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The Birmingham Parking Authority Wednesday unveiled its new strategic plan to remake how it operates and to transform the parking experience for both residents and visitors in the downtown area. The authority also unveiled an updated website, as well as a new logo that will soon identify all BPA facilities, making the parking decks and lots more recognizable and accessible.
The process to create the Parking System Strategic Plan began in 2023 and included numerous planning sessions, stakeholder meetings, user surveys, extensive research and review. The plan is the blueprint that will guide the BPA as it makes significant changes in its operations and facilities.
“This is not an overnight project,” BPA Executive Director and CEO Andre Davis said. “There are some changes that customers and the public will see immediately, such as the improved website. Other changes will become apparent in the coming months as we improve signage and wayfinding and employ more customer-friendly technology. Some components of the plan will take years to fully implement as we expand our services and our footprint.”
Consultants from Kimley-Horn and Wood Solutions Group guided the development of the plan. Both are national planning, design and engineering firms.
Experts took an in-depth look at the Parking Authority’s current operations and compared BPA with parking systems in five peer cities outside Alabama. The plan recommends six “big moves”:
- Increase the value of the customer experience
- Optimize off-street operations
- Align rates with the Birmingham market
- Partner with outside owners to expand the BPA footprint
- Develop surface lots and manage future parking
- Consider integration of the on-street parking system
“Improving the customer experience – ensuring that parking downtown is convenient, affordable and hassle-free – is the cornerstone for everything we are attempting to do, and we are absolutely committed to it,” Davis said. “It starts with freshening up, modernizing and performing needed maintenance at our decks and lots, making it easier for patrons to locate and navigate through them, and using technology such as phone apps and digital maps to enhance convenience. There should be no guesswork in parking downtown at any of our facilities.”
Driving economic development in downtown also was a priority. The BPA drew on the suggestions and experiences of city leaders, residents and businesses, partnering with downtown advocates such as the City of Birmingham’s Office of Innovation and Economic Opportunity and REV Birmingham.
“Of course, our greatest partnership is with the City of Birmingham,” Davis said. “Mayor Randall Woodfin, the City Council, the city’s Transportation Department – everyone at City Hall – have been supportive of what we are doing and recognize the importance of safe, reliable and readily available parking to the continued growth of downtown.”
Mayor Woodfin applauded the BPA for taking an important step that will add to Birmingham’s appeal.
“Birmingham is the economic and cultural heart of Alabama. Exciting projects like the Coca-Cola Amphitheater and BJCC expansion, the Star at Uptown (at the former Carraway hospital site), and the restored historic A.G. Gaston Motel all showcase the city’s role as a cultural, entertainment, and sports destination,” Mayor Woodfin said. “This Strategic Parking Plan plays a key role in driving economic growth which benefits our residents and neighborhoods while making the city an even more attractive place to visit.”
City Council President Darrell O’Quinn said the plan will complement the city’s efforts to address the problem of vehicles being towed from private lots.
“The City Council passed an ordinance last year that requires parking lots to be more upfront and clear about their policies and provides new protections for the public against predatory towing practices and price gouging,” O’Quinn said. “Making BPA’s parking decks more identifiable and accessible gives visitors another parking option. It also lays the groundwork for, we hope, the eventual merging of on-street and off-street parking under one umbrella.”
The Birmingham Parking Authority operates seven parking decks and three surface parking lots in the downtown and surrounding areas, with more than 8,000 spaces combined. The City of Birmingham manages on-street parking, and there are close to 200 private parking lots in the downtown area.
One of the big moves in the Strategic Plan is looking into the possibility of the city delegating management of on-street parking to the BPA. That involves developing a business plan to evaluate impacts to the city and the BPA, and might require enabling legislation at both the city and state levels.
“That move will take some time to put into place,” Davis said. “But we certainly think that, in the long term, it makes sense. On-street parking and off-street parking complement each other. Having both under one management can make parking more seamless and improve the overall customer experience.
“A number of our peer cities operate under such a model, and we look forward to working with our city leaders to see if we can make that happen here.”
