MONROE - The fate of a new parking ramp in downtown lies in the hands of the citizens and businesses of Monroe as a parking study firm hired by the Monroe Common Council begins a six-week study.
Rich & Associates, a Michigan company, began gathering information regarding parking in Monroe on Monday to come up with any possible recommendations for improvement downtown. A meeting was held Tuesday to inform the public of what the parking firm will be doing as well as opening up the tables for discussion.
"We're going to analyze parking for a better Monroe," Rich & Associates planning manager David Burr said.
The study will cover a 31-block area stretching from 13th Avenue in the west, 20th Avenue in the east, 8th Street to
the north and 13th Street to the south
to address any needs residents and
businesses have for parking.
Burr said he began talking to businesses in the downtown region to unwrap some of their parking needs.
"There's a lot of interest in economic development," he said in regards to providing more spaces for potential new businesses.
The existing "deteriorating" parking ramp on 11th Street, which is more than 40 years old, will be addressed in the findings in six weeks, Burr said.
While he said rebuilding a new parking ramp can exist for a long time with proper maintenance, the cost of maintaining a ramp will be a factor in deciding whether to replace it with a new structure or simply put a flat-top parking lot in its place.
"We're taking the existing streets and projects," Burr said, "and finding some possible solutions."
While Burr and his team will be making recommendations, it ultimately will be up to the common council to decide on a plan of action.
A possible recommendation that Burr and the team are looking into is making time-limited parking spaces in the downtown area. By adding a time limit to parking spaces, Burr said, it will make more spaces available to people throughout the day. However, he added it will be up to the city to enforce the new changes if his team recommends it.
Another area the firm is looking into is whether angle parking spaces are the best option. Burr said that if the city continues using angle parking in the downtown area, it greatly reduces the potential for more spaces. Furthermore, by added bicycle lanes, which was suggested for the City of Monroe Comprehensive Plan, parking spaces would be greatly reduced as well, he said.
"You use what you have as efficiently as possible," he said.
Burr said the most important elements that his team will keep in mind are making sure people's cars are safe where they are parked and ensuring safety for people getting from their cars to their destination.
"The whole idea of this study is to analyze the future of parking," he added.
Burr and his team plan to reveal their findings in less than two months at a Monroe Common Council meeting at a date to be determined.
"We'll be a lot more forward when we come back with numbers," he said.
Rich & Associates, a Michigan company, began gathering information regarding parking in Monroe on Monday to come up with any possible recommendations for improvement downtown. A meeting was held Tuesday to inform the public of what the parking firm will be doing as well as opening up the tables for discussion.
"We're going to analyze parking for a better Monroe," Rich & Associates planning manager David Burr said.
The study will cover a 31-block area stretching from 13th Avenue in the west, 20th Avenue in the east, 8th Street to
the north and 13th Street to the south
to address any needs residents and
businesses have for parking.
Burr said he began talking to businesses in the downtown region to unwrap some of their parking needs.
"There's a lot of interest in economic development," he said in regards to providing more spaces for potential new businesses.
The existing "deteriorating" parking ramp on 11th Street, which is more than 40 years old, will be addressed in the findings in six weeks, Burr said.
While he said rebuilding a new parking ramp can exist for a long time with proper maintenance, the cost of maintaining a ramp will be a factor in deciding whether to replace it with a new structure or simply put a flat-top parking lot in its place.
"We're taking the existing streets and projects," Burr said, "and finding some possible solutions."
While Burr and his team will be making recommendations, it ultimately will be up to the common council to decide on a plan of action.
A possible recommendation that Burr and the team are looking into is making time-limited parking spaces in the downtown area. By adding a time limit to parking spaces, Burr said, it will make more spaces available to people throughout the day. However, he added it will be up to the city to enforce the new changes if his team recommends it.
Another area the firm is looking into is whether angle parking spaces are the best option. Burr said that if the city continues using angle parking in the downtown area, it greatly reduces the potential for more spaces. Furthermore, by added bicycle lanes, which was suggested for the City of Monroe Comprehensive Plan, parking spaces would be greatly reduced as well, he said.
"You use what you have as efficiently as possible," he said.
Burr said the most important elements that his team will keep in mind are making sure people's cars are safe where they are parked and ensuring safety for people getting from their cars to their destination.
"The whole idea of this study is to analyze the future of parking," he added.
Burr and his team plan to reveal their findings in less than two months at a Monroe Common Council meeting at a date to be determined.
"We'll be a lot more forward when we come back with numbers," he said.