March 31, 2008

No angled parking for Main Street ... yet

At least until the mall property is redeveloped, there won’t be any angled parking on Main Street.
The Bristol Development Authority recently rejected a plea from downtown merchants to create angled parking as part of a planned streetscape improvement.
Officials decided they should not make any solid plans for the west side of Main Street along the mall property, but indicated that perhaps angled parking can be added there once the 17-acre site is transformed.
In the meantime, though, they decided not to try angled parking on the east side of Main Street between Riverside Avenue and the railroad bridge because of safety and maintenance concerns.With angled parking, there would be room for 13 spaces there, officials said, instead of the six that are possible with parallel parking.
Jonathan Rosenthal, the city’s economic development director, said that either choice would leave a parking deficit that has to be addressed. He said officials have to deal with the larger issue soon.
Mickey Goldwasser, a BDA commissioner who favored the parallel parking idea, said that it’s safer than having people backing out into traffic.
Mayor Art Ward said there is more potential for angled parking on the west side of Main Street.
But Ken Cockayne, a city councilor who serves on the BDA, said that merchants in the area are “really in dire straits” because of the parking crunch created by the closure of the mall site.
“Angled parking there is better” for them, he said, and would double the number of spaces for customers to use.
The BDA voted 5-3 to proceed with parallel parking in the streetscape project that aim to create much the same ambiance on Main Street that a long stretch of North Main Street has had since a streetscape project in 2005 transformed the roadway.
Plans call for brick and architecturally pleasing sidewalks, lighting, granite curbing, benches and other improvements between Riverside Avenue and Center Street, with most of the amenities focused on the area between the Main Library and the Riverside.
Jack Driscoll, a longtime BDA commissioner, said that angled parking on the west side would “probably be less traumatic” for traffic flow.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said it’s easier to maintain a street with parallel parking given how short a stretch was eyed for angled parking. A long stretch with angled parking would actually be easiest of all, he said.
He said, though, that public works could deal with either choice. It would simply be “a little more labor intensive” to go with angled parking on the east side.
Ward and Rosenthal each said the streetscape project will be done next year.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

And now Rosenthal is a parking/traffic expert.
Parrallel parking exists very well in many communities, and in some situations where the traffic is heavier, such as Madison, and Middletown.

We will need a parking garage, but why have stores on the sidewalk if people will be very limited in parking in front?

Is anyone coordinating what is happening????

Anonymous said...

Middletown, madison Old Saybrook most communities interested in promoting their downtown and their merchants use angle parking to get more parking spaces available. We need to do something before everyone downown goes out of business.

Anonymous said...

March 31, 2008 4:14 PM: Wrong about angle parking, right about a parking garage (although there is nothing in Bristol yet to park for). Middletown has angle parking and a parking garage. We have used both frequenting the First and Last Restaurant. Middletown has a great downtown (albeit an insurance company and a university as well).


March 31, 2008 5:15 PM: Right about angle parking. It's better for downtown development.

Anonymous said...

REMEMBER BRISTOL IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY. SO WHY EXSPECT ANYTHING THAT MAKES SENCE.

Anonymous said...

How did the votes break down on this?

Anonymous said...

Re: 6:10 Blogger

Here's the deal for me, if you can't spell properly, whatever you have to say has no merit. My goodness, run a spell check.

Anonymous said...

We need angled parking. It makes no sense not to have it. I don't see the difference between the dangers of backing out into traffic w/ angled parking and stopping and backing into a spot for parallel parking, other than you can pull into or out of it if no one is parked around you. Small difference if you ask me.

Anonymous said...

What I got out of the article is different than what the other posters got out of it.

It's not that angled parking isn't a good idea for that area, it's that the road isn't structured for safe angled parking at this point. The mall redevelopment will force a change in the way Main Street is layed out which will in turn allow for angled parking.

Anonymous said...

Once again Ken Cockayne is right and the Dumb-o-crats are wrong.

Anonymous said...

There go the "Naysayers "again. If they don't do it nothing is right . But they don't do anything but whine .

Anonymous said...

Idon't know why any elected official would listen to or even care what some of these naysayers on here want, They'll be against it anyway.

Anonymous said...

Hey 11:50 Like to call names? How about Republican'ts?

Anonymous said...

It's called waiting for a solid plan about the downtown area before doing something that would have to be corrected later. Downtown Bristol has a parking problem that needs to be created but first things first -- we need to know what Downtown turns out to be.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of backing out into traffic , ANYONE backing out of their driveway should have their license pulled and their vehicle confiscated .

If you are NOT capable of safely backing into your driveway , what makes it safe for everyone to have you backing out into TRAFFIC ????

Doing so would remove 50% of those idiot stop signs they install after morons complain about safely leaving their driveways .

Fuel is getting too expensive to waste @ unnecessary stop signs when all that is needed is a 3rd grade IQ to safely merge w/ traffic from a driveway .

Anonymous said...

Downtown Bristol doesn't have a parking problem. There is on street parking and various off-street lots.

It wouldn't kill a few people to walk a few hundred feet in fact it may save their lives. Too many people are overweight and physically unfit. A lack of a drive-through and having to park a few hundred feet away does not justify paving the whole city just so someone doesn't have to walk more than a few feet to pick up their fast food, beer, or coffee and donuts.

Anonymous said...

For those that do not think there is a problem, now, they are not incorrect.

However, now is the time to plan for the 50 or so Post ofice employees, and the city hall workers, who will be displaced once the site is under development.

Also, the Court complex "clients" utilize parking spaces also.

Lets plan now.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
For those that do not think there is a problem, now, they are not incorrect.
``````````````````


Try to pay attention .....


The plan is to restrict vehicular traffic and turn downtown into a pedestrian zone .

geeeze ..... some people .

Anonymous said...

THIS IS WHY WE NEED INPUT FROM FROM REAL PROS NOT A BOUNCH OF UNION GUYS TRYING TO ACT SMART. WE HAD ENOUGH OF MISTAKES IN THE PAST.

Anonymous said...

Hey, 5:26 PM Poster: exactly which "real pros" and which "bounch [sic] of union guys" are you referring to? And, please, do all of us a favor and stop using the CAPS LOCK key on your computer keyboard; it makes your postings even more annoying to read than they already are.

Anonymous said...

Do we still have a Parking Authority?

The old one had the mayor as a member.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Jonathans Streetscape on North Main street is falling apart already.

Actually, it doesn't even seem to have been completed.

Who is watching out for us taxpayers???