FORIMMEDIATERELEASE:

TheGreaterBloomingtonChamberofCommerce SharesItsRecommendationsontheProposalforMeteredParking
Bloomington,INFebruary5,2013TheGreaterBloomingtonChamberofCommercetodayannounced itsrecommendationsontheproposedparkingmanagementordinancethatincludedmeteringofonstreetspacesin downtown.TheChamberhadannouncedoppositiontotheproposal,insteadcallingfortheCitytoadoptastrategicand carefulapproachthatlooksatmeteringinthecontextofacomprehensiveparkingplan.InanefforttoassisttheCityin creatingthisplan,aparkingsubcommitteecomprisedofrepresentativesofdowntownbusinesses,nonprofit organizations,Cityemployeesandlocalelectedofficialsreviewedrecommendationsfroma2007parkingstudyand draftedthefinallistofrecommendations.TheserecommendationswerereviewedandapprovedbyTheChambers boardofdirectorsandweresharedwithCityofBloomingtonofficialsattheendoflastweek.TheChambers recommendationsappearbelow. LateonFridayoflastweek,MayorKruzanandCityCouncilPresidentDarrylNeherjointlyannouncedthepostponement ofthisweeksCityCouncilvoteontheproposedordinance.TheChambercommendedboththeMayorandCityCouncil membersonthedecisiontopostponethevote,whichwouldhavetakenplacetomorrow. TheChamberapplaudstheMayorandtheCityCouncilfortheirdecisiontopostponeafinalvoteonthisproposal.The additionaltimetothoroughlyrevieweveryaspectanditsimpact,coupledwiththecreativerecommendationssolicited fromothers,willprovideourbusinessesandourcommunitywithamoresolidsolution,saidJimShelton,interim presidentandC.E.O.oftheGreaterBloomingtonChamberofCommerce.Wearepleasedtopresentour recommendationsandlookforwardtocontinuingtobepartoftheprocesstobuildacomprehensiveparkingplan.

RecommendationsforImplementingMeteredParkingDowntown
January31,2013
WeappreciatetheopportunitytosharerecommendationsonproposeddowntownmeteredparkingwithCityof Bloomingtonofficials.In2007,TheGreaterBloomingtonChamberofCommerceandDowntownBloomington,Inc. releasedrecommendationsinresponsetotheDowntownParkingMasterPlancreatedbyWalkerParkingConsultants. Today,in2013,weapplaudtheCityseffortstoimplementmanyofthoserecommendationsover theyears,andbelieveitisimportanttocontinuelookingatmeteredparkinginthecontextofacomprehensiveplanthat considersthefullrangeofparkingchallengesandoptionsasweaddresstheneedsofourcommunity. Ourparkingcommittee,comprisedofrepresentativesofdowntownbusinesses,nonprofitorganizations,City employeesandlocalelectedofficials,hasmetforseveralmonthstorevisitthe2007recommendations,shareideasand gatherinformation.Asubcommitteerepresentingbothpublicandprivatesectorindividualshasbeenformedtoprovide acomprehensiveapproachforfurtherinputoncurrentandfutureparkingissuesandtoidentifyandhelpimplementa rangeofsolutions.TheinitialmeetingbetweenthesubcommitteeandCityofficialstookplaceonJanuary8,during whichsubcommitteemembershearddetailsabouttheproposal. more

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TheCityhashadampletimetoconsiderandpreparethecurrentproposedplan.TheChamber,DBI,businesses,and otherinterestedpartiesareataseveredisadvantage,asweworkwithinaverylimitedtimeframetofullyunderstand theplan,itsintended,andmoreimportantly,itsunintendedconsequences.Additionaltimeisneededtostudyparking issuesandsolutionsbeforetheCitymakesthefinancialinvestmentinparkingmeters.Afullunderstandingofthe currentfinancialsituationofgarages,utilization,capacityandimpactsoffuturedevelopmentsisanessentialpartofthe equation. ForthesereasonsitisrecommendedthattheCityCouncilvotetotableOrdinance1303foraperiodofninetydays. Duringtheninetydayreviewperiodanadvisorycommitteecouldbeformedtostudyallaspectsoftheproposedplan. Attheendofthereviewperiod,theadvisorycommitteecanpresentitsfindingsandrecommendationstotheCity Councilforacomprehensivedowntownparkingplan.TheCityandadvisorycommitteeshouldconsiderthefollowing: Theadvisorycommitteeshouldlookatcreativeopportunitiesforincreasingparkingsupplyaswellasbenchmarking fromothercitiesofsimilarsizeanddemographicsonwaystomanageparking,withmeteringbeingoneofseveral potentialcomponentsofaplan.ThisadvisorycommitteeshouldincludeCityandCountyofficials,representativesof businessesandorganizations,andcitizensrepresentingabroadspectrumofthepopulation. Abenchmarkingstudyonthefinancialimpactofpaidparkingonmunicipalitiesandbusinessesinothercitiesof similardemographicsshouldbeconducted.Additionally,thecurrenteconomicclimateforBloomingtonbusinesses needstobeconsidered.Paidparkingshouldbeaddressedwithinthefullcontextoffinancialburdensplacedon businessesbygovernmentincludingincreasesintaxrates,increasedlocalfeesforservices,andhowthoseratesare likelytoincreaseinthenearfuture. Aplanforgarageimprovementsshouldbedevelopedwithadefinitetimelineforimplementation.Priorityissues shouldinclude: Immediate,specificmeasurestoaddresscleanliness,lighting,camerasandsecurity Increasedvisibilityofcallboxes Uniformityintheoperationofthegarages(e.g.installationofagateandpostpayticketsysteminallgarages similartothatinuseatmarketgarage.) Improvedsignagetoexplainhowthegaragesoperate,forconsistency,simplicityandbettercommunication; doawaywiththenamesofthegaragesandnamethembasedontheirlocationsuchas4th&WalnutStreet Garage,7th&WalnutStreetGarage,6thandMortonStreetGarage.Thissimplifiesthenameandprovidesthe location.Eventhecityemployeesgetconfusedaboutwhichgarageiswhere. Immediateremovalofconfusingsignageaboutreservedparkingaffixedtothe4thstreetgarage,alongwithre assignmentofreservedspots Addelectronicsignageateachgaragethatgivespatronsinformationontheavailabilityofparkingsuchas FULLorParkingAvailable. Toencouragethepublictomakeuseofexistinggarages,apartnershipforabroadpublicrelationsinitiativeis recommendedtocommunicategarageimprovementsalreadymadeandthoseunderwayorexpected,followedbya highlyvisibleunveilingofthenewlyimprovedgarages.Thisshouldbedonewellinadvanceofanyonstreetparking changes,withthepublicclearlyunderstandinghowtoaccessandusethegarages.Garagepricingandvarious promotionsshouldbeconsidered. Rebrandthegaragestoincludephysicallocationinthenamestohelpthepublicidentifyandlocategarages.Thisisa crucialelementofthepublicrelationsplan. more

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Withtheincreaseddemandexpectedforparkinginthefuture,weadvocatethattheCityproposeaplantoincrease thesupplyofavailableparkingspotsthatwouldprovideconsistentparkingrequirementsfordevelopers,examine thepotentialforbuildinganadditionalgarage,andlookatalternativessuchasaremotelotwithafreetrolley servicetoaccommodatevolunteersandlowerincomeresidents,orexpanduponcurrentserviceofferings. Businessownershavestatedthataparkingoptionisneededforparttimeemployees.Wearesupportiveofa parkinggaragepassoptionforparttimeemployeesthatisaffordable,giventherealisticsalariesforthissegmentof workers.Inaddition,theimpactoffulltimeemployeesparkingneedsshouldbeaconsideration. Inordertounderstandthedemandsforemployeeandvolunteerparking,theCityandadvisorycommitteeneedto studydatareflectingthenumbersoffulltimeemployees,parttimeminimumwageworkers,volunteers, governmentvisitors,etc.ofthedowntownbusinessesandorganizationsforbothdaytimeandeveningshifts.This dataneedstobecomparedwithavailablegaragespaceatvarioustimestodetermineifgaragescanaccommodate employees,andmakesurethatparkingpermitsreflectavailablegaragespace. Theavailabilityofparkingforlowerincomeresidentswhovisitthedowntownisimportantandisnotaddressedin thecurrentproposal.Thecourthouseandgovernmentbuildingsshouldbeaccessibletoallresidents,regardlessof income.Thispopulationneedstobeconsideredintheplan. Manyofourdowntownattractionsandservicesrelyheavilyonvolunteers.Oneconcernisthatpaidparkingwill limitthewillingnessofvolunteerstoserve,impactingtheabilityoftheseorganizationstocontinueprovidingthe highestqualityprogramstothecommunity.Forcingattractionsandservicesoutofthedowntowncouldbecomean unintendedconsequenceandmustbeconsidered. TheCityisencouragedtoworkwithbusinessesandownersofprivatelotstomanagetheimpactofpaidparkingand todevelopstrategiesformakinguseofthosefacilitiesafterbusinesshours. Neighborhoodparkingneedstobestudiedandconsideredaspartofthecomprehensiveplan.TheCityandadvisory committeeshouldidentifycurrenttrendsinneighborhoodparkingandincludethisaspartofthebenchmarking study.Understandingthecurrentandfuturechallengesofneighborhoodparking,impactofpaidparking,and analyzingthecurrentfeestructuremustbefullyunderstoodbeforeanychangesaremadetothecurrentsituation, andadjustingthepriceforneighborhoodpermitparkingshouldnotbediscounted. WeappreciateyourconsiderationoftheserecommendationsastheCityofBloomingtondevelopsitsplanfordowntown parking.WeareconfidentthattheCitywillbeabletoaccomplishitsgoalsofimprovingparking.Ourcommittee representingpublic,privateandnonprofitsectorsstandsreadytoofferassistanceincreatingastrategythatwillresultin betterbusinessandabettercommunity.
AbouttheGreaterBloomingtonChamberofCommerce: TheGreaterBloomingtonChamberofCommerceisanonprofitmembershiporganizationservingasourcommunitysleadingadvocateforbusiness.Weofferunique leadershipopportunities,meaningfulvolunteeractivities,andexclusivebusinessbuildingprogramsfocusedoncriticaleconomic,civic,andsocialpriorities.Chamber memberssupporteachotherandcommunityinitiatives,sharinginformationandresourcestohelpcreateeconomicopportunityandcommunitywellbeing.Atthe GreaterBloomingtonChamberofCommerce,webelievethatbetterbusinessleadstoabettercommunity.www.ChamberBloomington.org

Contact: JimShelton,InterimPresident&C.E.O (812)3366381 jshelton@ChamberBloomington.org ###