Dear Chairman Jim Beall (Senate Committee on Transportation), Vice Chairwoman Patricia C. Bates, Chairman Jim Frazier (Assembly Committee on Transportation), and Vice Chairman Vince Fong,

The Issue
Due to the absolute lack of available and affordable street parking, lack of monthly parking passes for state and city lots, and the slow waitlist/lottery process for lots, many state (and non-state) employees parked at the daily lot located at 6th/8th & W Street, despite it being a 15 minute walk away from most state buildings.

On February 24th, the 6th/8th & W Street lot transitioned from a daily to monthly lot with a week's notice that many did not receive.


The Impact
It is irresponsible, unreasonable, and illogical for the state to not expand parking and instead, limit the amount of daily lots. The State of California continues to expand its recruitment methods, offering various add-ons to benefit packages and competitive wages, then does not provide reasonable avenues for employees to reach their place of livelihood in a timely manner.

We understand that parking is difficult and congested in the downtown area of any city. However, this lot's transition was unnecessary. Many state employees are on numerous waitlists for parking with both the state and city, if not for months, then for years. Even many bureau chiefs, in all their years of service to the state, have not received parking. Others park incredibly far and walk to work. In my personal experience as a state worker in several states, I have found parking in Sacramento to be the most difficult and expensive. Many coworkers throughout our buildings at the California Department of Social Services often have to come in late because they were struggling with parking or had to park and walk over a mile to our office. 

External stakeholders prefer to host meetings at their own offices to avoid having to park around our building. They have been late to meetings we hold at headquarters due to the lack of parking. Employees are forced to leave their offices to move their cars every two hours when they can only find parking in two hour parking slots. That is four times throughout an average workday, not only leaving the office, but being forced to drive and search for additional parking or pay a $40 ticket. Is this the way a city full of state buildings for public and social services should operate? Does it not only substantiate claims of the inefficiency of the state? What message does it send to its employees?

The Inefficacy of the Voucher & Parking as Accessibility
The state offers a reasonable voucher for public transportation. However, public transport should be an option, not a mandatory form of transportation in order for someone, who may have various personal, professional, or health commitments before coming to work, to reach their place of employment. Many areas in Sacramento are also not accessible to services such as Regional Transit's "A Neighborhood Ride".

Additionally, assuming all employees can access public transportation is an ableist assumption. Assuming all employees can park in the available lots and walk over 30 minutes to work is an ableist assumption. Assuming employees can afford to pay for parking in a distant lot and daily pay for bikes or scooters, which are already limited, or even physically utilize them, is a disturbing assumption. It also discounts the many tasks which needs completion and a car prior to work, e.g. dropping children off at school, errands, doctor's appointments, personal well-being activities such as the gym. The cost of public transportation may also not be accessible to all, particularly if multiple transfers are needed. 

In Sum
We are asking that we stop putting further roadblocks in place for employees to merely attend to their livelihoods. In addition to burn out, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma that many who work for the state experience, workers are stressing with justified reason whether they may be ticketed for their parking or will reach work on time. 

Please consider passing legislation to expand the accessibility of lots, create more affordable, flat rate parking, and help us do our jobs efficiently and on time. Parking even in the outskirts of downtown Sacramento has been such an absolute nightmare that impacts people’s time and productivity at work, ability to make it to work, and well-being. We hope the legislature takes the needs of its public servants seriously, particularly when they are asking for support in merely parking near their offices in order for them to serve to the best of their capacity.