FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pittsfield to Address Parking Management
The City of Pittsfield is undertaking a sustainable parking management study in downtown Pittsfield. With continued arts district growth, retail diversity, new mixed-use developments, and recent streetscape improvements’, parking is a critical component to the success of downtown, and this management study will provide the framework to make parking an asset, not a barrier, to continued downtown growth.
A comprehensive parking study ties together all of Pittsfield’s downtown revitalization efforts to ensure there is adequate, convenient parking for customers, employees, visitors, and residents. The plan may include the introduction of on-street paid parking, new technology, changes to downtown employee parking permits, updates to wayfinding and directional signage, improved enforcement efficiency, and more. In addition, complementary issues such as intersection improvements and circulation patterns, bicycle routes and parking, and public transportation and other initiatives will be evaluated for their impact on the overall parking system. The team will also review the administrative structure, governing entities, parking finances, and general operations to ensure that the recommendations of this effort can be implemented efficiently and effectively.
A primary component of this effort is to understand current challenges and strains on the parking system from customers, employees, residents, visitors, and others. “ Public involvement is vitally important to this study” said Community Development Director, Douglas Clark. We want to encourage everyone to complete an online survey and participate in the Parking Open House. The Parking Survey is on the front page of the City of Pittsfield website, www.cityofpittsfield.org. click on Parking Survey.
In addition to the survey, the study team invites all to attend an Open House on Thursday, December 5 from 4pm – 8pm in the Colonial Theater Lobby to provide input on parking concerns in downtown. The Open House is designed for individuals to come for as little or as long as needed; the Open House has a variety of exercises and tools to gather as much input from attendees as possible.
After the outreach efforts are completed, the study team will hold another Public Meeting in early 2014 to present initial strategies and recommendations. A final report will be completed by Spring 2014.