Parking Monitoring Project

In the spring of 2023, the City of Kirkland began a parking monitoring program in downtown Kirkland. The City will begin by monitoring parking stalls in one of the two City-owned lots in downtown, the Lake and Central Parking Lot. Then, if the technology is working properly, the program will expand to more sites: another City-owned parking lot downtown (the Lakeshore Lot near Marina Park), on-street parking stalls within the downtown area, and two City-owned lots along Lake Washington Boulevard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where will parking monitoring be located?

A: Monitoring will occur in the two City-owned parking lots downtown (the Lake and Central Lot and the Lakeshore Lot near Marina Park), in on-street parking stalls within the downtown core, and in two City-owned parking lots along Lake Washington Boulevard (Houghton Beach Park Lot and the Marsh Park Lot). Please see the project area map(PDF, 346KB) (also shown below). (The stall count shown for on-street parking is approximate.) The parking stalls near the intersection of Lake Street and Kirkland Way will not be monitored due to the construction activities for the Lake Street Pedestrian Scramble project.  

Map of locations of sensors for Kirkland downtown parking monitoring project

Q:  Why is the City collecting this data?

A:  To better understand parking utilization and turnover, and to have a data-driven approach to managing the limited parking in downtown Kirkland.

Q: What type of technology is being used to track parking data?

A:  Parking data will be tracked through in-ground sensors.

Q: What data is collected?

A: The sensors will only record the presence of a vehicle in a parking space, along with how long the vehicle is in that space. It does NOT capture or record any personal information, license plate information, or images.

Q:  Where are the sensors located?

A:  The sensors are installed underground in the center of each parking space.

Q:  How is the City going to use the data that is collected?

A:  The data will initially be used to track parking utilization and turnover so that the City can make informed decisions about how to better manage limited parking resources. The data could be used in the future to inform the public about parking availability through online or mobile applications.

Q:  When will the monitoring begin?

A:  The City will begin installation of the sensors in April 2023. It will take a couple months to complete. The parking monitoring project involves monitoring parking between July 1 and December 31, 2023. After this time, the City will decide how long to continue collecting data and what to do with the information moving forward. 

The parking monitoring technology uses sensors to record the presence/duration of a vehicle in a parking space. No personal information is captured about the vehicle (e.g., make, model, license plate number) and no photos or video are recorded; the devices are strictly for data purposes.