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DDA weighs North Main pilot to add parallel parking, seeks council approval in October
Summary
The Downtown Development Authority discussed a pilot project to reconfigure North Main Street, adding an estimated 50–55 parallel parking spaces and routing a pilot to city council for tentative October consideration; board members raised signage, striping and seasonal-timing concerns.
The Downtown Development Authority on Sept. 17 discussed a pilot to reconfigure North Main Street to add parallel parking and evaluate effects on traffic and parking turnover. Nick (board member) said the pilot would add roughly 50 to 55 spots and that the DDA will seek quotes to implement a pilot this calendar year.
The DDA expects to present the pilot to the city council tentatively on Oct. 7, pending receipt of contractor quotes and internal review. Board members said the project would be implemented quickly if council approves, with an eye toward finishing work before the first snowfall.
The discussion centered on how to preserve traffic flow and clear sight lines at intersections while creating turnover for downtown businesses. Board members flagged optics and functionality as separate issues: temporary striping and prominent signage would be needed so the new layout is seen as a pilot rather than construction. One member noted temporary markings could be a single guiding line rather than individually marked stalls.
Members also raised operational questions for measuring success: how weather (wind, rain, snow) or school schedules might change parking behavior, and whether a short test window would produce usable data. A staff member suggested a roughly four-week observation period to capture initial effects; board members left open the option of running a secondary test if early results were affected by poor weather.
The DDA discussed nonregulatory approaches to encourage turnover — for example, informational signage rather than new ordinances or meters — and noted that any one-hour or similar signage would not, by itself, create enforceable restrictions. Some board members expressed interest in future experiments with meters or designated pickup zones but said those would require separate deliberation.
The DDA agreed to obtain quotes and prepare materials for council review, then report findings back to the board after the pilot runs.
