COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the Short North have long been voicing their concerns about parking.
The number of parking meters in the Short North is already limited, and that’s even before you account for the meters bagged for construction in the area.
The city says they have a plan in place to $200,000 to better parking situation in the area.
“I love the Short North. I love coming down here. But actually getting here is the tough part, you know? So, I tend to prefer other places in the city simply because of the parking hassle,” said one patron of a Short North business.
“It’s honestly terrible. I can’t go anywhere it’s awful,” said another person.
The city says it hired a consulting firm last year which helped. More recently, the city decided to hire the RAMA consulting firm to get more feedback about on the issue.
“Short North parking is certainly a challenge. Through this planning effort, we hope to create more access for individuals in the short north. We want people to think a little bit differently about how they access short north,” said Robert Ferrin, Assistant Director for Parking Services. “You can certainly drive car share. We’re working with shuttle operators to figure out how we can have employees park remotely and then shuttle back and forth to Short North.”
Columbus City Councilmember Michael Stinziano says council voted on Monday to approve money for the new consulting firm. He voted against it saying he thought there was enough feedback from the last time a firm came in but hopes this benefits everyone.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of feedback and a thorough process that the city has undertaken as we focus to try to find a solution,” said Stinziano. “[We] remain committed to working with businesses and residents to what’s going to be best for that corridor.”
To help with the bagged meters, the city says it is changing the signs. Instead of meters being completely bagged for long periods of time, they’ll have a timeframe on it when you can park. That program started in January
The city says planning recommendations from the new consulting firm will come out in June and will be implemented in November.
