A Draft Downtown Sonoma Parking Study was prepared by the City and W-Trans in 2017. The 2017 study analyzed the area bounded by the Sonoma Bike Path to the north, Patten Street to the south, 2nd Street West, and 2nd Street East. In addition to on-street parking, the study considered the usage of two public parking lots, but no private off-street lots were included in this prior study.
The current study builds on the 2017 parking study, the data for which was collected in 2014. Patterns of commuting, visiting, and travel for other purposes have been in flux since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as of April 2022 travel conditions had not fully reverted to historical patterns. Since the parking data was collected prior to the pandemic, it is assumed to represent “typical” conditions and serve as a viable basis for planning purposes.