Burlington takes parking into the future

• About 50 to 60 people attended a parking forum in Burlington last week.
• A survey of downtown parking concluded that current parking enforcement seems to be "effective."
• Residents can give input online through Dec. 14 using the link http://btvparking.maptool.rsginc.com.

Parking is an emotional topic, Burlington Director of Public Works Chapin Spencer has said, and it showed when 50 to 60 area residents crowded into City Hall for a public forum on that topic last week.

Some came with specific grievances while others attended to give feedback about the changes to parking that had been made so far.

For this reporter in particular, who stands at 4 feet 9 inches, curiosity about the height of the parking meters and whether they might be lowered sparked interest in the meeting. (Many new meters are above the vision line of this reporter, even when on tiptoes.)

Suggestions from last Wednesday's meeting as well as on the interactive map available online will be used in forming an updated parking plan. The updated plan, slated to be drafted in January and finished by spring 2015, will focus on both downtown and residential parking.

While the downtown parking plan has been changing, Spencer said the residential parking plan has not been updated in decades. The goal of the study is producing a parking layout and guidelines that will last the city for years into the future, Spencer said.

"These are important conversations," he said the morning after the forum. "The downtown should be a place for everybody, and while we are looking at marketplace pricing to create turnover in high-demand places, it doesn't mean that parking everywhere downtown should be priced to premium. We need to have variability and options so depending on who you are and what motivates you, there is a type of parking for you."

A first wave of changes was enacted on Nov. 1. Parking rates for both garages and meters increased, and the time frame during which one would have to pay for metered parking is now enforced until 10 p.m. Also, meters that took both credit cards and coins were installed.

This year's changes are intended to beef up the city's depleted traffic fund with $493,000 in annual revenue, pay for critical parking garage repairs, and make the parking system more efficient and sustainable overall.

Newer versions of the card-enabled meters were installed by the DPW last week prior to the forum. Spencer said about two-thirds of meters downtown still accept coins only.

EARLIER COVERAGE:

Burlington delays parking rate changes

And there's good news for those who are vertically challenged like this reporter — Pat Buteau, the assistant director of parking and maintenance said the DPW will begin lowering meters to at least 4 feet 4 inches on Monday, weather-permitting. Those who get a ticket in the meantime can contact the DPW, Spencer said.

At the forum on Wednesday, consultants presented the work that has been done so far, and findings that have been made through various observations. Where downtown parking is concerned, consultants found that office uses drive parking demand during the week and retail drives demand on the weekend. Overall, current enforcement seems to be "effective," the observations concluded.

The residential parking survey found that there was over-utilized parking in areas boxed in by South Union Street, Pearl Street, South Willard Street and Main Street, and that fewer permit-holders in the area meant non-residents were more likely to park their cars for the whole day. In the area boxed in by Main Street, South Willard Street, Cliff Street and University Terrace-area, parking is under-utilized by those with residential permits, and there appears to be a desire by non-residents to park there, the survey concluded.

As far as a next wave of changes, Richard Deane, a Burlington architect and member of the Burlington Business Association, said he hopes this study will help solve current issues about parking so the city can begin to focus on other things. Deane attended the parking forum on Wednesday, and he said the parking issue has been on the table for years.

"I'd like to talk about something else other than parking in Burlington," Deane said. "It's such a hot-button issue. The objective in all of this is to get past this so we can talk about safety and security, the funds, and all of these other developments in Burlington and understand that parking has been handled."

Winooski resident John Mowad also attended the forum to voice his concerns about the increased prices. Mowad, a Burlington business-owner, said that if the prices deter him from parking downtown, they will also deter others. As a veteran, he said there should be a special rate for veterans. He also thinks all meters should be free after 6 p.m. again.

"I understand that prices go up, and I'm not likely to use a credit card, but if they increase prices, maybe there should be a lower rate," Mowad said, offering an example. "It should be a 20 percent increase instead of 50 percent. But, that's still a lot."

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LizMurraySMC.

Those interested in submitting feedback until Dec. 14 can visit http://btvparking.maptool.rsginc.com.