Business owners, residents, and stakeholders expressed their concerns during Thursday’s Public Parking forum. DGDC Director Erin Fonseca, welcomed everyone and explained the input and feedback will assist the City of Goldsboro with the next steps. The event moderated by Dwight Bassett, Director of Economic Development and Parking Services for the Town of Chapel Hill. Bassett presented three options to ease parking in Downtown Goldsboro.
In 2016, a traffic and parking study was done to analyze available parking, traffic conditions, patterns of use and opportunities. The study found that there were 1,929 parking spaces downtown, and determined that wayfinding signage was needed to help direct and inform the public. Wayfinding was added in 2020, however downtown has realized significant growth in the last three years, doubling the number of upper story apartments, realizing 40 building rehabilitations. This is fantastic progress, though it has led to congestion of street parking and a change in traffic/parking patterns that require the City to revisit management and education strategies.
Option one would create signage for on street time limits of 2 to 3 hours and ticket violators. Option 2 would include option one and set an on-street parking rate from 25 cents to one dollar per hour. This option would issue residential and business decals for use in off-street parking lots. Options 3 would include both Option one and two and add off-street parking rate per day or month.
Currently downtown has 680 on street parking spaces, 1249 public off-street spaces and 1656 private spaces. Many stakeholders stressed the need to address safety first. Several business owners raised concerns about their employees leaving work at night and walking blocks to the vehicles. Along with safety issues, the business owners expressed that residents and county employees use the parking spaces for long periods, leaving no parking for the patrons.
The input will be gathered and presented to the Goldsboro City Council.