Traffic Panel Continues Downtown Parking, Market Street Parking Discussion
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission is working to make sure parking downtown is more accommodating for residents, merchant and visitors. During its meeting Wednesday, Kip Shuter, traffic administrator, said the on-street parking committee met Friday to discuss parking. The committee will make a presentation on parking improvements at the commission’s May 1 meeting. Warsaw City Council will need to approve an ordinance if there are parking spaces changes and times. “We will try to keep two-hour parking in the downtown and get everyone to cooperate and park where patrons should park and where employees should park and create spots for residents,” Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said. A finance and policy, on-street and off-street, and survey and data committees have been meeting to discuss improvements to downtown parking. Also during the meeting, the commission discussed the possibility of eliminating on-street parking on Wood Street east to Argonne Road. The road is not currently wide enough to handle two-way traffic and parking, Shuter said. The commission reviewed a crash summary report for crash history on Market Street from 2008 to 2012. There were 16 collisions. One collision was a personal injury due to a driver who was operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, and 15 collisions resulting in property damage. Shuter made the motion for the commission not to take action at this point on eliminating parking from Wood Street east to Argonne Road. Thallemer informed the commission there may be an opportunity to resurface Market Street next year pending funding from the state.
