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MACON, GA.
Officials in Bibb County are considering installing parking meters in downtown Macon.
WMAZ-TV (Parking meters could come to downtown Macon | 13wmaz.com ) reports that a proposal by the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority seeks to install meters at marked parking spaces along the streets of downtown Macon.
According to the proposal, the revenue generated from the meters would pay for the project and would also go toward streetscape improvements. The meters would be monitored by a parking enforcement officer.
Downtown business owner Brian Ochoa says the meters can help free up parking spots, which could encourage more people to stop and eat downtown.
Macon-Bibb County commissioners debated a sweeping change that would give the Urban Development Authority control of overseeing downtown parking. The measure is expected to return before commissioners on Nov. 8 after it failed to garner enough votes to move forward Tuesday.
Installing parking meters was among the recommendations of the Macon Action Plan, which details ways to improve the city’s core. The development authority’s proposal is to add meters along several of downtown’s busiest streets, such as Cherry and Mulberry. There could be a $1 an hour charge during certain periods and a $10 fine for going over the time limit.
Current on-street parking regulations are a two-hour limit for many of the downtown spaces. But with just two parking enforcement officers patrolling downtown, it’s been tough to handle an area that size, Sheriff David Davis said.
Downtown Macon needs to create “turnover” for businesses, as recent data show the average vehicle is in a parking space for more than two hours at a time. In some areas in the heart of downtown, though, it’s four to five hours, said Mark de la Vergne, a transportation planner with Sam Schwartz.
“This same issue has been in downtown for 25 years,” he said. “As the urban core continues to boom, the issue becomes more exacerbated.”
Officials agreed Tuesday that more enforcement and encouraging the use of parking garages and decks would be instrumental in solving some of the parking concerns. One development authority idea is possibly providing permits for residents to park in designated areas, according to the resolution.
There are 1,260 on-street parking spaces and 4,600 off-street parking spaces downtown.
Commissioner Elaine Lucas wanted more information and input from people who shop downtown before deciding. She also questioned having the UDA oversee parking when government officials will receive blame if problems arise. The development authority is a separate entity from Macon-Bibb, but it receives funding from the county.
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