Narragansett Avenue
Cliff Walk Trail Head
Parking Meter Study
Francis Marinaccio
City of Newport
Dept. of Public Services
280 Spring Street
Newport, RI 02840
Introduction
The City of Newport’s Department of Public Services has begun a project to install a trail head and
permanent restroom structure on the Cliff Walk at the end of Narragansett Avenue (Forty Steps). The
project will create a trail head area that includes the new restroom facility, a drinking fountain and
bottle filler, bike racks, interpretative signage, roadway resurfacing and striping, and a new sidewalk
along Narragansett Avenue. The metering of parking in this general area will help to offset maintenance
costs to keep the new restrooms and park amenities clean and serviceable.
The City’s Interdepartmental Traffic Committee (ITC) has discussed the possible addition of parking
meters along the corridor and recommends using pay and display machines from Annandale Road
easterly to the Dead End and restricting parking from Annandale Road westerly in the other direction to
Bellevue Avenue.
The revenue calculated in this report is based on this recommendation and transportation engineering
industry practices.
Figure 1: General Assessment area for Metered Parking
Background
The current parking configuration in this general area is un-metered. Current parking ordinances restrict
parking during certain times and also include time limits.
Narragansett Avenue City Parking Ordinances:
Section 1: Ochre Point Avenue to Dead End
1. No motor vehicles shall be parked for longer than four hours on either side between the
hours of 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM (10.24.050).
2. No person shall park a vehicle between the hours of 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM of the following
day on either side (10.24.020).
Section 2: Ochre Point Avenue to Annandale Road
1. No person shall park a vehicle between the hours of 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM on either side
(10.24.020).
Section 3: Annandale Road to Bellevue Avenue
1. No person shall park a vehicle between the hours of 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM on either side
(10.24.020).
The Interdepartmental Traffic Committee (ITC) reviewed the project limits and suggests amending the
ordinance to include “No Parking Any Time” on Narragansett Avenue on the north side from Bellevue
Avenue to Ochre Point Avenue and on the south side from Bellevue Avenue to Annandale Road.
Currently there is “No Parking” on either side of Ochre Point Avenue from Narragansett Avenue to Leroy
Avenue and on either side of Annandale Road from Narragansett Avenue to Parker Avenue.
Parking
From
Annandale
Ochre Point
Ochre Point
Ochre Point
Ochre Point
Ochre Point
To
Side
STA Start STA End Length
Ochre Point South
821
1111
290
Dead End
North
1220
1282
62
Dead End
North
1338
1510
172
Dead End
North
1536
1800
264
Dead End
South
1215
1365
150
Dead End
South
1450
1800
350
Table 1: Available Parking Areas
The table above shows the available parking areas on Narragansett Avenue from Annandale Road
stretching easterly to the Dead End near Forty Steps.
Places where parking is not allowed genereally under any circumstances include intersections
(Narragansett Avenue at Annandale Road and Narragansett Avenue at Ochre Point Avenue), private
driveways including five feet on either side, and fire hydrant locations (eight feet on either side). These
parking areas are configured with two 20’ spaces on either end with 22’ spaces in the middle to facilitate
parallel parking.
Equation 1: Parking Space Calculation
Where
N: Number of Parking Spaces
L: Length of Parking Area
Using this formula, the number of available parking spaces in the parking areas can be calculated. The
results can be found in Table 2: Available Parking Spaces. They are also represented graphically in Figure
2: Available Parking Areas and Spaces. The area can support a total of 59 parking spaces plus two
accessible parking spaces.
From
To
Side Length Spaces
Annandale Ochre Point South
290
13
Ochre Point Dead End North
62
3
Ochre Point Dead End North
172
8
Ochre Point Dead End North
264
12
Ochre Point Dead End South
150
7
Ochre Point Dead End South
350
16
Table 2: Available Parking Spaces
Figure 2: Available Parking Areas and Spaces
Parking Meter Revenue
The City has an ordinance that clearly states the seasons, times, and rates that meters operate.
Ordinance 10.20.210.A states that metering shall run from the time period of May 1st through October
31st of each year. Ordinance 10.20.210.B states that the meters shall not be in operation between the
hours of 9:00 PM and 9:00 AM. Ordinance 10.20.210.C states that the fee for the maximum parking time
shall be one dollar and twenty-five cents ($1.25) per hour, at increments of twenty-five cents ($0.25) for
twelve (12) minutes.
According to the ordinances, meters can run for 12 hours per day, for the 184 day season, at the rate of
one dollar and twenty-five cents ($1.25) per hour.
Equation 2: Expected Meter Revenue (per meter per season)
Where
Rm: Expected Meter Revenue
H: Hours per day
D: Days per season
Mr: Meter Rate per hour
The total revenue for one meter for the whole season is $1,656.00 per meter per season
(Rm=0.6*12*184*1.25). Extrapolating this figure to the available 59 parking spaces would yield
$97,704.00 in revenue per year if meters or a metering system were installed on Narragansett Avenue
from Annandale Road easterly to the Dead End.