by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
City Council member Suzanne Jenkins says that when it comes to downtown parking after dark, the City should give the streets a chance.
Citing the growing number of restaurants staying open later in the evening, Jenkins said streets such as Laura, Newnan and Bay that currently prohibit parking during the day should be available after 6 p.m.
“I know we’re building garages to bring more parking down here. I understand that,” said Jenkins, “but I don’t see why we can’t make some of these streets options after- hours. It doesn’t make much sense not to.”
Legislation to make the switch has yet to be filed, though Jenkins, who is working with Downtown Vision, Inc. and the organizers of the Bay Street Town Center initiative, said it could happen sooner than later.
“At this stage we’re stepping back and taking a holistic approach to this,” said Michael Munz, who is involved in the Bay Street Town Center project. “We understand the importance of making parking downtown as accessible and user friendly as it can be after 6 p.m. Accessibility is key and to date City Hall has been very open to finding workable solutions.”
Jenkins said that in addition to providing a much needed jolt to evening businesses, being able to park in front of or at least near a desired destination downtown may also lead to a more favorable safety perception.
“I’m just not sure people feel its safe enough right now to walk a few blocks downtown at night,” she said. “That may just be a perception, but to a lot of people, perception is the reality.
“One of our biggest challenges is to get people down here. This kind of thing, even though it sounds fairly simple, can help.”
Talks with the City’s Public Works Department are expected to continue over the next few months.