Followup: New timeline for city’s Junction parking review

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We’ve been keeping you up to date on plans for the city’s “community-parking review” in The Junction — which ultimately will lead to a decision on whether changes are made in management of the parking spots managed by the city (pay stations? Residential Parking Zones on nearby streets? status quo?). We published our first report last February, when WSB went to the Municipal Tower downtown for the first media briefing on the plan; then in May, the city Transportation Department (SDOT) told us it expected to start the review in September — and in our May update, we included the West Seattle Junction Association‘s call for your comments on the parking situation. Now that it’s September, we checked with SDOT – and here’s what communications director Rick Sheridan told us about the parking review’s status, and how you’ll get to have a say:

SDOT originally planned to start its Junction community parking effort by the fall of 2008, but the project’s timeline has been pushed back a little. The work to assess and improve the Junction’s parking will still start in 2008. However, the bulk of the effort is now scheduled to occur in 2009 with implementation by the first quarter of 2010.

The neighborhood will be invited to walking tours and community meetings, which will help us gather feedback on neighborhood parking concerns. SDOT will mail out neighborhood-wide a postcard detailing the amended project schedule and highlighting opportunities for public participation (walking tours, selection of study blocks). We want to be aggressive in our outreach to maximize gathering community feedback, pinpointing specific areas of concern and developing a comprehensive Junction parking study.

The official city page for the Community Parking Program is here.

8 Replies to "Followup: New timeline for city's Junction parking review"

  • Scott September 11, 2008 (5:34 pm)

    Didn’t there used to be parking meters in the junction? Seems that there was a huge outcry from the business owners there about the folks not willing to pay for parking, and the resulting loss of business, that they were removed. Are we ready to visit that again?

  • Kara September 11, 2008 (6:28 pm)

    If it isn’t broken don’t fix it! I believe you are right Scott. I think I remember when I was younger there were parking meters.

  • Alvis September 11, 2008 (7:34 pm)

    I guarantee the SDOT parking study will determine the Junction has more spaces than it can use. Among the skewed factors in SDOT parking studies is the contention that business district parking is convenient and plentiful if there is an empty space anywhere within a QUARTER MILE of a driver’s destination.

    SDOT (then called SEATRAN) pulled that rabbit out of a hat about eight years ago when it “studied” the Admiral business district on a Superbowl Sunday afternoon and counted as surplus parking any vacant spaces within a quarter mile of the Admiral Theater.

  • arobar September 11, 2008 (8:37 pm)

    I make a point to come to downtown W. Seattle to shop because the parking is nice – not just is it free, but typically you can find a spot, and there isn’t really a time restriction. It allows me to stroll at leisure and makes it more likely I’ll stop at multiple places rather than just running in to get something I need.

  • RickB September 11, 2008 (8:41 pm)

    Scott,

    When I lived in the U-District and the city increased the area around the Ave that had meters (actually pay stations), they contended that businesses would welcome the changes. The rationale was that the parking would turn over more in the metered areas, making it easier for people to drive to the area for shopping.

    Whether or not that’s true, I don’t know, but that was their view at the time (three or four years ago).

    -Rick

  • fiz September 11, 2008 (8:51 pm)

    Yupl, there were parking meters and multiple empty storefronts. Sunday afternoons looked like a ghost town. At least the Husky was there for us.

  • Krystal September 12, 2008 (9:52 am)

    Keep is the same, or make it pedestrian only. And wait to see what potential problems may arise by proposed or in development buildings. Don’t fix it before all those monstrous buildings are built and occupied, or they may have to fix it again.

  • island dweller September 12, 2008 (3:24 pm)

    It wasn’t that long ago that there were meters all along the stretch of California Avenue that is the junction.

    They also existed on 42nd Avenue in the block that is where Jefferson Square is. I believe they were also present on Oregon street, part of 44th, Alaska, and part of Edmunds.

    There were complaints by both businesses and patrons of the predatory practices of at least one “meter maid” that was notorious for nailing people who parked and ran in to get change for a meter. She’d be writing them withing 30 seconds of parking.

    I used to work in the Junction at a store that is long-since gone and witnessed this on several occasions.

    Keep it free, please.

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