Expanding some Short North and Italian Village parking permit areas and sharing parking fees are among the recommendations a working group has sent to Columbus City Council for approval.In September, Council enacted a one-year moratorium on new parking-permit districts amid a shortage of parking spaces. A study shows there are 1 thousand more permits than spaces in the two neighborhoods, prompting complaints from business owners and residents. The city appointed a working group of area businesses and other stakeholders to come up with solutions to parking shortages. The group has issued 16 recommendations, 13 of which will be enacted administratively. Three recommendations need Council approval, including a plan to expand permit area one, adding a small number of parking spaces in the Hubbard Avenue and Kerr Street areas. Randy Bowman of the Columbus Public Service Department says the others include temporarily expanding parking permit zone five in the North High Street area, and sharing some of the revenue collected from parking permits with area groups to help visitors and others find places to park.
Bowman says other changes include improvements to the permit process and requiring residents and businesses to renew their permits in-person annually, starting next year.
A city-funded parking study launches later this month, and officials hope more solutions will be found. It is expected to be completed next summer. The city allows permits that restrict public parking if 60 percent of the residents in a particular area sign a petition. There are 32 permit-parking zones in the city with different restrictions on time.
Ed Note: for more information on the recommendations, go to the Department of Public Service website (http://publicservice.columbus.gov/content.aspx?id=54566) and click on "November 12, 2013 Final Parking Proposal As Recommended to Transportation & Pedestrian Commission"