Mesa City Council given update on downtown mobility and parking plan

Mesa is looking for a way to get residents moving into and around its downtown area.

The Mesa City Council was given an update on the draft for the Downtown Mesa Micro-Mobility and Parking Plan at their March 13 study session.

The plan is intended to enhance transportation options in downtown Mesa as the area grows, according to a presentation by the city’s Downtown Transformation team. The plan focuses on creating a sustainable, multimodal transportation network for interconnectivity as well as improved walkability, micromobility and shared parking solutions.

“Because of all the people living here, visiting here and working here, we want to make sure that people are able to get around our downtown comfortably and easily,” Downtown Transformation Specialist Anthony Rodriguez said during the study session. “We are creating a plan that focuses on making sure parking is available, multimodal transportation options, whether it be walking, a bike, scooter or whatever the future is going to bring are available as well, and that people can find their way around downtown easily and comfortably.”

Some project goals include:
• Fostering a welcome downtown environment without displacing residents;
• Integrating parking solutions that support and enhance downtown activity;
• Recommending infrastructure improvements to promote a multimodal downtown;
• Improving pedestrian and cyclists crossings at major intersections;
• Enhancing wayfinding systems in downtown;
• Identifying pedestrian amenity upgrades along Main Street;
• Enhancing light rail, bus and cyclist facilities and more.

The presentation also pointed out barriers to transforming downtown, such as the perception regarding the lack of parking, unsafe roads, few ways to access downtown, climate, and more.

Regarding the lack of parking, Councilmember Julie Spilsbury said more parking is mandatory no matter whether it is a perceived lack or an actual lack of parking. She said during the study session that without enough parking, people will miss out on what downtown has to offer, using one of her favorite restaurants as an example.

“It doesn’t matter how much I love this restaurant and how much I was excited to eat there that night,” Spilsbury said. “If we can’t find a parking spot that’s in a reasonable walking distance, I’m not going to eat there so I’ll go somewhere else.”

Stantec Senior Principal Ralph DeNisco, who collaborated with the Downtown Transformation team on this project, responded to Spilsbury’s hypothetical and said those types of challenges are factored in when it comes to how the plan will proceed.

“What you’re touching on is exactly what we’re trying to solve here,” DeNisco said. “We’re using this as a starting point of data...None of our data means you don’t have challenges that you need to overcome...our recommendations are using this as a starting point and trying to address all the things that you’re suggesting and many of them are things we’re gonna talk about.”

The project’s final report will be released at some point during spring 2025. A date of completion and cost of the project overall is currently unknown.