakes aimed to create a fun, welcoming space where residents and visitors could come together to share ideas, express concerns, and explore solutions to pressing parking issues. By actively involving participants in discussions and activities, this project ensures that the City hears and values diverse perspectives. This section highlights key themes, feedback, and insights gathered during these events, serving as a foundation for informed decision-making and future initiatives that reflect the collective voice of our community.

OUTREACH EVENTS & OUTCOMES

Map showing locations of the 5 outreach events held for the City of Tampa Parking Master Plan Community Outreach.

Hyde Park
The project team launched this effort through coordination with the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department and the Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association.
Ybor City
The Ybor Saturday Market served as an ideal location to connect with the community for the City of Tampa Parking Master Plan.
Water Street
Quest staff coordinated with The Vinik Group to arrange the use of outdoor vendor space at this event.
Downtown Tampa
Lykes Gaslight Square Park served as the location for this event which featured four food trucks and Visit Tampa Bay activities. Staff coordinated with the Downtown Tampa Partnership to participate in the event.
The City Center at Hannah Ave
The City of Tampa promoted the event via two Facebook posts that garnered 25 reactions and 6 shares.

SURVEY RESULTS ¶

This report presents the findings from three digital surveys that the project team administered throughout the months of July through September of 2024: a Quick Survey, Community Engagement Survey, and Permit Holder Survey. Each survey aimed at gathering insights and feedback from our community on key parking conditions and issues affecting our area. By collecting input from City of Tampa residents, visitors, businesses, and other stakeholders, the project team sought to understand their parking experiences, needs, and priorities. The survey data in this summary provides a comprehensive overview of community sentiment and highlights trends that will inform the City’s Parking Master Plan.

QUICK SURVEY RESULTS

The Quick Survey was administered during each of the outreach events and targeted at individuals and groups attending those events. This survey format aforded the opportunity for respondents to participate in the planning process while answering questions directly related to their event parking experience. Questions related to ease of navigation to city-owned parking, comprehensiveness of the cost to park, and the time it takes to fnd a space were asked. There were 206 Quick Survey responses in total from the outreach events.

FINDING THE RIGHT SPOT

Most respondents (81%) find it easy to navigate to City-owned public parking. However, a small percentage still face difficulties, pointing to potential areas for improvement in wayfinding signage or digital navigation aids.

Navigation to city parking graphic, 81% easy, 19% hard.

ON-STREET PARKING

Finding on-street parking appears to be a challenge, as more than a third of respondents (37%) cannot fnd parking, indicating high demand or insufcient supply of on-street spaces. In turn, 32% find parking immediately and 24% circle one or two blocks before finding parking.

On-street ease of finding parking graphic: 32% immediate, 37% takes longer, 24% circle blocks to park.

NAVIGATION APPS

While a majority of survey respondents (78%) do not use any navigation apps, the one-fifth that do (22%) may indicate an opportunity to integrate parking availability data into these platforms to further improve user experience.

78% don't use apps to find parking, 22% want apps to show parking data.

OFF-STREET PARKING

Of-street parking seems much easier to fnd than on-street parking, with two-thirds (67%) of survey respondents fnding spots right away. This suggests that of-street facilities may be better utilized or promoted as a solution to alleviate on-street parking issues.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY

The Community Engagement Survey was a comprehensive survey administered and released to residents, business owners, employees, and customers. The purpose of this survey was to allow the public additional opportunities to provide their feedback on parking in the City of Tampa. Questions related to how often people park in the City, where they park in the City, facility preference, willingness to pay for parking, and desired improvements. Respondents completed 286 Community Engagement Surveys.

WHERE THEY WORK

7 out of 10 survey respondents work or attend school in Downtown Tampa.

7 green figures labeled "Work in Tampa," 3 blue figures labeled "Work Outside Tampa."

WHERE THEY PARK

City-owned garages or lots are favored by 73%of respondents, with on-street parking chosen by 14%. Only 9% prefer private garages.

Where city of tampa parkers park: 73% in city-owned garages: 9% in privately-owned garages, and on-street: 14%.

HOW OFTEN THEY PARK

Most respondents (45%) park in public facilities 5 days per week, while 14% park 3 days a week.

45% park 5 days weekly; 14% park 3 days weekly, chart format.

WHY THEY VISIT

The primary reason survey respondents visit Tampa is for work (86%). Dining (4%) and entertainment (4%) were also cited but ranked significantly lower.

86% work, 4% dining, 4% entertainment; bar chart of why people park in tampa.

WHERE THEY LIVE

A significant number of survey respondents (51%) live outside the City of Tampa but commute for work, while others live in Downtown Tampa, Tampa Heights, Hyde Park, and West Tampa.

City of Tampa parker residency graphic: 51% outside, 49% inside.

HOW MUCH THEY PAY

About 32% of survey respondents pay $2 per hour for parking at a public or private garage or lot while 19% likely using free or employer-subsidized options

Bar chart showing parking rates: $0 at 42%, $2/HR at 32%, $5/HR+ at 19%. Note about Tampa facilities.

WORK TRENDS

Only 29% of respondents work in the ofce full time, while 48% work from home 2-3 days per week, suggesting fexibility in parking demand.

Working from home chart: 29% never, 48% work 2-3 days/week.

PERMIT HOLDER SURVEY

The Permit Holder Survey was released to individuals with parking permits with the City of Tampa. The purpose of this survey was to gather information on the City of Tampa parking experience from a permit holder’s perspective. Questions related to parking facilities the permit holder uses, the type of permit they have, and the types of improvements they would like to see were asked to 181 permit holders who completed the survey.

WHERE THEY PARK

About 7 out of 10 survey respondents who are parking permit holders park in a garage, with the remainder parking in a surface lot. The most common garages are Fort Brooke and Whiting Garages.

7 out of 10 cars park in a garage, 75% in blue, 25% in green.

USAGE PATTERNS

For the vast majority of survey respondents (92%), the primary reason for parking is employee parking.

Three stylized figures and text: "92% Employee Parking."

SATISFACTION LEVEL

Most survey respondents are satisfed with their parking experience (69%). However, a notable 15% indicated dissatisfaction. Overall, 76% (181 respondents) of survey respondents find it easy to park and would recommend City of Tampa parking facilities to others.

Award graphic with "Parking Experience: 69% Satisfied".

WALKING DISTANCE

Most respondents park within a convenient walking distance to the ofce (60%), with fewer facing extended walks from their parking space to their destination (more than 10 minutes).

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT

When ranking 1-10, survey respondents highlight parking availability (8.45), improved cleanliness (7.70), and better signage (6.81) as key areas for improvement. They also show an interest in technology to improve parking availability visibility and convenience.

Parking and navigation graphic with icons for spaces, signage, cleanliness, technology.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY (RESULTS TABLES) ¶

Q1. Select the location that aligns most with your primary residence.
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Armature Works	2.43%	7
Central Park District	0.35%	1
Channel District	1.04%	3
Davis Islands	0.69%	2
Downtown	11.46%	33
Grand Central	0%	0
Hyde Park	4.86%	14
Tampa Heights	5.21%	15
Water Street	1.04%	3
West Tampa	4.51%	13
Ybor City	4.17%	12
Outside of Tampa but Commute for Work	51.04%	147
Visiting	0%	0
Other	13.19%	38

Q2. Select the location that most closely aligns with your work or school.
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Armature Works	0.69%	2
Central Park District	0%	0
Channel District	2.43%	7
Davis Islands	0.35%	1
Downtown	69.1%	199
Grand Central	0%	0
Hyde Park	3.13%	9
Tampa Heights	1.74%	5
Water Street	6.6%	19
West Tampa	0.69%	2
Ybor City	7.29%	21
Visiting	0.69%	2
Other	7.29%	21

Q3. Please rank the reasons why you visit most (with 1 being the most common and 5 being the least common reason).
Answer Choices	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Score
Work	249	16	4	2	5	12	288	4.62
Dining	22	129	54	44	34	5	288	3.16
Shopping	3	9	69	36	58	113	288	1.35
Entertainment	9	91	69	95	13	11	288	2.84
Special Events	2	28	53	60	116	29	288	1.8

Q4. In a typical week, how often do you use public parking spaces?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
1 day per week	13.54%	39
2 days pper week	6.25%	18
3 days per week	13.89%	40
4 days per week	11.81%	34
5 days per week	45.49%	131
6 days per week	2.43%	7
7 days per week	6.6%	19

Q5. Please select your preferred public parking location.
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
On-Street Parking	13.54%	39
City-Owned Garage or Lot	72.92%	210
Private Garage or Lot	9.38%	27
Bike Parking	3.47%	10
I Don't Use Parking	0.69%	2

Q6. Please rank the reasons why you choose to use on-street parking (with 1 being the most important).
Answer Choices	1	2	3	4	5	Total	Score
There are spaces available	6	7	10	3	5	31	3.19
It the cheapest option	7	3	6	7	8	31	2.81
I feel the safest using on-street parking	3	6	7	6	9	31	2.61
It is easy to use	3	11	7	7	3	31	3.13
It is the closest to my destination	12	4	1	8	6	31	3.26

Q7. When using on-street parking, is the signage easy to understand?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Very Easy	54.84%	17
Moderately Easy	38.71%	12
Not Easy	6.45%	2
Other	0%	0

Q10. How often do you work from home?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
1 day per week	0%	0
2 days per week	25.81%	8
3 days per week	22.58%	7
4 days per week	3.23%	1
5 days per week	19.35%	6
I do not work from home	29.03%	9

Q12. When using on-street parking after 6pm, is it difficult to find available spaces?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Very Easy	19.35%	6
Moderately Difficult	64.52%	20
Not Difficult	16.13%	5

Q15. When you DO NOT use on-street parking, how much do you pay per hour to park in a garage or lot?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
$2/HR	33.26%	10
$3/HR	6.45%	2
$4/HR	0%	0
$5+/HR	19.35%	6
I would not pay	41.94%	13

Q17 Overall, how satisfied are you with your on-street parking experience?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Very Satisfied	29.03%	9
Slightly Satisfied	38.71%	12
Neutral	12.09%	4
Slightly Dissatisfied	6.45%	2
Very Dissatisfied	12.9%	4

Q9. When using on-street parking, how long is your typical session?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Less than 1 hour	6.45%	2
1-2 hours	35.48%	11
2-4 hours	41.94%	13
4+ hours	16.13%	5

Q11. What time do you typically need to use on-street parking?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Morning (6am-11am)	35.48%	11
Afternoon (12pm-4pm)	48.39%	15
Evening (5pm-8pm)	64.52%	20
Late Evening (9pm-2am)	22.58%	7
Early Morning (3am-5am)	6.45%	2

Q14. when using on-street parking spaces, how quickly are you able to find an available space?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Less than 5 minutes	25.81%	8
5-10 minutes	58.06%	18
More than 10 minutes	9.68%	3
I cannot find on-street parking	6.45%	2

Q16. If you knew a parking space would always be available, how much would you pay per hour to park on-street?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
$2/HR	41.94%	13
$3/HR	22.58%	7
$4/HR	12.9%	4
$5+/HR	0%	0
I would not pay	22.58%	7

Q19. What improvements would you like to see in the on-street parking system (Rank with 1 being most important)?
Answer Choices	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total	Score
Having more spaces available	17	4	7	1	1	1	0	31	6.03
More technology options	3	9	5	5	3	5	1	31	4.52
Knowing the location of available parking spaces	10	8	6	4	1	2	0	31	5.52
Improved signage	0	1	8	10	11	1	0	31	3.9
Permits for long-term parking	0	4	1	8	9	6	3	31	3.32
Electric vehicle charging opportunities	0	1	0	1	3	12	14	31	1.84
Ability to reserve an on-street space ahead of time	1	4	4	2	3	4	13	31	2.87

Q21. Please rank the reasons why you choose public off-street parking (1 being most important).
Answer Choices	1	2	3	4	5	Total	Score
There are spaces available	44	59	38	15	5	161	3.76
It is the cheapest option	42	33	24	26	36	161	3.12
I feel the safest using public off-street parking	15	8	37	47	54	131	2.27
It is easy to use	11	37	40	49	24	131	2.76
It is the closest to my destination	49	24	22	24	42	161	3.09

Q22. When using public off-street parking, is the signage easy to understand?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Very Easy	47.83%	77
Moderately Easy	49.07%	79
Not Easy	3.11%	5

Q25. How often do you work from home?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
1 day per week	14.91%	24
2 days per week	24.84%	40
3 days per week	2.48%	4
4 days per week	0.62%	1
5 days per week	4.97%	8
I do not work from home	52.17	84

Q27. When using public off-street parking after 6pm, is it difficult to find any available spaces?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Very Easy	18.63%	30
Moderately Difficult	42.24%	68
Not Difficult	39.13%	63

Q24. When using public off-street parking, how long is your typical parking session?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Less than 1 hour	3.73%	6
1-2 hours	13.04%	21
2-4 hours	8.7%	14
4+ hours	74.53%	120

Q26. What time do you typically need to use city-owned public off-street parking?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Morning (6am-11am)	80.12%	129
Afternoon (12pm-4pm)	70.81%	114
Evening (5pm-8pm)	50.31%	81
Late Evening (9pm-2am)	11.18%	18
Early Morning (3am-5am)	3.73%	6

Q29. When using public off-street parking spaces, how quickly are you able to find a space?
Answer Choices		Responses
Less than 5 minutes	58.39%	94
5-10 minutes	31.68%	51
More than 10 minutes	6.83%	11
I cannot find public off-street parking	3.11%	5

Q30. If you knew a parking space would always be available, how much would you pay per hour to park off-street?
Answer Choices		Responses
$2/HR	50.93%	82
$3/HR	14.29%	23
$4/HR	5.59%	9
$5+/HR	1.24%	2
I would not pay	27.95%	45

Q31. Overall, how satisfied are you with your public off-street parking experience?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Very Satisfied	34.16%	55
Slightly Satisfied	26.09%	42
Neutral	25.47%	41
Slightly Dissatisfied	11.18%	18
Very Dissatisfied	3.11%	5

Q34. What improvements would you like to see in the off-street parking system? (1 being most important)
Answer Choices	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Score
Having more spaces available	66	28	21	20	11	8	4	0	3	0	161	8.37
Improved cleanliness	18	42	29	31	13	14	7	4	1	2	161	7.45
Improved signage	9	17	40	32	27	18	11	5	1	1	161	6.84
Knowing the location of available parking spaces	23	29	21	39	26	9	8	1	4	1	161	7.31
More technology	8	16	23	12	49	35	7	5	5	1	161	6.3
Better lighting	12	12	11	14	19	53	27	8	3	2	161	5.8
Permits for long-term parking	14	9	6	7	8	12	72	22	8	3	161	4.96
Murals, artwork, activation	1	3	5	1	6	6	17	97	17	8	161	3.42
Bike parking	1	3	2	4	1	1	6	10	105	28	161	2.39
Electric vehicle charging	9	2	3	1	1	5	2	9	14	115	161	2.16

PERMIT HOLDER SURVEY (RESULTS TABLES) ¶

Q1. What type of City of Tampa public parking facility do you use?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Surface Lot	25.29%	130
Parking Garage	74.71%	384

Q3. What type of permit do you have?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Unrestricted Monthly Permit	59.11%	240
Restricted Monthly Permit	10.84%	44
Reserved Monthly Permit	4.68%	19
Limited Access Monthly Permit	25.37%	103

Q5. Overall, how satisfied are you with your public parking experience?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Very Satisfied	40.64%	165
Slightly Satisfied	28.08%	114
Neutral	16.01%	65
Slightly Dissatisfied	10.59%	43
Very Dissatisfied	4.68%	19

Q2. Which City of Tampa surface parking lot do you have a monthly pass for.
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
1420 Lot	11.29%	14
Interstate Lots	24.19%	30
Pierce Street Lot	12.1%	15
Scott Street Lot	5.65%	7
Selmon Expressway Lots	37.1%	46
Zack Street Lot	10.48%	13

Q4. Which City of Tampa parking garage do you possess a monthly permit to?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Centro Ybor Parking Garage	5.19%	19
Fort Brooke Parking Garage	27.6%	101
Palm Fernando Parking Garage	6.01%	22
Pam Iorio Parking Garage	13.66%	50
Twiggs Parking Garage	10.66%	39
Whiting Parking Garage	24.59%	90
Poe Parking Garage	12.3%	45

Q7. What improvements would you like to see in the off-street parking system (1 being most important)?
Answer Choices	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Score
Having more spaces available	170	80	52	36	32	18	10	5	2	1	406	8.45
Improved Signage	19	37	97	107	55	51	19	14	6	1	406	6.81
Knowing the location of available parking spaces	47	75	59	103	64	29	14	7	6	2	406	7.29
More Technology	32	47	42	50	103	75	28	21	4	4	406	6.43
Better Lighting	33	47	43	38	62	126	32	18	2	5	406	6.3
Public Art	5	8	11	5	19	30	182	80	42	24	406	3.9
Bicycle Parking	3	3	6	9	5	12	43	197	92	36	406	3.06
Electric Vehicle Charging	16	5	9	7	11	11	31	35	201	80	406	2.85
Activation of the Parking Garages/Lots	4	5	8	7	12	18	31	24	48	249	406	2.22

Q8. When parking at a city-owned public parking lot or garage, how safe do you feel?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Very Safe	19.46%	79
Safe	41.38%	168
Neutral	30.79%	125
Unsafe	7.64%	31
Very Unsafe	0.74%	3

Q. Parking signage at City-Owned public parking facilities is easy to understand.
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Strongly Agree	16.26%	66
Agree	51.23%	208
Neither Agree Nor Disagree	22.66%	92
Strongly Disagree	0.99%	4

Q. City of Tampa parking staff are friendly, helpful, and prioritize customer service.
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Strongly Agree	22.66%	92
Agree	34.24%	139
Neither Agree Nor Disagree	31.53%	128
Disagree	8.87%	36
Strongly Disagree	2.71%	11

Q. What is the primary reason your park in a City of Tampa parking facility?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Residential Parking	2.96%	12
Employee Parking	91.63%	372
Other	5.42%	22

Do your visitors have to pay for parking?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Yes	100%	11
No	0%	0

Q. What are the typical hours you park in the facility?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
7am-4pm	24.18%	88
8am-5pm	44.51%	162
9am-6pm	19.51%	71
Other	25.55%	93

Q. How often do you park in the facility on weekends?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Never	30.77%	112
Occasionally	43.41%	158
Sometimes	15.93%	58
Often	4.67%	17
Very Often	5.22%	19

Q. The lighting of City of Tampa public parking facilities is satisfactory.
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Strongly Agree	11.82%	48
Agree	44.33%	180
Neither Agree Nor Disagree	22.91%	93
Disagree	17.73%	72
Strongly Disagree	3.2%	13

Q. I would recommend a City of Tampa public parking facility to a friend or colleague.
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Strongly Agree	26.35%	107
Agree	49.75%	202
Neither Agree Nor Disagree	18.47%	75
Disagree	2.71%	11
Strongly Disagree	2.71%	11

Q. What are the typical hours that you park on a public street?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
5pm-8am	36.36%	4
8am-5pm	18.18%	2
All Day	45.45%	5

Q. How far of a walk is your office from your parking facility?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Less than 2 minutes	24.73%	90
Less than 5 minutes	34.89%	127
5-10 minutes	35.71%	130
More than 10 minutes	4.67%	17

Q. How often do you work from home?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
1 day per week	12.36%	45
2 days per week	24.73%	90
3 days per week	6.04%	22
4 days per week	0.27%	1
5 days per week	4.95%	18
I do not work from home	51.65%	188

Q. What improvements would you like to see in your parking facility?
Answer Choices	Response %	Responses
Having more spaces available	32.97%	120
Improved cleanliness	35.71%	130
Improved signage	19.51%	71
Knowing the location of available parking spaces	37.64%	137
More technology	21.43%	78
Better lighting	37.36%	136
Murals, artwork, activation	21.15%	77
Bicycle Parking	5.22%	19
Electric vehicle charging	9.34%	34
Other	26.92%	98