Benton City delays WSDOT-backed downtown parking conversion after businesses and residents raise concerns

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 the project to proceed.

“Parking, this would reduce our downtown street parking by about 50%,” Nathan said during the presentation, adding that WSDOT’s five-year crash history in the corridor showed 16 crashes, 11 of them parking-related, as part of the safety rationale.

Why it matters: The project would bring a dedicated bike lane and improved sight lines that WSDOT and staff say would improve pedestrian and emergency access. Local business owners and residents countered that losing on-street parking would be a serious economic blow and an accessibility problem for elderly customers who rely on curbside access.

During public comment, multiple business owners described daily parking occupancy and the needs of older customers. “If we do lose half of our parking, it will affect my business,” said Luis, who identified himself as a 9th Street salon owner. Heather, the downtown pharmacist, said many of her customers are seniors and would not walk farther: “If we give them to go come and park 300 feet away … I don’t think I’m gonna be able to attract them anymore to the pharmacy,” she said.

Business owners also raised operational concerns about deliveries and loading zones, and asked whether the city could identify additional off-street spaces or reroute truck traffic before changing the curb layout. WSDOT representatives and city staff acknowledged those concerns and said the agency could investigate alternatives or delay construction, but cautioned that pushing the project beyond the current funding cycle would risk losing the WSDOT dollars.

Council response and next steps: After a lengthy Q&A and public-comment period, the council chose to delay a decision and directed staff to study parking alternatives and pursue additional outreach. The council’s delay preserves the WSDOT funding option for now but leaves open the possibility of reintroducing the project later if the city can produce mitigations for businesses and accessibility needs.

The council’s action was procedural; staff will return with more data and proposed mitigations before any final approval. The council did not vote to cancel the project; it voted to delay further action to allow staff follow-up and possible redesign or mitigation options.