City Department of Transportation’s Proposed Fiscal year 2023 Budget Reflects Economy’s Bounce Back

The Department of Transportation is proposing a $38.550 million budget for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. This is 1.7% higher from this year’s budget of $37.911 million.

“The slight change recommended in 2023 really reflects the bounce back of the economy — bounce back of the parking demands throughout the city, usage of our transit facilities and services, as well as increased developments and review of entitlement projects,” Alex Hernandez of the Department of Transportation, said during the meeting of the Municipal Services Committee on Tuesday, May 10.

According to Hernandez, of the total budget, $18.401 million will go to the Parking Division, responsible for maintaining nine city-owned parking garages.

The Transit Division will receive an allocation of $15.794 million. A total of $3.609 million will go to the Mobility Engineering and Operations Division while $746,000 will go to the Administration Division.

Hernandez said the department is proposing new fees including the Transportation Plan Check Fee and various parking fees for FY 2023.

“In terms of taking operations of Plaza Las Fuentes garage, we would like to have in the city’s fee schedule, a fee for valet service, as well as the hotel event usage,” Hernandez said.

Fees for in and out privileges for parking garages and reserved monthly parking which would entitle a customer a dedicated spot at city-owned parking spaces are also being proposed by the department.

Transportation Director Laura Rubio-Cornejo reported that during FY 2022, the department’s Transit Division issued over 4,000 annual parking permits, 1,775 preferential permits and nearly 300 surface lot permits.

It also awarded a three-year contract worth $9.029 million with Parking Concepts Inc. for the management, operation and maintenance of all the nine city-owned parking structures. Previously, the parking garages were being operated by three separate contracted vendors.

Rubio-Cornejo also reported that in FY 2022, the Transit Division secured $250,000 to reimburse for COVID-related expenses and $175,000 for bus stop improvements.

It also joined Metro’s GoPass K-14 pilot program allowing students to access public transport for free from February 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.

During the 2022 fiscal year, the Mobility Planning, Engineering and Operations Division completed the Local Road Safety Plan and Safe Routes to School program. It also completed over 280 traffic investigations, over 130 traffic work orders, and reviewed over 210 traffic control plans, according to Cornejo.

Meanwhile, Rubio-Cornejo said the proposed 2023 budget of the department will support priority projects such as restoration of parking enforcement service levels, the completion of Zero Emission Bus Study and the year-round campaign for road safety awareness and education, among other projects.