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Benton City delays WSDOT-backed downtown parking conversion after businesses and residents raise concerns
Summary
Council members voted to delay a WSDOT-funded plan to convert angled parking to parallel parking and add a bike lane downtown after a large turn-out of business owners and residents warned the change would eliminate roughly half of on-street parking and hurt seniors and small businesses.
The Benton City Council voted to delay a WSDOT-funded plan to convert angled on-street parking to parallel spaces and add a protected bike lane through the downtown core after an hour of questions from council and more than a dozen public comments from business owners and residents.
Nathan, the city’s public works official, summarized the design presented by WSDOT and said the change — between Dale Avenue and Ellen Avenue — would convert angled spaces to parallel parking, add a 6-foot bike lane with safety buffers and reduce lane widths from 12 feet to 11 feet. Nathan said the plan is fully funded through WSDOT’s current cycle (July 1 through June 30, 2027) and that WSDOT has scheduled construction for late August if the city approves…
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