Special Program Balboa Park Parking & Circulation Jack - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Special Program

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Jack Carpenter

Original Park Design

• No cars in the plazas
• No cars on the Prado
• Access primarily by

street cars on Park Boulevard and Laurel

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

What Has Changed in 50 Years?

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Removal of cars on El Prado east (1972 / 1978)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Transfer of Navy Hospital lot (Inspiration Point) back to Balboa Park (1988)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Removed cars and create turn around at Plaza de Panama (2013)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Old Town Trolley service (exclusive until 2013)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Green tram system introduced (2013)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

San Diego Zoo employee garage (650 spaces; 2015)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

• Greater emphasis on mitigating impact of climate

change (City of San Diego Climate Action Plan, updated 2015)

• Greater sensitivity to addressing accessibility

challenges in public parks

• Increased use of bicycles and E-scooters
• Emergence of ride sharing (Uber & Lyft)

Recent Trends

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

New Opportunity

Plaza de Panama project broke the barrier

• f only free parking with

the possibility of funding garages with revenue bonds

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

What Has Been Planned?

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Jones & Jones (2004)

Available on FoBP website Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Civitas (2006)

Available on FoBP website Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Parking garage behind Spreckels Organ Pavilion (“Plaza de Panama”) CANCELLED

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Palisades Plan (1992 Precise Plan)

Available on FoBP website Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

South Palisades Plaza Reclamation Project (2019 Phase I)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Promenade Plan (2003 Precise Plan Amendment)

Available on FoBP website Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Other Concepts (unapproved)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Comprehensive Redesign of Intra-park Tram System *

* Reference tram circulation and frequency proposed by Jones & Jones (p 90)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

I-5 Freeway “lid”

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Federal Lot Lawn “Lid”

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Parking Garage in Gold Gulch

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Ron Roberts “Skytram” gondola

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Return of Balboa Park Street Cars (historic reproductions)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Anticipated Future Demands on Parking and Access

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Increased general park attendance

(currently 13M annually)

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

New Comic-Con Museum (2021 full opening) Rehabilitation of Starlight?

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Impact of Comic-Con Museum:

• 1. Extended hours in the park (evening activation)
• 2. Comic-Con’s appeal to demographics new to

Balboa Park

• 3. Surge attendance during Comic-Con

convention (July)

• 4. Revitalization of Palisades as anchor

destination

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

San Diego Zoo Growth and Lease Expansion

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Potential new uses at Inspiration Point

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

What Do We Want to Achieve?

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

• 1. Develop a new study with the political will to implement it
• 2. Construct the Zoo’s garage (Promenade plan)
• 3. Remove cars from entire Palisades; explore options for

existing Palisades parking offsets

• 4. Identify more opportunities to create more public open space
• 5. Elimination of “urban heat islands” (surface parking lots)
• 6. Explore garage in Gold Gulch and turn the existing Organ

Pavilion lot into park land / picnic area

• 7. Explore potential parking garages at Inspiration Point

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Proposal

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

• 1. Friends of Balboa Park will accept the leadership role to

serve as a catalyst to involve other interested parties, to get them out of their silos and work together

• 2. Strictly exploratory
• 3. No FoBP funds to be expended
• 4. Limit staff administrative time with volunteer leadership (Jack

Carpenter) and coordination

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Why Friends of Balboa Park?

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

• 1. Friends of Balboa Park has a reputation for getting things done
• 2. Closely aligned with Parks & Recreation Department, both

formally and informally

• 3. Strong political capital
• 4. Strong connections to local planning community

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Who Will Help Us?

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Potential Collaborators

• 1. Parks & Recreation Department
• 2. Committee of One Hundred
• 3. Pete Ellsworth, Legler Benbough Foundation
• 4. San Diego Zoo
• 5. Balboa Park Conservancy
• 6. Estrada Land Planning
• 7. Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
• 8. City Council District 3

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation

Potential Contributors

• 1. Urban Land Institute
• 2. NewSchool of Architecture
• 3. American Institute of Architects
• 4. Environment + Design Council
• 5. Society of Landscape Architects
• 6. San Diego Foundation

Balboa Park Parking & Circulation