Fairhope, Alabama
North Section Street. |
BLOCKING STREET TRAFFIC ?
During a recent meeting, the city's Street and Traffic Control Committee began discussing ways to deal with the chronic problem of delivery trucks periodically blocking streets in the downtown central business district.
The problem has become especially bad on N. Section Street where new businesses have sprung up in recent years, but is a problem "all over town" too according to police chief Hollinghead.
Dr. Doug Harrell, whose dental office is at 71 N Section Street, said his patients often are blocked from entering/exiting his drive way by the trucks and even crosswalks in the area are being blocked at times; he worried "someone's going to get injured."
Possible solutions discussed include more designated loading zones, setting time limits for deliveries, moving deliveries to side streets (Bancroft? Bellangee?), and using the civic center parking lot for deliveries in the S. Section Street area.
Planning director Simmons mentioned that more one way streets may be beneficial too, according to planning consultants the city has hired.
The committee decided to table the matter for a future meeting.
October Street/Traffic Committee |
Church Street clogged. |
Comments
If the parking structure in under-utilized, folks need to be made to use it.
Reduce the number of parking spaces for ambulatory on downtown streets. Create a sufficient number of retired spaces for loading zones in front of businesses. Create more handicapped spaces for any additional retired ambulatory remaining.
Only other option is parking meters, which could pay for additional parking structures. Make folks park in periphery areas if they don’t want to pay.
Is there a better idea?