Village Construction Parking

To many parking spaces are blocked off. If you drive around the Village and through the parking lots including the Woodland lot you will see sections of parking spaces taking away. I think a little more consideration should be put into this. I don't know how all these businesses survive.

tothepoint said:

To many parking spaces are blocked off. If you drive around the Village and through the parking lots including the Woodland lot you will see sections of parking spaces taking away. I think a little more consideration should be put into this. I don't know how all these businesses survive.

It's sidewalk construction.  I went to Village Barbers the other day while the sidewalk was being repaired in front of it.  I walked from my parking spot and was able to enter.

No reason to think it won't be all done in time for the big retail season (which these days starts on Halloween, I think).

Somehow, there is ‘never enough parking’, because people just aren’t willing to walk an extra block or two.  The same complaint will be posted even after the construction is over and all spaces restored.  

Do folks really want a parking garage in the village? Because that’s the only way to provide more parking to those who won’t walk a little farther. (Or even the same distance to the other side of the train tracks at many times.)

I wouldn’t be surprised if the sidewalk work is hurting businesses, and I wouldn’t presume to write off concerns, because I don’t know.

As for normal parking, I’m firmly in the I Can Walk a Ways camp, but there are hours when even that is more of a challenge than others in the camp sometimes make it out to be.

I’m not sure what other solutions exist. I don’t think we will be tearing down any buildings to add parking. And the sidewalk repairs are much needed. What else do you suggest?

sac said:

I’m not sure what other solutions exist. I don’t think we will be tearing down any buildings to add parking. And the sidewalk repairs are much needed. What else do you suggest?

An understanding that businesses and other parkers may be having more difficulties than we’re aware of, is all.

I've mentioned this before: Why not reverse the direction of Dunnell Road? That way motorists who can't find parking in the village could make a quick left from Baker Street and park on the Memorial Park side of the tracks. (My unscientific observation is that parking spaces in Maplewood are especially scarce in the evening and on weekends, when commuters are not occupying the Dunnell permit spots.) 

j_r said:

I've mentioned this before: Why not reverse the direction of Dunnell Road? That way motorists who can't find parking in the village could make a quick left from Baker Street and park on the Memorial Park side of the tracks. (My unscientific observation is that parking spaces in Maplewood are especially scarce in the evening and on weekends, when commuters are not occupying the Dunnell permit spots.) 

 My unscientific guess is that the morning back-up of cars going to the station, turning from Baker onto Dunnell, combined with school traffic and the cars parking in the permitted commuter spaces, would be like a daily Third Circle of Hell.

j_r said:

(My unscientific observation is that parking spaces in Maplewood are especially scarce in the evening and on weekends, when commuters are not occupying the Dunnell permit spots.) 

Mine is lunchtime, when Dunnell and the station’s park side remain packed and can leave even us willing amblers trolling* long and (relatively) far for a space.

*ETA: At least, that’s what we called it in Philly. Maybe it’s trawling instead?

DaveSchmidt said:

Mine is lunchtime, when Dunnell and the station’s park side remain packed and can leave even us willing amblers trolling long and (relatively) far for a space.

I think weekday lunchtime is generally the worst.  I've never been unable to find a spot someplace on nights or weekends.  

Certainly construction isn't going to be good for business.  It takes up parking spaces and it makes walking inconvenient.  If we want to do our part to help local businesses I suppose we can make a point of making an extra visit or two after the construction is finished.  

The solution certainly isn't to not do the repairs of the sidewalks.  In another discussion I mentioned my neighbor who fell and broke her hip a few years back, and the loose paving stones were probably a factor.  People falling or rolling their ankles on bad sidewalks isn't good for business either.

sac said:

I’m not sure what other solutions exist. I don’t think we will be tearing down any buildings to add parking. And the sidewalk repairs are much needed. What else do you suggest?

Mass transit is a possible solution.  Add jitney service to the Village bus stop on the weekends when the jitneys are not needed for commuters.  Consider providing jitney service mid-day on weekdays.  Bring back the 31 bus route which ran along Valley Street or the 32 bus route which ran along Prospect Street terminated in the Village.  Expand senior bus service hours for those who qualify. 

Bike racks is another possible solution.  Encourage those who live too far to walk to bike into/from the village. 

Encourage those who can to walk to/from the Village, no parking necessary.

nohero said:

 My unscientific guess is that the morning back-up of cars going to the station, turning from Baker onto Dunnell, combined with school traffic and the cars parking in the permitted commuter spaces, would be like a daily Third Circle of Hell.

 Fair point. But don't the permit spots fill up before school traffic is an issue? (I'm a 9:03 commuter so I don't know.) And wouldn't it be the same effect as station dropoff traffic exiting toward MMS?

j_r said:

nohero said:

 My unscientific guess is that the morning back-up of cars going to the station, turning from Baker onto Dunnell, combined with school traffic and the cars parking in the permitted commuter spaces, would be like a daily Third Circle of Hell.

 Fair point. But don't the permit spots fill up before school traffic is an issue? (I'm a 9:03 commuter so I don't know.) And wouldn't it be the same effect as station dropoff traffic exiting toward MMS?

 Drop-off traffic can currently escape the crush by leaving the area via Oakview, and not going the last few feet to the train station.

joan_crystal said:

sac said:

I’m not sure what other solutions exist. I don’t think we will be tearing down any buildings to add parking. And the sidewalk repairs are much needed. What else do you suggest?

Mass transit is a possible solution.  Add jitney service to the Village bus stop on the weekends when the jitneys are not needed for commuters.  Consider providing jitney service mid-day on weekdays.  Bring back the 31 bus route which ran along Valley Street or the 32 bus route which ran along Prospect Street terminated in the Village.  Expand senior bus service hours for those who qualify. 

Bike racks is another possible solution.  Encourage those who live too far to walk to bike into/from the village. 

Encourage those who can to walk to/from the Village, no parking necessary.

 There are usually plenty of parking spaces a few blocks away from Maplewood Avenue and people still complain about parking, so I don't think encouraging walking from even farther away will address the problem for them.  And the Jitneys can't possibly be everywhere at once, so people would probably have to wait 10 or 20 or some number of minutes for one to come.  That works for commuters who are in a routine, but probably not so well for shoppers.  The biggest problem is that there ARE spaces, but a fair number of people think they are "too far away".

Not being willing to walk to the nearest jitney stop and then waiting for the next jitney to arrive is the mass transit equivalent of motorists who will attempt to pass a car that is yielding the crosswalk to a pedestrian.  We all need to learn to slow down a little for our own health and safety.  New habits will need to be formed but that doesn't mean such an approach wouldn't work.  The far greater problem with introducing mid day/weekend mass transit service is the cost in terms of salaries, fuel, and equipment compounded with the time it would take to build ridership to the point where there would be a positive impact on traffic congestion and parking.

Joan - I don’t disagree with you, but the vast majority of complaints are coming from people who want to be able to go whenever they feel like going and have a parking space waiting for them just steps from their destination. That’s the problem. No jitneys, etc will help with that.

My significant other will frequently use the side streets above Maplewood Ave to park.  She rarely has to walk more than half a block.  Trying to find a space on Mapleood Ave is like trying to hit the lottery