The recently adopted Downtown Raleigh Economic Development Strategy recommends the City of Raleigh make parking policy adjustments to bring more people downtown. The City of Raleigh owns and operates several parking decks across Downtown Raleigh and has implemented a pilot program offering 2-hours of free parking in specific parking decks. Participating parking decks are colored yellow in the map below. The pilot program will currently end in February 2025 unless City Council acts to make it permanent. Downtown Raleigh Alliance and the City of Raleigh are looking for feedback from downtown small businesses on the pilot program. This survey will help inform policymakers as they weigh potential tradeoffs related to this program. Individual survey responses will remain confidential and will not be released in any way that could identify your business, organization, or institution.

This survey is meant for Downtown Raleigh storefront business owners and managers, there is a second survey for broad community feedback.

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2-Hour Free Parking Pilot Decks in Yellow

<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>2-Hour Free Parking Pilot Decks in <span style="color: #ffcc00;">Yellow</span></strong></div>

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* 1. Are you an owner or manager of a storefront or retail business in Downtown Raleigh?

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* 2. Do you own or manage a business within a five minute walk of a parking deck participating in the pilot program? City-owned parking decks participating in the pilot program are colored yellow in the map above.

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* 3. Please rate your level of agreement with the following statement: “My downtown business(es) is/are doing well.”

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* 4. Are you at risk of closing a downtown business within the next 12 months?

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* 5. How do you rate the overall quality of City-owned parking decks?

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* 6. Specifically in reference to City-owned parking decks, how would you rate their level of...

  Poor Below average Neutral Good Excellent Not sure
Cleanliness
Security
Lighting
Wayfinding / Signage
Ease of use

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* 7. What percentage of your customer base do you estimate park downtown when visiting your business(es)?

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* 8. The City of Raleigh is in the midst of a pilot program offering 2-hours of free parking in five City-owned parking decks. The pilot program will currently end in February 2025 unless City Council acts. Do you support this pilot program becoming permanent?

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* 9. If this pilot program were to become permanent as is, what impact do you think this would have on the overall health of your business?

The City of Raleigh estimates this program would produce an estimated $170,000 - $300,000 in lost parking revenue annually. As a result, the City of Raleigh is looking into ways to mitigate the revenue impact to the parking fund. Please review the list of revenue mitigation options below.
  • $5 at 5 for Fridays and Saturdays - Users parking in City-owned decks after 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays would pay a $5 flat fee.
  • $5 at 5 for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays - Users parking in City-owned decks after 5pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays would pay a $5 flat fee.
  • Extend paid hours from 7pm to 9pm - Users would be charged to park between 7am and 9pm Monday - Friday. Users are currently charged for parking between 7am and 7pm.
  • Extend paid days to include Saturday - Users would be charged to park in City-owned decks on Saturdays from 7am until 7pm, the city currently does not charge to park on Saturdays (except during special events).
  • Increase hourly rate in the decks and/or on-street - City Council would increase the hourly rate to park in City-owned decks and/or on-street. The hours would stay the same. The current rate is $2 per hour and is capped at $15 per day for City-owned decks. The current rate is $1.25 to $1.50 per hour for on-street in downtown.

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* 10. What impact would each individual revenue mitigation option have on your business(es)?

  Very negative Somewhat negative No impact Somewhat positive Very positive Not sure
$5 at 5 for Fridays and Saturdays
$5 at 5 for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
Extend paid hours from 7pm to 9pm
Extend paid days to include Saturday
Increase hourly rate in the decks and/or on-street

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* 11. To what degree would you support the following revenue mitigation measures?

  Strongly do not support Somewhat do not support Neutral Somewhat support Strongly support Not sure
$5 at 5 for Fridays and Saturdays
$5 at 5 for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
Extend paid hours from 7pm to 9pm
Extend paid days to include Saturday
Increase hourly rate in the decks and/or on-street

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* 12. Please rank each revenue mitigation option from most desirable to least, with 1 being the most desirable and 5 being the least desirable.

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* 13. How could the 2-hour free parking program be improved? Select up to two.

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* 14. How could the City of Raleigh improve City-owned parking decks downtown? You may select up to three.

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* 15. The City of Raleigh currently charges $10 in participating City-owned decks during Special Events. Special Event is defined as a large downtown activity which generates 10,000 or more attendees and typically involves most, if not all, of the City-owned parking decks. The revenue received is used for parking deck maintenance. Do you support the City of Raleigh charging a flat rate for special event parking downtown?

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* 16. Please rate your level of agreement with the following statement: “The 2-hour free parking policy should apply during special event surcharges.”

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* 17. The Small Business Parking Relief Program, created by the City of Raleigh, provides up to 10 free parking passes for employees per restaurant, retailer, and personal service business at several City-owned parking garages. This temporary program began in January of 2021. Do you support the City of Raleigh offering this program even if you do not participate in it?

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* 18. What type of business(es) do you own or manage in Downtown Raleigh? Select all that apply.

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* 19. (Optional) Please list the businesses you own or manage in Downtown Raleigh.

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